ND BALANCE n store for the post-Covid office environment.
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incorporated into common spaces, but that can be a very positive thing. In 2018, before any signs of a pandemic, ACDF designed the lobby of Montreal’s Hotel Monville. The goal was to create a vibrant public space with a buzz, but part of the design’s appeal is that it incorporates a variety of different seating configurations, with variations in materials, acoustics, and lighting that appeal to different people in different ways. In terms of open office spaces, I think that we can provide that sort of balance, offering a level of social comfort within the group vibe.
Q: A:
How do you design ‘social comfort’ to ease the concerns of people who are hesitant to return to their
office environments?
So far, we have three main behaviours that we’ve been asked to adhere to socially distancing ourselves,
washing our hands, and sneezing into our arms. In terms of design elements that address and assist those behaviours, we are likely to see things like more automatic doors, and perhaps elevators with foot panels instead of using our hands. We are looking at ways to incorporate greater hygiene measures into the environment, and I think that sanitising stations adjacent to reception areas might become a new norm. We are also looking at air filtration systems, UV lighting and much more. However, in the end, we must remember that an office is not a hospital.
Q: A:
Another multi-phased project that you are involved in is an office design for a company called Lightspeed.
How has the pandemic affected your design plans in the middle of that project?
We have already completed three phases, but we are entering a fourth phase to design a full floor of
approximately 25,000 square feet. In response to Covid, the client has asked us to present three separate layouts for the fourth phase that address the issue of social distancing. As
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with all of our clients, they hope to return to business as usual, but we are looking at super flexible ways to make it possible for them to convert their working ‘neighbourhoods’ into efficient, socially distanced versions in the blink of an eye.
Q: A:
Q: A:
What does that flexibility look like in the offices of the future?
Some of the flexible design features that we are looking at revolve around creating environments where
pieces can be reconfigured, added, or removed without the need for storage space. In that regard, ceiling grids are an interesting possibility, with movable, unencumbered power sources, cables, and lighting systems. Retractable partitioning is also a possibility.
With all of these changes on the horizon, and a short timeframe in which to address them, are you
generally optimistic or pessimistic about the future of the office environment?
I am definitely optimistic. I think that we will return to a more human environment and start to work closely
together again. In the meantime, however, we need to incorporate flexible options into office design from the very beginning in order to accommodate social comfort. Keep in mind, working from home has also created a new level of comfort expectations. Hopefully, when all is said and done, we’ll strike a flexible new balance in office design where people feel like home when they’re at work.
As millions of people gradually return to work, we must face the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in place for the post-Covid office environment. For now, corporate culture and personal responsibility will carry much of the load, but rest assured that the load is being lightened through the innovative design thinking of companies like ACDF.
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