The office of the future may not be at all what we imagine. After a decade of hype about paperless, high-tech, creative hot-houses, very few of us actually work in such places.

What is really happening in the workplace is far less inspirational, says future-of-work guru James Woudhuysen. More than ever, he argues, the office is seen as a site for anxiety, depression and poor mental health.

Some of this negativity stems from changing social and business issues that are still working themselves out - for example, employee values shifting away from advancement up the corporate ladder and towards improved quality of life, or the growing concern with ethics and good citizenship at many big organisations.

Dealing with these sorts of issues in the workplace is the biggest challenge facing facilities managers, says Woudhuysen, the author of Space Futures 2000, an update of the Milliken-sponsored research study first published in 1996.

The good news for FMs is this conclusion: "Those with the responsibility for space management will gain a stronger future role in the corporate world, not least because their job will be more about asset management than simply property management."

The way forward for all managers, Woudhuysen suggests, is to become more aware of how space can really - not just apparently - be best used to add value and create wealth.

Information about Space Futures 2000 can be obtained by e-mailing Milliken at Spacefutures@milliken.com

Elliott Chase