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FOCUS 081


retail and live entertainment to encourage social interaction. ‘Te workforce will use these experiential spaces as a destination to “be seen” and a chance to connect beyond the day-to-day work duties. Experiential spaces will create engagement, spark enjoyment and be a space where friendships are made.’ From company social events to pop-up retail, the office must become an attraction rather than just a guarantee of fast technology and desk space.


A changing floorplate


Mark Williams-Jones at Apt Architects points to the emerging concept of the work ‘ecosystem’. Tis new model is more about a collection of workplaces, each offering something different. ‘If working from home is about getting your head down and being efficient, clearing to-do lists and catching up on admin, then the office needs to adapt to become a different part of this work ecosystem. It’s about collaboration, bouncing ideas off one another, career growth and progression, getting to know your colleagues and growing your professional network – all activities which are hard to replicate remotely,’ he says.


How will office floorplates change as a result? Pre- pandemic, 80–90% of the average office was assigned to individual workspaces, but this will likely shrink to 30–50%, according to O’Keefe. ‘Amenities, collaborative and social spaces will occupy the remainder of the space. We expect to see this evolve over the next five to ten years.’


Despite all the focus on collaborative areas, quiet space in the office will continue to be crucial – not everyone has the luxury of a dedicated home office where


Below Collaborative areas are becoming more and more important in the workplace of the future


they work uninterrupted. ‘We know that quiet space will always be an office requirement and even the offices requiring huge amounts of collaborative space will need to factor this in,’ says Kathy Hope at workplace services company Anabas. Te workplace also needs to be a sanctuary to get away from uncomfortable home working conditions or home distractions.


‘We’ll see Zoom rooms – meeting spaces specifically set up for video conferencing,’ says Rachel Houghton, managing director at Business Moves Group, who spent the pandemic delivering reactive design changes including rearranging desks to leave more space between them and implementing one-way systems. She is now supporting more strategic change. ‘Businesses will need to carefully consider how to support the ongoing situation of some employees being in the workplace and others working remotely.’


Design for wellness


Employee well-being, which was already gaining considerable traction before Covid, has been accelerated by the pandemic. ‘Businesses are rightly focusing on delivering workplaces that give employees the confidence to work safely,’ says Love. Again, employees need to feel their employer is offering them something they can’t get at home.


Experiential activities will bring a disconnected community back together. Gyms, yoga rooms, meditation rooms and creative spaces will continue the well-being path. Design has a huge role in supporting mental and physical health, says Brown. ‘Investing in workplace well-being is an important way of showing employees that you care, you value them and think they are worth investing in.


But, of course, it goes far beyond this. Mental ill health has been the leading cause of long-term workplace absence for years. Design can play a simple but powerful role in improving wellness – something that many more workplaces are becoming savvy to.’


Healthcare centres that employ biophilic design have seen improved patient recovery rates and reduced staff stress. Designing for well-being has been shown to improve productivity and morale, reduce sick leave and aid staff retention.


Workplace technology has also advanced over the past 18 months, in part to support a safe return to work. Hot desk bookings and meeting booking systems, desk sensors from the likes of Freespace, contactless visitor management and digital hygiene are all influencing workplace design.


Despite all the discussion around the post-pandemic office, the reality is that workplaces will still need to factor social distancing into their design for months, if not years to come. Employers have a duty of care even if the government has lifted national restrictions. At the moment most companies are in an observation stage, says O’Keefe. Businesses are waiting to see what happens and are holding back on making too much heavy investment. Tat said, redesigning office areas can happen rapidly by simply moving furniture and recategorising the spaces for user purpose. Anabas’ Hope cautions on the use of the word hybrid, though. ‘Tere certainly won’t be just one hybrid model that companies will adopt. It will be different for every business,’ she says.


Tis is something backed up by Brown: ‘Tis is just the start of the hybrid working journey and how it looks for each organisation will evolve over the coming months and years. It will be a long-term transformation, not a short-term transition.’


PHOTOMAVENSTOCK / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM


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