The United States General Services Administrator (GSA) is to save an estimated $24 million (£15 million) per annum in office real estate costs by moving it’s 4,000-strong Washington D.C. workforce from three office buildings to one.
The independent government agency has renovated its century-old headquarters building, removing partitioned private office spaces in favour of an open-plan layout. According to planners, this open floor plan allows employees to move more freely and encourages agile collaboration.
The business’ teleworker workforce are to begin operating under a new schedule, coordinated so that a portions of staff will work shifts at different times throughout the day. This measure will ensure space is optimally utilised and will allow for fewer workstations as a whole.
This approach is reminiscent of the rising commercial real estate trend for co-working spaces, or ‘hot desking‘, allowing employees to work as desired without the capital expenditure associated with occupying a space full time.
The General Services Administration estimates it will save more than $1 million a year for every 100 workspaces it eliminates in lieu of collaborative spaces.
