The post-pandemic work space would be greener and more ‘tailor-made’

• The demand for office space continues to grow by at least 62% in India, as per a report by CBRE.
• But the demand is going up especially for environmental, social and governance or ESG-compliant offices or green buildings
• This trend is likely to emerge as companies primarily opt for flexible working patterns post the pandemic as employees want a good mix of remote working and work from the office.

It is official now that Indian employees are not willing to ‘go’ back to offices like they did before the pandemic. To suit this, 73% of companies or office space renters are evaluating hybrid working arrangements.

Overall, the demand for office space continues to grow by at least 62% in India, as per a report by CBRE, a real estate investment firm. Most companies intend to increase the size of their real estate portfolios over the next three years.

But the demand is going up especially for environmental, social and governance or ESG-compliant offices or green buildings, the report says.

Around 52% of the respondents of a survey said that they want to relocate to an ESG-compliant building. Another 7% are willing to relocate to such a place even with a premium rental. And they are willing to rent to suit their flexi strategies.

“While one-third of the respondents indicated consolidation in fewer locations, along with meeting flexible demand via coworking spaces as part of their flexible portfolio strategy,” says the report.

This trend is likely to emerge as companies primarily opt for flexible working patterns post the pandemic as employees want a good mix of remote working and work from the office.

“Return to office for several corporates in India is already underway. However, with the widespread adoption of hybrid working since the pandemic, many companies are still considering the degree of flexibility needed to enhance employee productivity and connectivity,” said Anshuman Magazine, chairman & CEO of India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa at CBRE.

Companies have retained the seating arrangement

The report says that offices are looking to enhance the appeal of ‘me’ spaces and create more flexible ‘me /we’ spaces. They are also adopting more activity-based working, hotdesking, and targeted mobility.

Hot desking is an office system that involves multiple workers using a single physical workstation or surface during different time periods.

Among the flexible seating options available, hot desking has grown by 100% over the past two years. As many as 44% of the companies surveyed retained the seating arrangements, as of 2022.

“A key priority for office occupiers in India would be to tailor workplace strategies to ensure that their offices are suitable for flexible working. Owing to this, CBRE has observed a shift from fixed to flexible workplace configurations, which is likely to continue going forward,” said Ram Chandnani, managing director, advisory and transactions services at CBRE India.

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