Modus turns 28!

We’ve seen many trends over the years. When we started, computer networks were in their infancy, few people had heard of the internet, mobile phones were huge and not very mobile, desks were “L” shaped to house the cathode ray tube computer monitor, secretarial typing pools were still being used, filing cabinets were everywhere and most managers had their own private offices. Now we’re all agile, healthy, eco, activated and connected.

We’ve seen a fascinating development in the office market in the last three years as the industry tries to adapt to a marked shift in tenant preference towards renting pre-fitted space on short, flexible leases. Whether it be a serviced, coworking, managed or flex space, tenants seem to be wanting more of it,
and landlords, operators and agencies are rushing to develop their individual approaches. We’ve had more experience in this market than any other company and have packaged services into a single programme – Tenant-Ready™ – which is already proving very popular.

Meanwhile, where companies want to carry out their own fit outs, we see our corporate occupiers focusing on the experience of their workers more than ever before. They know that the investment they make in their offices can make the difference between good and great performance in the future, so getting it
right is vital. Workplace design is now as much about management consultancy as it is creativity.
The buzzword for everyone – whether in a coworking centre or their own tenancy – is “agility”. This has come to stand for everything that a modern office should offer. Now technology has made us truly mobile we should expect the workplace to provide a specific “somewhere” for anything we need to do. But for me the really interesting thing – after years of hearing about the rise of nomadic workers and working from home – is that this mobility has not heralded the death of the office: people actually want to come to a place of work and employers encourage them to do so. Virtual organisations are not as effective as physical ones; we thrive when
surrounded by others.

So, our future looks bright. Businesses increasingly recognise that their brand, culture and competitive edge are inextricably entwined in the places they provide for their people to work and their clients to visit. Modus has helped to shape many of these ideas and we look forward to continuing to do so for years
to come. This book continues a tradition of publishing an annual to showcase our wares. It contains pictures of some of the most exciting projects that we’ve built over the last couple of years. I hope you’ll agree that they all look fantastic and demonstrate levels of creativity, quality and detail that are rare in this industry. It is this integrity of approach that has attracted the very best – Modus is such a stimulating place to work because one’s always surrounded by incredibly talented and motivated people doing something that gives them great satisfaction.

Toby Benzecry, Founder

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