Workplace Health and Wellbeing: What designers and managers need to know

On Thursday 26th March 2015 Alexi Marmot will be speaking at the Workplace Trends Spring Summit, which will feature informative case studies, best practice recommendations and recent research findings on the very current subject of healthy workplaces. A host of factors can play a role in staff health and well-being, which not only impacts the individual, but also affects service delivery and costs. Alexi Marmot will be speaking on Workplace Health and Wellbeing: What designers and managers need to know.

Click here to find out more and to register

Venue: The Impact Hub Westminster, located on the 1st floor of New Zealand House, on the corner of Pall Mall and Haymarket, just off Trafalgar Square. Nearest tube stations are Piccadilly and Charing Cross. The exact address is: 1st Floor New Zealand House, 80 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4TE

Chinese office space standards and productive workspaces

China has issued guidelines on how much office space government officials may have, as part of an austerity drive launched by President Xi Jinping. The maximum size at ministerial level is fifty-four square metres; for lower ranking officials it's nine square metres. The detailed regulations to promote frugality also cover office equipment, heating and the size of corridors. A BBC correspondent says it's not uncommon in China for even low-ranked officials to occupy extravagant office buildings, often in under-developed towns or villages.

Alexi Marmot is interviewed on new Chinese office space standards and productive workspaces by James Coomarasamy on BBC World Service, Newshour, 27 Nov 2014. Click here to listen to the interview.

'Space Planning and Management' Guide

The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) has just published a guide on ‘Space Planning and Management’ Good Practice Guide.

The Good Practice Guide provides guidance on core topics such as space management in context, space standards, space demands and much more. It explains that "space is a long term strategic asset for business and facilities managers’ understanding of its management is essential in supporting an organisation’s objectives", and provides practical guidance on the tools and techniques which can be deployed, and illustrates what is involved in managing and changing space, enabling users to set overarching space management strategies for an organisation.

For more information click here.