Workplace Zoo Testimonials

"Finally! A book that really explains what is happening in the world of workplace. It covers everything from the true value of space to personality profiles, the read is a journey worth taking. It's written in conversation style and addresses the more complicated, academic subjects with practical interpretations that can be used in the real world. Possibly the best book on the workplace I've ever read."

Paige Hodsman, Concept Development, Workplace Specialist, Saint-Gobain Ecophon

"Nigel Oseland has that rare quality of combining academic rigour with an ability to communicate well on complex subjects. And what could be more complex and timely - and more in need of genuine insight - than the changing nature of work? Nigel's studies over many years make him the ideal person to explore the ways in which people function and interact as animals and the effects on them of the rapidly evolving world of work."

Mark Eltringham, publisher of IN Magazine and workplaceinsight.net

"For too long organisations have been looking down the wrong end of the telescope when it comes to the spaces they provide employees to do their best work. Nigel’s experience and expertise are an antidote to that. There hasn’t been a conversation on this topic worth having in the last decade that Nigel hasn’t been front and centre of so any business would benefit from the thoughts in this work on how evidence backed insights can make a real difference in creating amazing spaces for people to do amazing work."

Chris Moriarty, Director of Insight & Engagement, IWFM 

"This is a timely publication. Nigel eloquently brings together the best practice of workplace design and management, validated by his own and others’ industry-recognised research, and leads us to his own version of the evidence-based human-centric office space. His views reflect a vision of the post-pandemic world of work but, perhaps more importantly, this book sets out his agenda for modern day office design."

Richard Kauntze, Chief Executive Officer, British Council for Offices

"Nigel’s Beyond the Workplace Zoo is concise, comprehensive and charming, rich in resource and ideas, a thoroughly worthy addition to the growing body of workplace literature. The particular focus on the need to cater for the subtle yet vital differences between us is timely and important."

Neil Usher, Chief Workplace & Change Strategist @ GoSpace AI, Author of The Elemental Workplace 

"Nigel manages to ram the seventy-year evolution of the contemporary corporate office into a new practical and essential guide for all students of the future of workplace. Presented with typical academic rigour, this is a new must read for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of the post-pandemic people + place debate."

Tim Oldman, Founder & CEO, Leesman

"Nigel Oseland is the Denis Diderot of the office. His history is fascinating; his barbs against architectural determinism and psychobabble, laudable; his solutions, and his accounts of open plan and agile working, commendably balanced; his writing style, terminology and taxonomies, unrivalled in their clarity. In office design, he will persuade many to vote NO – to false claims and false prophets alike. Recommended."

James Woudhuysen, Professor of Forecasting and Innovation, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Design, London South Bank University

"Beyond The Workplace Zoo is a timely reminder of the need to revise modern organisational practices. Using a mix of applied research and business experience, Nigel Oseland provides adroit lessons in how to build more meaningful working lives. The result is a readable, knowledgeable and useable book that will add to the armoury of the intelligent manager." 

Dr Craig Knight, Founding Director, Identity Realization Ltd

"The title of this book (Beyond the Workplace Zoo: Humanising the Office) inspires a look under the cover. For those who have often thought of their office as a zoo, this book will illuminate a future that focuses on the fusion of human needs and workplace design. It generates a more innovative approach, focused on value created, rather than the typical emphasis on costs per square foot. The book draws on an extensive body of research in environmental psychology and effectively translates the data and insights into workplace solutions that are better suited to this moment in history that calls for more flexibility and imagination. The proposed new workplaces do not destroy previous efforts, but rather integrate the best features of the of the past with new approaches to technology-aided mobility and the capability to work in multiple places including home. Beyond the Workplace Zoo is a valuable and thoughtful look at how learning from the past can illuminate the future."

Dr Judith Heerwagen, Affiliate, Faculty of Architecture, University of Washington

"Nigel takes us on a journey Beyond the Workplace Zoo. It already sounds very intriguing but is getting more exciting when you began to turn the pages. He elegantly uses his psychological background and practical experience to explain different theories and how office design can affect our satisfaction and work performance, and what solutions do work and what do not. It is not an academic telling but given by a person with long practice. He tells us how to create an office design that you want to and must return to - socially welcoming, promoting innovation and interaction, and creating spaces for concentrated work, creativity and relaxation, and more. As per the title, Nigel tells you how to create an office Beyond the Workplace Zoo. It is a must-read for the designers, architects, and creators of office space and any manager that wants to ensure that his workforce is effective and satisfied - full of tips and knowledge that you must not miss."

Associate Professor Pawel Wargocki, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy,

Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark

"Nigel has written a truly original and insightful book that brings together his academic knowledge in psychology and his vast practical experience in workplace strategy. In this sense the book takes a humanistic perspective on the workplace, explaining how workplaces needs to be designed with peoples’ mental and physical wellbeing on mind rather than, as is mostly the case, design aesthetics. This book is a ‘must have’ for anyone concerned with the role of the workplace in supporting individual and organisational performance."

Dr Rob Harris, Principal, Ramidus Consulting

"A long-time supporter of our conferences, in Beyond the Workplace Zoo Nigel demonstrates one of his key strengths, which is researching and gathering technical information, then distilling and explaining it in a way that we can all understand and apply. The results are key to creating the most modern of workplaces, fit for inhabitation by employees for generations to come."

Maggie Procopi, Workplace Trends