The art of space management

Abstract

PurposeTechnological innovations and IT developments have been hailed as the key influence on changing work‐styles. However, the workplace is being shaped more and more by people and their needs. Supported by industry research, this paper aims to identify and explore some of the various elements and forces that have an impact on the space planning process.Design/methodology/approachThe paper gathers current thought leadership, trends and external research together with the author's research, comments and opinions on optimizing space management. Global workplace trends are compared to author's observations in Dubai.FindingsReal estate costs, building attributes, space planning concepts, technology and product innovations for the workplace are examined, as they have an influence on the role of people in the workplace. A case study provides the background and details of a revolutionary work‐style – iWork, developed by Sun Microsystems, and shows how it was adapted to meet the requirements of their regional headquarters in Dubai.Research limitations/implicationsThe current phenomenal growth of Dubai could impact some cited statistics over a short period of time.Practical implicationsThe paper offers guidelines and ideas for facilities managers to assess the possibility of adopting similar space planning and work‐style programmes within their own organisations.Originality/valueAside from the practical space planning guidelines, the paper also offers facility managers an introductory insight the challenges of establishing an office in Dubai – one of the fastest growing economies and cities in the world.