Podcast: Do You Miss The Office?
Do you miss the office? What do you miss the most? And the least? Our work environments were already evolving before the pandemic, but the events of the past year have obliged us to completely rethink their form and function.
In this podcast series, presented by the real estate investment company Ivanhoé Cambridge, world-class experts – architects, business leaders, behavioral psychologists, data analytics specialists and many others – discuss the future of the office and our expectations of these spaces.
Led by Annie Bergeron, Design Director and Principal at Gensler, they talk about technology and productivity, collaboration and community, and above all why well-being at work is vital. This series is produced by Sid Lee.
View all the episodes
Episode 1: Rethink the workplace
This week, Annie Bergeron meets with Sylvain Fortier, Chief Investment and Innovation Officer at Ivanhoé Cambridge. Mr. Fortier discusses the importance of micro-interactions at the office, the relevance of neighbourhood life, employees’ new expectations and the various innovations employers will need to think about to retain their talent.
Episode 2: Technology and innovation
In a post-COVID world, what can we learn from these companies who soared during the pandemic? In the second instalment of the series, Annie Bergeron, Partner and Designer at Gensler Toronto, sits down with Ken Caplan from Blackstone Real Estate, Jennifer Magnolfi from Programmable Habitats and Sylvain Fortier from Ivanhoe Cambridge to discuss what the technology and life sciences sectors can teach us about the office of the future.
Episode 3: Connection and community
For over a year, our work communities have been without a physical home. The impact on company culture—and who we’re connecting with, and why—has been complex, to say the least. As we start to think about returning to the office, how can we reimagine the workplace as a more welcoming and inclusive community hub?
Episode 4: The workspace
Everyone seems to agree—flexibility will be key to the future of work. But what about the future of workplaces? Office buildings, often tens of thousands of vertically stacked square feet, are made of concrete and steel and other inflexible materials. How can we reimagine these behemoths to accommodate a more flexible way of working?
Episode 5: Collaboration and productivity
According to the research (and Zoom happy hours the world over) we’re putting in longer hours, attending more meetings but doing less good work during all that time at the kitchen table—“half-work,“ in the words of one of our guests. As we rethink the office, what role can it play in helping to restore balance? And what’s at stake if we don’t?
Episode 6: The users of tomorrow
As companies plan for their big comeback, the future of the office is a much-needed discussion for companies and their employees, especially the next generation. In this final episode of our series, we turn to the leaders of tomorrow — young Gen Y professionals — and ask them what their ideal vision of a post-pandemic office is.