Cxotoday Has an exclusive interview with MIT Akshay Manuja-Co founder, next office
Q1. Are we starting with rebranding, which made it to take over “design with purpose” as a new identity? What does that mean for you in practice?
The introduction of “design with purpose” as a new brand identity is a natural evolutionary process. Today's work areas are more targeted and reflect on the basic values and culture and enable companies to grow seamlessly. This renaming is aimed at creating innovative, sustainable and future offices. In practice, “design with purpose”, tailor-made, end-to-end solutions means spatial strategy, interior, modular furniture and project execution that prioritize functionality, wellness and sustainability.
We design environments that embody organizational identity, promote cooperation and support hybrid work trends. By integrating technology and sustainable practices, we strive to ensure that work areas are adaptable and powerful. This approach distinguishes the next office of co-working or listing platforms and positions it as a leader in creating targeted rooms that anticipate future needs and expand the well-being of the employees.
Q2. They started in 2020, just like the world entered a big disorder in the workplace. How did this timing shape your approach to office design?
From 2020 we designed offices for a disturbed world in the middle of the pandemic. The shift to long -distance work taught us that work areas must be adaptable, humanly centered and ready to hybrid. We have prioritized flexible layouts, modular furniture and seamless technical integration to support the development of work styles for our customers.
When we see increasing stress and burnout, we have embedded mental wellness zones with natural light and biophilic design. Sustainability and intelligent solutions became keys to ensure that the offices were future -proof.
Our philosophy “Design With Purpose” meant that every room promoted cooperation, reflected culture and the expected change. Starting during a global crisis, we not only build offices, we create resistant, well -suited environments for everything that comes next.
- Design and construction as a category are still being built in India. Do you see that it becomes a dominant model? What is the softization of traditional interiors guided by suppliers?
Absolutely. For a good reason, Design & Build becomes India's preferred model and for good reason. Today, companies are calling for speed, brand-oriented design and end-to-end calculation obligation something that traditional interiors guided by suppliers.
In the next office we saw this layer first -hand. Customers such as televisions, regus and pokerbaazi choose because we bring strategy, design and execution into a seamless process that eliminates incorrectly oriented providers, delays and disalceable results. The result? Faster gymnastics, stronger brand integration and areas of work that actually support hybrid work, wellness and sustainability (a sector that grows in India by 36%).
The old model designers who hand over to several providers collapse. Companies now want a single partner who has the vision from concept to completion. With the increasing demand for agile, future offices, Design & Build is not only a new standard.
- What does innovation mean for you when it comes to job design?
The innovation in workplace design is about creating rooms that actively solve the problems and at the same time remain the change. We go beyond aesthetics to design intelligent environments that are rooted in real user needs and future -oriented strategies. Our approach combines data -controlled insights with adaptable layouts to ensure that work areas improve both productivity and well -being.
The modern workplace requires flexibility. That is why we prioritize modular designs that seamlessly switch between cooperation and focus, while committed wellness zones meet the growing need for mental health. Sustainability is baked into every decision and reflects the rapid growth of green -certified work areas throughout India.
The technology plays a crucial role, not as a striking devices, but as integrated tools that optimize workflows and optimize space use. What makes our solutions really innovative is their double focus: to solve immediate challenges and at the same time develop the opportunity to develop when companies grow and change work styles. This balance of practicability and foresight creates spaces that provide permanent value.
- Natural light, air flow, material texture and growing sensitivity to sensory design. How do you not only look good for offices that feel good?
In the next office, the design of offices that “feel good” begins with the actual experience of the room. We prioritize acoustic comfort, organic textures, natural light and air flow to create sensory environments that improve well -being and productivity.
By integrating sustainable materials and modular designs, we ensure that the rooms feel organic and adaptable. Acoustic comfort reduces stress, while natural light and air flow improve the mood and focus. Our approach “Design With Purpose” tailor -made sensory elements to reflect the customer culture and create inviting, functional rooms for brands.
- Do you see a real demand for net-zero offices or carbon-conscious design elements with the increase in climate awareness?
Yes, the demand for net zero offices and carbon-conscious design elements grows quickly. In the next office we react to this trend by priorizing sustainable practices, as in our ISO 9001: 2015 (quality management), ISO 45001: 2018 (health health and security) as well as ISO 14001: 2015 (Environmental Management) Certifications.
We prefer the procurement locally to reduce CO2 footprints with environmentally friendly materials and designs. We also integrate energy -efficient systems and natural elements such as light and air flow to create carbon -conscious work areas. However, the extent of the implementation depends on the requirements and budget of the customer.
- How do you approach the design of teams with several generations in particular if Gen Z, Millennials and Senior Leadership expect something other than office space?
In the next office, we contact the design of teams with several generations by dealing with different expectations with tailor -made solutions. We create separate pods and private corners for older employees and deep workers and offer quiet, focused rooms ideal for managers. For gen z and millennials, we design open lounges and collaborative hubs that promote creativity and teamwork. Technical integration, including intelligent workflows and seamless connectivity, ensures that all generations benefit from efficient, hybrid environments.
- There is a growing conversation for inclusive and neuro-diverse friendly work areas. Is that something that you consciously build into your projects?
Neurodiversity and inclusion are now fundamental considerations in modern workplace design, not in optional add-ons. In the next office, we approach this through a well thought -out environmental design that deals with different cognitive needs and at the same time maintains aesthetic and functional excellence. Our designs contain sensor -sensitive zones with adjustable lighting and acoustics and offer employees the autonomy to choose spaces that correspond to their work style.
The flexibility of our modular constructions enables personalization at the individual and team level, from Umbaumöbel to Micro -ENVERONMENT. These solutions seamlessly integrate into our sustainability-oriented approach, as can be seen in our ISO-certified projects. By creating rooms in which neuro-divergent persons and typical neuro-typical colleagues can thrive, we design jobs in which not only make differences, but also use them as organizational strengths. This philosophy reflects the developing expectations of employees and futureless companies on today's talent market.
- What are some of the most exciting trends or shifts that you see in commercial interiors?
The commercial inner landscape is implemented significant changes that are driven by the development at the workplace and the sustainability needs. One of the most exciting trends is the rise of Resicincial Design mixture of living comfort with professional functions to create warm, inviting work areas to which employees actually want to return. The emphasis on the biophilic and wellness-centered design is also convincing, in which natural light, ventilation and organic materials improve the well-being of an approach that corresponds to our ISO 14001: 2015-certified sustainability practices.
We also see that work areas develop into brand experiences in which design increases the identity and culture of companies. In the meantime, digital Twin technology revolutionizes spatial planning and enables data-controlled accuracy in layout optimization. Sustainability is no longer optional for carbon-conscious equipment outs using materials from the region that reflect the growth of 36% in green-certified buildings.
Hybrid thesis has further refined the spatial need, with microconated environments replace focus pods alongside collaborative hubs that replace rigid floor slabs. Leads from our “Design with purpose” Philosophy, we integrate these trends into the production of offices that bring productivity, inclusiveness and branding difference.