Spec Finish

Technical Recognising that pods are a growing part of fit-out projects because they meet many clients’ needs, Joe Cilia, FIS Technical Director, asks if this decade will become the tipping point when it comes to defining certain spaces? FIS HELPS TO DEVELOP STANDARDISED ACOUSTIC TESTING OF PODS 12 www.thefis.org P ODS by definition, are something used to contain things, in this case; people. But crucially, they are there to meet, think, talk or simply be alone. Studies have shown that providing dedicated spaces in which to concentrate and collaborate away from the usual office environment allows people to be productive. Pods reduce the risk of distraction and are often marketed on the basis that they provide a level of privacy, and with terms used to describe them also including booths, hives, kiosks, adaptable meeting rooms and even campers and dens, they evoke a sense of what they do and they appeal to a generation of workers who enjoyed similar spaces and ways of working during their days in higher education. Industry opportunity MollieTownsend, SalesManager at the Meeting Pod Company, said that for many, a key criterion when looking at potential employers was ‘can I work flexibly within a space, or am I likely to be tied to a static desk?’ It seems that the trend for flexible working space that can be readily adapted is on the rise. A recent study showed that about 80% of all new fit-out projects will contain a pod or similar free-standing, enclosed space, and, as the same survey suggested, there is 33 million square feet of office space under development. That’s a lot of opportunity for the fit-out industry. Mollie said: “Employers are asking for flexible spaces that are easy to re-locate, even ones that can be used outside.’ About 80%of all new fit-out projects will contain a pod or similar free-standing, enclosed space There is currently no standardised method of determining the in-situ acoustic benefit of pods