The Dutch phrase for all of this het nieuwe werken and can be translated as a new way of working and they have been one the pioneers of this for half a century, establishing the core principles of agile working, smart buildings, sustainable design and wellbeing that define the way we view the workplace.

‘ The solution was to create a new kind of office that would encourage people to move around the building to meet each other and find the best space for their current needs.

The smartest building in the world Five decades later another building in Holland has pointed the way ahead for a new generation of buildings that focus on productivity, the environment and the wellbeing of the people who work in them.

It might possibly still hold that title except for the way it has spawned a new generation of buildings both from the people behind The Edge and others who have seen its blueprint.

The building is linked to the individual via a smartphone app which knows each person’s schedule and so their needs for facilities such as parking spaces, workstations and meeting rooms.

The solar panels create more electricity than the building uses, and the building features a range of environmentally friendly features that make it stand out as an exemplar of green building design The firm behind The Edge in Amsterdam has now extended its principles to a growing portfolio of new buildings across the world, featuring the latest developments in building technology, sustainability, user experience and wellbeing.

What is especially exciting is how this thinking is now permeating mainstream thinking about office design, not least in how intelligent and embedded systems can improve the experience of each user of a space while collating data about the performance of the building, both in terms of how it serves people and their wellbeing and its environmental performance.