Much has changed since 2020.
March 2, 2025
It’s almost inevitable to mention, in a normal conversation, the timeframe “before the pandemic”. And the way that timeframe affected the way we work is visible all over the world. We are talking of course about hybrid work. Not that it is a product of the pandemic, but the way it became a much-needed part of the process. And that changed everything.
From that moment on, every company had to adapt, quickly, to a completely different work process in terms of production and management. One that came to prove that working from home is indeed better, both for companies and workers. And, in generational point of view, Gen Z and Millennials are huge fans of remote and hybrid work, given the time and mental benefits, but also for the productivity and climate, given less commuting. And that is the challenge many companies have to face today, between management and structure.
One thing is obvious from 2020 to today: empty or half empty offices. Or, at least, with a lot less people working at the same time. Globally, some already say that a new real estate crisis is soon to be, given the lack of investment of major corporations in office buildings. And if not just a lack of investment, a more strategic one. Focusing on contemporary ways of work, to understand how can an office will serve new ways of production, leaving behind a mind-set of an everyday full house behind.
In Portugal, between the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2023, more than 3,6 thousand people started working in a hybrid work mode, according to ECO. And Lisbon is leading the way, according to CNN Portugal, when it comes to hybrid vs the rest of the country. Of course, companies are doing the work, adapting to be social spaces more than just factories, just look at Zurich headquarters in Lisbon. And it will be a tendency for the next few years, according to a study by Knight Frank, at Expresso through the Financial Times.
This is a process that takes time and money. But, most of all, vision. It’s not a race, indeed, but there’s a non-stop pace to adapt to the future of business. So, the question is: how to start? At Maria Vilhena, each day we have to face the challenge of transforming an existing office into a more hybrid approach. Or, for the most part, creating one from scratch, given the number of companies that choose Portugal, and increasingly Lisboa and Porto, to establish headquarters. And that is making our process even more focused on the LEAN method, as a way to improve the productivity but also to understand what is relevant for hybrid offices nowadays. Not just from a design point of view, but also in terms of investment.
We believe that a specific vision is key. What’s your purpose as a company? As a brand? How will the corporate culture evolve to embrace and enhance a new way of thinking when it comes to work? And many others.
In our recent collaboration with Feedzai, those where the challenges that we faced. And, being an IT company, there where 2 key issues to deal with: The first is the nature of the work, one that gives the IT area a natural hybrid/remote process, be it for independent workers or a full company.
The second is the competiveness of the area. The average IT worker in Portugal has many job proposals, on a daily basis. And, sometimes, something like an uncomfortable chair will serve as an excuse to leave a company. How to build an office to achieve such high expectations? This is where LEAN makes its impact.
The type of work is going to be different. Less factory flow, more specific moments. Most importantly: who is going to use it and what are the key moments? That lead us to consider two plus one specific moments/spaces: executive meetings, work force and a social area. Each one with its own style and features.
On the executive side, a place to charm and achieve. Simple yet glamorous, using the view as its main asset. Here, the woods make way for the charm, without crowding the room. For the work force, 3 specific spaces: a heavy flow work area that can support whole teams when in need of it; rooms for ideas and brainstorming that use the furniture as it’s engagement trick; places for focused online meetings or a “leave me alone, I’m busy” moment. The social area makes room for gatherings, be it an informal meeting or a meal. All areas are made for flow, promoting movement instead of immobile processes.
The environment for each space is achieved by details and a different set of materials, between raw and stylish, leaving the room free for its function. This allows for every task to be fulfilled, without the need of a full team working at once at all time.
Now one thing is certain, we need to be together to have ideas and figure out solutions to a problem. More than that, there is an energy and richness that we all miss when working alone. Nevertheless, hybrid solutions are a key advantage do push forward the way we work, given different individual profiles alongside the type of business that you’re in.
It’s rather obvious that an office is no more just a place to work, but an idea where the business and human flow grow beyond the mechanical 9am to 6pm. Still, the way to achieve it is not that clear. Maybe we can help you with that challenge.
