Transformation of workspaces sees employee experience and well-being take the lead

A shift is taking place in the way businesses approach the workplace, moving beyond focusing on location and office specifications to prioritising people-centric design. Enhancing employee well-being and addressing diverse needs are now of paramount importance for business leaders, as they strive to attract and retain talent, and maximise performance.

According to the Gensler Research Institute’s “Global Workplace Survey 2024”, employees in high-performing workplaces that offer spaces for relaxation, concentration and confidential conversations exhibit improved productivity, better work quality and faster decision-making.

The survey also revealed that employees in high-performing workplaces benefit from amenities and services that improve their work experience and cater to lifestyle needs. These spaces include areas that enhance social connectivity.

In the competitive landscape of Hong Kong’s office market, Swire Properties says it has successfully distinguished Taikoo Place as a premier business hub by focusing on tenant engagement and employee well-being. The developer says this approach has not only maintained high occupancy rates but also fostered a vibrant community where businesses thrive.

Taikoo Place, home to more than 35,000 office workers and 200 multinational corporations, has recently completed a HK$15 billion (US$1.9 billion) revitalisation project, adding two triple grade A office towers and 390,000 sq ft of amenities to a total area of 7 million sq ft. Together with expansive landscaped gardens, parks and new elevated air-conditioned walkways, these enhancements have created a dynamic environment that supports both productivity and relaxation.

“Our goal at Taikoo Place is to create an amenity-led portfolio where people want to work, play and stay, therefore extending the operating hours of what is predominantly a commercial district, and breathing life into the area outside normal office hours,” says Don Taylor, director, office, Swire Properties. “Before it became a world-class business hub, Taikoo Place was an industrial trading estate in what was then considered a decentralised location on Hong Kong Island. As Taikoo Place has evolved, so have the amenities and services that we offer to our tenant base. By leveraging our placemaking attributes, including amenity provision, ESG [environmental, social and governance] credentials and initiatives, as well as tenant engagement activities and biophilic design, we have successfully captured the current ‘flight-to-quality’ trend, as corporates look to upgrade their office accommodation to meet their ESG goals and enhance staff well-being.