COVID-19, the threat and reality of future contagions, and post-pandemic labor-force expectations and demands, have compelled employers to re-think the nature of their work and as a result their workplace. The “Office of the Future” is no longer prediction and surmising… it’s here.

Despite the majority of the corporate workforce now demanding a more flexible work model, the consensus is most people still want and need a destination workplace away from their home. An office setting remains a priority for most clients, however, how these spaces function and look have drastically changed over the past three years.

Here is how we are helping our clients design flexible spaces for today’s work environment ….

Offices and Workstation Areas

• DCS is designing a combination of dedicated individual offices as well as flexible non-designated offices. Based on the nature of clients’ work, they may require some dedicated offices, but because we are seeing less “full capacity” office density and more intermittent attendance, incorporating non-assigned offices which can be signed out and used by whomever is in the office that day, reduces the office footprint and increases space efficiency.

• Same-size offices and small meeting/huddle rooms which can easily be converted to one or the other based on need.

• The use of demountable office partitions has become a frequent planning alternative to “hard walls” architecture and provides maximum flexibility based on the client’s changing needs. New, thin-profile glass partitions are now readily available and provide clients with greater flexibility in adding and demounting offices as needed.

• Workstation flexibility is also of utmost importance as more staff work hybrid work schedules. This flexibility includes (1) Both assigned and non-assigned workstations where people can sign out a workstation the days they are working in the office utilizing scheduling software; (2) Lockers to store personal items for unassigned spaces (3) Ease of connectivity for laptops as people move from home to office; (4) Workstations designed on wheels to allow for easy reconfiguration based on collaboration or private, heads-down work; (4) Sit/stand desks are highly desirable and provide health benefits.

• In open work areas, the need to access acoustically private spaces for heads down, uninterrupted work and private phone calls is critical. This is accomplished by creating quiet work zones through individual phone/work rooms, and “huddle” rooms which can be used as private offices when needed.

• Virtual meetings are here to stay whether they occur at home or in shared workspaces. As a result, we are designing dedicated rooms for these types of meetings.  Of critical importance in these spaces are audio/visual capabilities and Wireless Access Points (WAPS).

Shared Community Spaces within the office

• “Third Spaces” as are becoming highly desirable for most clients. These spaces are neither traditional office nor home but offer employees a comfortable combination of both. Spaces typically include cozy couch seating, plush chairs, various size work and/or dining tables, and a coffee/beverage station. This environment promotes opportunities for smaller, collaborative, and social conversations in a more relaxed environment.

• Larger community kitchen spaces are now the expectation for most clients. A variety of seating options — booth seating, bar height tables, communal and smaller tables – are being incorporated into nearly all lunchrooms we are designing.  Additionally, access to hot and cold-brew coffee, filtered or sparkling water, and even after-work microbrews are becoming more frequently requested.

• Grab-And-Go Vending is become more prevalent in our designs, offering convenient access to healthy food options as well as creating a social gathering place.

• Large conference rooms which include flexible seating, dividable partitions and direct access to natural light and views are now a must-have for clients. The era of the large stationary conference table is over; clients now desire multiple seating capabilities, including classroom, town hall and group seating layout options. Additionally, incorporating folding wall partitions to change the conference room size and function makes these areas more dynamic and interchangeable for both large and small gatherings. Access to natural light and views in these spaces promotes circadian rhythm and overall well-being.

• Interior air quality has become a priority for many clients as a result of COVID-19. HVAC strategies such as MERV-13 filtration, bi-polar ionization, UVGI lighting and increased air exchanges every hour are all recommended by MEP engineering consultants. Clients can choose the level of HVAC safety based on need and overall project budget.  Our experience demonstrates one or more of these strategies is nearly always incorporated in the final design.

• With health and wellness on everyone’s minds these days, biophilic design is becoming more popular as well. With a variety of live and preserved plant and moss wall options available on the market, clients can access greenery and the outdoors directly within the design of their interior spaces. This helps promote a calming and healthy connection to nature, improving mental and emotional health.

Shared Common Spaces outside of the office

Building amenity spaces have never been more in demand than they are post-pandemic, and nearly every landlord realizes they must provide them to attract and retain tenants. As clients evaluate buildings – whether to stay in-place or relocate – a building’s amenities are a very large consideration.

• Many tenants are also taking building amenities into consideration when designing their own spaces, often making the conference and meeting areas smaller to reduce their over-all footprint and save money. Additionally, tenants have the benefit of “back-up” meeting space should conference room(s) in their own space be in use.

• Common tenant lounges connected to the main lobby are very much in-demand. These tenant lounge spaces can be beneficial for larger, office-wide gatherings or for smaller, social events outside the primary office environment.

• For enhanced health and safety, improved restroom facilities are a priority for both tenants and landlords alike. Automatic soap dispensers, hands-free lavatories, and automatic paper towel dispensers or hand dryers are being incorporated into every new design. In addition, anti-microbial surfaces which inhibit the lifespan of virus particles are commonly requested by clients. For this reason, copper, brass, and silver are being more readily specified than stainless steel or aluminum surfaces, particularly on door handles and plumbing fixtures.

• Outdoor spaces have become nearly as important to leasing as interior tenant spaces, providing a healthy extension of indoor work (both physically and mentally).

• Accessible exterior spaces directly off the interior office environment are highly desired. This encompasses private outdoor terraces as part of the tenant’s space, as well as larger building patios with various seating options, fully Wi-Fi connected outdoor meeting pavilions, and even outside exercise and meditation areas extending from the interior fitness center. More and more tenants are looking for ways to connect with the outdoors during the workday to enjoy fresh-air, natural light and an overall healthier environment.

What the Pandemic has taught us

If the pandemic has taught the office market anything, it’s that we can achieve contagion-responsive strategies, hybrid-work methodologies, maximum flexibility, and attractive, inviting space design all at the same time.

The office is not going away, but hybrid working is also here to stay.  DCS Design is responding to office space flexibility in nearly every new design for our clients.

The post Hybrid Work is here to stay … and so is The Office. appeared first on DCS Design.

Regardless of economics, unit design must and will change to address this pandemic as well as future health crises.  We foresee some of these changes to include:

• Intensified focus on modular design of residential housing units. This methodology has been around for decades already, but now more than ever it needs to be emphasized with greater urgency. This method of design and construction will allow greater development of housing units at the mass scale necessary to achieve the quantity of units our market will require to meet the demand over the next 10 years. This methodology also allows for greater quality control but with greater flexibility to modify only small portions of the unit that would otherwise be the same modular design used for multiple housing units.

• The demand for more unit design flexibility in the same square footage. This could include providing one or more work alcoves with connectivity, a drop down or pull out desktop and adequate shelving for files, printers, and other necessary devices.

• Less open floor plans and more divided space for privacy and safety.

• Creating a “decontamination zone” upon entering the space. This could include a resurgence of the “mud room,” or any space in which residents and guests remove their shoes and outerwear and is adjacent to a washroom to immediately wash hands before entering the main living space.  In fact, the 1918 Flu Epidemic is attributed to the creation of the Powder Room for nearly the same safety function. This decontamination area can also be closed off from the living area with a sliding glass door, if desired.

• Create designated delivery areas for both packages and food delivery which is separated from the kitchen and living area.

• Visually separate workspace from personal space, including hard walls as well as moveable, partitional screens.

• Create “Zoom Zones”— designated, publicly-presentable space for work teleconferencing.

• Implement adjustable work surfaces to meet everyone in the household’s needs – children’s schoolwork, play activities, and sitting/standing work configurations.

• Design larger pantries and other food storage areas.

• Increase touchless surfaces and accessories, including expanding Smart Home technology.

• Implement easy to clean surfaces throughout the home and eliminate porous, bacteria-collecting surfaces.

• Upgrade air purification systems and provide greater outdoor air exchange and filtration. In addition, make sure operable windows with insect screens are provided in all rooms.

• Greater demand for balconies — both for access to the outdoors and fresh air, and as importantly, as collective social space to interact with neighbors at a safe distance. Balconies can be designed in different configurations for visual interest related to the exterior building design, as well as contain operable screens to further divide space and create visual privacy.

• Greater demand for outdoor courtyards and/or roof terraces to allow group gatherings at safe distances.

• Fitness centers will change to designated sign-out times only with limited, socially distanced equipment and an increase in outdoor physical activities such as yoga and meditation.

• Ensuring that mixed-use amenities (i.e. grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, etc.) are incorporated into the podium level of the housing development, or are at minimum located a relatively short walking distance from the housing units. For resilient housing to truly be resilient, it must have easy access to basic, community-driven amenities vital to a vibrant, neighborhood environment.

• In addition to the above, access to childcare and/or educational facilities for children is an absolute must for resilient housing and families. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on working mothers, driving them out of the labor force, perhaps permanently. Providing safe, affordable, and accessible childcare will be a huge driving force in allowing our families, particularly women, to return to the work force during and following the pandemic.

• Finally, access to continuing educational facilities will also be crucial as part of a resilient housing community. The pandemic has shut down entire industries and will have lasting impact on working families. To help mitigate this impact, housing design needs to incorporate facilities that will provide access to continuing education, financial outreach, work-force training opportunities and even social outreach facilities to help provide the necessary tools to rebuild our work force from the toll this pandemic has taken.

In addressing these post-COVID changes in both market-rate and affordable housing models, the key is these design changes cannot be a luxury provided to some, but a necessity provided for all.   In fact, it is not a matter of re-designing for this pandemic, it is resilience design for all that comes after.

Join us for our next webinar discussing the impact of COVID-19 on housing and what it has illuminated about affordability in this area.

Thursday, November 12th
11:30 am – 12:30 pm

The webinar is free and is eligible for 1 AIA HSW/LU CE Hour.
Registration link: https://nvite.com/HousingResilientDesign/d57d5

The post Resilient Housing Design and Looking Beyond COVID-19 appeared first on DCS Design.