Ambit's Head of Design Shines at Footprint+ Panel Discussion
Kayleigh Nobbs, our Head of Design, participated in the panel “What is the place for the office in the new world of work?” at the Footprint+ conference, where she discussed the future of workplace design alongside industry expert Bertie van Wyk. The session covered sustainability, inclusivity, and hybrid work environments.
Sustainability and Inclusivity in Design
Kayleigh emphasised balancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in workplace design. She highlighted our proactive approach to incorporating these elements from the early stages of client engagement, ensuring that the spaces meet broader sustainability goals and cater to diverse employee needs. Specific initiatives like mothering rooms and accessible medical facilities were mentioned as examples of our commitment to inclusivity. Kayleigh emphasised,” For us, it's really about working with our clients from the very early stages to ensure that we fully understand their current needs and anticipate their future requirements. Balancing environmental, social, and governance factors is crucial, and it's about more than just meeting big legislative goals—it's about what we want to achieve as a business and for our employees.”
Adapting to Hybrid Work Models
The shift towards hybrid workplaces was a significant focus, with Kayleigh explaining how our designs adaptable spaces that accommodate collaborative and individual work needs. This approach supports the evolving preferences of a workforce that values flexibility post-pandemic. “Hybrid has remained the majority overall, and looking into the future, the key part is the flexibility. As a business, we need to work with companies to actually understand where they want to move in the future and what their intentions are for having people come back into the office,” Kayleigh highlighted.
Building Trust Through Flexible Workplaces
Kayleigh advocated trust-based management and flexible work arrangements to enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. This philosophy is central to our strategy, aiming to create environments that empower employees and foster a positive corporate culture. Kayleigh stated that “trust is the main thing. If you're in leadership, you need to be able to trust the people you've employed. If you don't trust them, then it's not going to work. We're talking about remote work, hybrid, and office—if you want them in the office just to be able to see them there doing their work, you don't truly trust them. A really wholesome hybrid strategy needs to be based on trusting employees on their productivity, how they interact, and when they come into work."
Kayleigh’s insights at the Footprint+ panel reinforced our leadership in developing innovative, future-proofed workplaces prioritising sustainability, inclusivity, and employee well-being. Discover more insights from Kayleigh on the future of workplace design and how we are leading the charge in creating innovative and sustainable work environments in our projects.
