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Workspace With Purpose: Evenings With DEGW's Chairman
10.30.09 | New York, NY | Recent economic and environmental concerns,
along with fast-moving social pressures, are rapidly changing where and how people work today. More than ever, organizations are challenged daily with staying in business, saving money, and being responsive to new
social dynamics in the workplace, such as mobile working and flexible workspaces, while energizing cultures and reducing their carbon footprint.
Despina Katsikakis, chairman of the international workplace consultancy DEGW, will explore the idea that the 21st-century workplace must be “a space with purpose” – simultaneously stimulating, supportive and sustainable – in upcoming lectures in San Francisco (November 2) and New York (November 5).
Citing global case studies and scientific research, Ms. Katsikakis’s presentation, which was presented in London at BBC headquarters, paves the way for the next generation of business leaders by shedding light on major impending changes to our current workplace practices. “We have compelling evidence that the mono-purpose office buildings of the
past are not what companies want anymore. According to a recent article in Property Week magazine, 66% of organizations surveyed said would not be renewing their expiring leases,” explained Ms. Katsikakis. “We know from our clients that, almost without exception, they are planning to respond to future growth by implementing new ways of working, rather than continuing to use an outdated office building formula.”
To Ms. Katsikakis, her colleagues at DEGW, and leading social scientists,
flexibility is the key to organizational resiliency, now and in the coming decades. The workforce of the future – at both ends of the generational span – requires convenience, control and choice about how, when and where they work. Many companies, however, have not yet broken the link between the workplace and the individual, despite the evidence to support this trend of “distributed work.” Generally, buildings remain disconnected from technological advances and evolving social shifts.
“The construction industry has its head firmly planted in the sand, and still hopes that the economy will turn around and things will be as they always were; however those models are outdated,” Ms. Katsikakis stated.
Based on volumes of data, DEGW has found people sit at their desks only about 35% of their workday, and are in the building only 60% or less of the working week – totaling less than 10% of the time the buildings are available. “This flies in the face of ethical awareness of the role that buildings need to play in supporting the reduction of their carbon footprints,” added Katsikakis. “The new formula for flexible work situations, and establishing space with purpose, better fits our needs for survivability.”
To register as a guest and to request images and interviews, please contact Chris Sullivan in New York at 914.462.2096 or [email protected].
Despina Katsikakis’ Founders’ Lecture Schedule
Monday, Nov. 2 San Francisco, CA Steelcase, 475 Brannan St., 5:30pm
Thursday, Nov. 5 New York, NY DEGW NY, 100 Broadway, 14th fl 6:00pm
About Despina Katsikakis, DEGW Group Chairman
An architect by profession, Despina's primary specialty lies in working with occupiers and developers to deliver innovative real estate solutions that enhance business performance. Since joining DEGW in 1985, she has been instrumental in establishing DEGW offices in North America and Asia Pacific. She has also developed relationships with key global clients including Accenture, BBC, Deutsche Bank, Lend Lease, Nokia, and GlaxoSmithKline. Despina is chairman for the global DEGW group,
providing strategic direction for its ongoing development. She lectures regularly across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.
About DEGW
DEGW is a world-leading strategic design consultancy with offices in Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. DEGW’s international award-winning practice is based on unrivalled user research, extensive
experience in strategic design consulting and systematic evaluation of performance. DEGW focuses on the changing nature of working and learning at the scale of the workplace to the city. They apply the latest
research about how organizations and technologies are changing to enable their clients to manage resources with unprecedented effectiveness, enhance organizational performance and develop solutions
that are flexible over time. In July, DEGW merged with global construction consultancy Davis Langdon.
along with fast-moving social pressures, are rapidly changing where and how people work today. More than ever, organizations are challenged daily with staying in business, saving money, and being responsive to new
social dynamics in the workplace, such as mobile working and flexible workspaces, while energizing cultures and reducing their carbon footprint.
Despina Katsikakis, chairman of the international workplace consultancy DEGW, will explore the idea that the 21st-century workplace must be “a space with purpose” – simultaneously stimulating, supportive and sustainable – in upcoming lectures in San Francisco (November 2) and New York (November 5).
Citing global case studies and scientific research, Ms. Katsikakis’s presentation, which was presented in London at BBC headquarters, paves the way for the next generation of business leaders by shedding light on major impending changes to our current workplace practices. “We have compelling evidence that the mono-purpose office buildings of the
past are not what companies want anymore. According to a recent article in Property Week magazine, 66% of organizations surveyed said would not be renewing their expiring leases,” explained Ms. Katsikakis. “We know from our clients that, almost without exception, they are planning to respond to future growth by implementing new ways of working, rather than continuing to use an outdated office building formula.”
To Ms. Katsikakis, her colleagues at DEGW, and leading social scientists,
flexibility is the key to organizational resiliency, now and in the coming decades. The workforce of the future – at both ends of the generational span – requires convenience, control and choice about how, when and where they work. Many companies, however, have not yet broken the link between the workplace and the individual, despite the evidence to support this trend of “distributed work.” Generally, buildings remain disconnected from technological advances and evolving social shifts.
“The construction industry has its head firmly planted in the sand, and still hopes that the economy will turn around and things will be as they always were; however those models are outdated,” Ms. Katsikakis stated.
Based on volumes of data, DEGW has found people sit at their desks only about 35% of their workday, and are in the building only 60% or less of the working week – totaling less than 10% of the time the buildings are available. “This flies in the face of ethical awareness of the role that buildings need to play in supporting the reduction of their carbon footprints,” added Katsikakis. “The new formula for flexible work situations, and establishing space with purpose, better fits our needs for survivability.”
To register as a guest and to request images and interviews, please contact Chris Sullivan in New York at 914.462.2096 or [email protected].
Despina Katsikakis’ Founders’ Lecture Schedule
Monday, Nov. 2 San Francisco, CA Steelcase, 475 Brannan St., 5:30pm
Thursday, Nov. 5 New York, NY DEGW NY, 100 Broadway, 14th fl 6:00pm
About Despina Katsikakis, DEGW Group Chairman
An architect by profession, Despina's primary specialty lies in working with occupiers and developers to deliver innovative real estate solutions that enhance business performance. Since joining DEGW in 1985, she has been instrumental in establishing DEGW offices in North America and Asia Pacific. She has also developed relationships with key global clients including Accenture, BBC, Deutsche Bank, Lend Lease, Nokia, and GlaxoSmithKline. Despina is chairman for the global DEGW group,
providing strategic direction for its ongoing development. She lectures regularly across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.
About DEGW
DEGW is a world-leading strategic design consultancy with offices in Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. DEGW’s international award-winning practice is based on unrivalled user research, extensive
experience in strategic design consulting and systematic evaluation of performance. DEGW focuses on the changing nature of working and learning at the scale of the workplace to the city. They apply the latest
research about how organizations and technologies are changing to enable their clients to manage resources with unprecedented effectiveness, enhance organizational performance and develop solutions
that are flexible over time. In July, DEGW merged with global construction consultancy Davis Langdon.
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