Each generation leaves its mark on the planet. The Millennial Generation promises to go away behind less “my space” and more “our space” during a world more conducive to its social experience.
Millennials comprise the primary generation of digital natives or people that grew up within the digital age. They’re continually redefining concepts that have always been taken without any consideration and are known for locating new ways of socializing, working, and even defining their relationships. The way they live and interact with the built environment isn’t an exception.
New technologies allow people to figure, entertain, shop online, and even educate themselves without leaving their homes. The generation born between 1980 and 2000 has learned the way to seize this advantage to adapt to a world that changes rapidly, and sometimes, exposing themselves naturally to challenges that their parents didn’t need to face.
The arrival of the Millennials has caused a dramatic shift within the way that space is purposed in work and living environments. Today’s Millennials have different priorities than older generations, which is becoming increasingly reflected in architecture and style reception and within the office. Their demand for a special way of living has been the result of various factors and to satisfy their needs, flexible architecture is required.
How do Millennials tackle urban life?
As our cities become denser and costlier, co-living addresses a number of the problems around urban living. Apartments are becoming smaller and rents higher, which makes it harder for younger workers to rent their place. Millennials, defined as those born between 1980 and 2000, do not draw distinctions between business and pleasure, work, and play. They need no qualms about being digital nomads, traveling frequently, or relocating for work – quite anything. They hunt down experiences and value being a part of a community.
Such factors are driving the expansion of co-living. it’s a comparatively inexpensive way for Millennials to leap right in and have their housing, utilities, furniture, and access to a community taken care of. Most millennials would be happy to exchange their studio units for a community that will provide smaller bunks but boasts of varied activities held in common areas, sort of a rooftop deck or dining terrace. Another appealing design aspect for millennials is that the flexibility of doubling personal spaces into photographable work-at-home spaces.
While there’ll always be a requirement for condominium apartments or traditional serviced apartments, especially for those with families, there’s no denying that the millennial workforce craves their quiet space defined by their needs and therefore the cities they prefer to sleep in. Co-living is bringing these real demographic shifts together. It’s creating a fresh mode of accommodation for this brave new world.
How are the Millennials changing the workspaces for his or her comfort?
The professional world in terms of its spatial usage has significantly moved far away from “functional-based” office space to more engaging, “activity-based” environments. Individual spaces are getting smaller and community spaces are getting larger. Where within the past, the ratio was 70% personal space and 30% common space; today, those ratios are being flipped, and therefore the social nature of the Millennials has been the catalyst.
The demand for co-living is analogous to the explanations behind the recognition of co-working – a mobile generation of children who demand flexibility, openness, and collaboration; and coworking, the liquid workforce, remote work, and therefore the growth of side gigs all highlight how the workplace is adapting to employees’ demand for flexibility. Although nontraditional, these spaces foster innovation while establishing a replacement sort of community by merging the spheres of “work” and “life.” While work-life balance remains a dominant phrase in recruiting conversations, this evolution of coworking spaces speaks to the shift that younger generations of workers are making from a “balance” to an “integration.” With the arrival of Millennials and now Generation Z into the workplace, corporate structures are changing and becoming less hierarchical. These generations want – and expect – to be a part of the conversation around key initiatives, policies, and objectives. For years, businesses have talked about breaking down silos, and this is often a time where that’s happening.
The impact on design is that open workspaces, varied collaboration and meeting spaces, innovation labs, and therefore the accommodation of remote work are only getting to become more prevalent. Creating a seamless experience for workers who flex between remote and office-based work are going to be critical – meaning available workspace or offices and smooth wireless connectivity must tend. Where workplace design and technology meet lies a key opportunity to facilitate how people want to figure, taking the planning from business-driven to people-driven for the simplest results. Equally important is the creation of a way of belonging and community. People want more human experiences, and that we get to create places and opportunities for that.
Companies are increasingly prioritizing the inclusion of dual-purpose spaces that will serve their employees and therefore the public by hosting community or business events. These spaces enhance employees’ sense of community with one another and with the greater community around their office, improving engagement and job satisfaction – and ultimately, productivity. Above all, the drive behind workplace design is how people like better to work and what spaces empower their productivity. I think opportunities for innovation in our practice are going to be closely connected to research aimed toward understanding these concepts better– how do people use the spaces we offer, how is technology impacting where work occurs, and the way can we effectively meet the numerous needs of a various workforce.
On the entire, designing for the millennial means satisfying their needs which requires a change of paradigm. Architecture represents the reflection of the society that surrounds it. an easy approach to the present demand has been solved by adapting existing properties, but the time has come to make new buildings that reflect and satisfy this evolution of society.
Contrary to what could seem, land developers and style and architecture professionals have begun to research and offer solutions consistent with the concept of living and dealing as a community. The multidisciplinary method, participatory design approach, and shared working spaces are the requirements of this generation, and today’s architecture is prepared to supply solutions adapted to the present market demand.
