Philippe Paré is the principal and managing director of Gensler Paris. Central to his – and Gensler’s – approach is co-creation because, who understands the workplace's needs and functions better than its users? Among those needs are amenities which not only help to foster and improve employees’ physical and mental wellbeing but ultimately benefits the organization itself. Paré will deliver a talk during the  The Next Space: The Empathetic Workplace at Orgatec on 26 October about how amenities can be harnessed to improve workplace wellbeing and imbue a greater sense of purpose among employees and organizations alike.

Explain how you got started at Gensler. What does your role comprise of?

PHILIPPE PARÉ: I started as a designer. I almost immediately benefited from a sense of autonomy at the firm. That combined with the Gensler’s focus on user experience and designing from the inside out, it opened a really fascinating and inspiring space for me to practice my craft. As a firm, we put so much focus on embracing our clients' objectives and thinking about seeing the world through user perspectives, which is why we call it designing from the inside out. 

My role started as designer and evolved to design director, then studio director, and now managing director. I look after the growth and operations of the Paris office whilst remaining involved in the design direction of our ongoing projects.

How does your team handle the concept of empathy in workplace design?

What drives us is this notion of co-creation and allowing our clients to participate in the process. It’s what we feel brings the richest solutions, because ultimately there’s no ‘one size fits all’ to designing a workplace. Empathy is at the heart of this approach because we can put ourselves in our clients’ and users’ shoes and really get to the heart of what it is they need to be their best. Every person is unique in themselves, and every group of people has a dynamic that is unique to them. If we designed without investigating that, how would we ever help our clients to overcome their specific challenges? They have come to us for a reason, to help them create spaces and environments that optimize the experiences and engagement of their employees. Starting with visioning allows us to amass as many perspectives as possible by investigating users’ experiences, needs, and aspirations for a project. Allowing everyone to have a voice and creating emotional security in the workplace can only be done through empathy, both when trying to understand needs and in communication between the different stakeholders. This will enhance trust, team cohesion, and confidence to explore new ideas. 

Why are the wellness amenities an important aspect in workspace design?

Wellness amenities are more important now than ever. Promoting a healthy workforce will enhance employee wellbeing and productivity as well as reduce stress and staff turnover. For employees, there is an expectation that employers not only care about the health of the business but also the health of their people, which ultimately impacts company performance. Providing employees with spaces that support their physical and mental wellbeing has become integral to many companies’ visions and purposes. If employees are provided with spaces that make their daily lives easier in the workplace, they will be better teammates. This then helps to foster a sense of community and belonging within the workplace, which again loops back around to attracting and retaining talent. Wellness spaces have so many benefits for our clients and their employees. 

Will technology help bolster the type of amenity programmes available to employees? If so, how?

Getting people back to the workplace means cultivating and curating experiences that people want to come back to. I think technology certainly has a role to play in some of the new programs that we’re seeing emerge. We are giving back control to employees in terms of the ability to adjust their own physical environments, whether that be lighting, acoustics, or temperature. Making sure that spaces are designed to be user friendly hinges on technology like smartphone apps that help employees navigate the space to boost engagement, connectivity, and interactions. The fact that employees can see the occupancy of certain areas in the office can also play a huge role in the community aspect of the workplace.  

How will these developments affect the spatial design of workplaces?

We are just on the edge of seeing a much greater range of spaces. We need to provide amenities that address the extremes and that are designed for all the senses. The successful new workplaces are those that are truly diverse in amenities, where employees have a choice in the type of environments that suit their personalities, physical abilities, neuro diversities, or the task at hand. In terms of spatial design, the response is much more nuanced when considering this. Creating spaces to shut yourself away from all noise and distractions one moment, and joining a lively communal atmosphere the next, means that everyone’s sensory needs are being catered. 

We are also seeing workplaces with dedicated space to invite the local community in, which further fulfils the need for a more purpose driven society, supporting and bettering both the organizations and the communities they are part of.

What should employers and operators seeking more empathetic workspaces be briefing to designers and studios?

They should ensure that they communicate their willingness to engage in a collaborative and co-creative design process. It comes back to the idea that, in terms of amenities, there’s no ‘one size fits all’. Amenity choice can be a physical manifestation of a company’s mission and values, and designers don’t have a preconceived solution for this. Only with robust engagement with employers and operators will we be able to understand what is truly important to an organization and create a tailored response. So, it’s about co-creation, hands-on collaboration, and a partnership between the designer and the client.

Giving employees the ability to find what they need in the workplace is very important, but so is a willingness to invite the community in and be outward reaching. Thinking about how these amenities can have a relationship with the community at large can result in a sense of purpose for the organization within the surrounding community.

How does The Next Space help support designers?

What The Next Space does so well is it asks relevant questions about design’s positive role in society and in creating a better world. It puts purpose at the forefront to help leverage design to solve some of the most pressing issues we are facing today. The Next Space also helps to support designers by making sure that it answers the ‘how’ question, giving clues as to how designers can incorporate certain ways of thinking, methodologies, and tools to help them in their day-to-day activities and in the delivery of their projects. 

Get your ticket for The Next Space: The Empathetic Workplace here.