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.

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The design of the organization’s new headquarters, located in North Bethesda, MD, embodies AOTA’s uncompromising dedication to helping create full and rich experiences for people with occupational challenges, the OTs and OTAs who serve them, and the dedicated AOTA staff who support and facilitate the organization’s mission. “Inclusive and Accessible Design” is the central goal of the new headquarters space. The challenge was to design the space to reflect the diverse needs of OT patients, and to reflect the principles of occupational therapy in the design.

Concurrently with the office redesign, the organization also undertook a complete re-brand. Because these two identity-centric efforts are highly interconnected and needed to be engaged nearly simultaneously, AOTA chose to work with DCS’ branding division on the re-brand effort.

Working closely with on-staff OTs, DCS Design ensured both the space design and branding elements met the diverse needs of people with physical, sensory, and cognitive challenges, while also creating an open, flexible, mission-representative work environment.

Inclusivity and accessibility began at the planning stage with creating wider circulation and corridors to accommodate wheelchairs and other movement and mobility challenges. All public doors throughout the space utilize hands-free openers for accessibility. Furniture was chosen to achieve maximum accessibility including ADA-height cushioned bench seating in the reception area, extended bench seating in the resource library (instead of standard table and chairs), chairs with and without arms and castors in all the conference rooms, adjustable height work surfaces throughout the space, and a custom reception desk which is entirely ADA height with wheelchair accessibility. Light values and access to natural light are also extremely important in creating fully accessible design. Views to the exterior or interior building atrium are visible from any point within the space and are enhanced through glass-front offices positioned on the perimeter, glass conference, meeting and huddle rooms, and a large open collaboration and meeting space placed on the interior building atrium.

Working side-by-side, the branding and design teams ensured the organization’s new space was designed to fully reflect the new brand, and vice-versa. Displayed throughout the space, the new AOTA logo uses letterforms which overlap to create a multi-color palette symbolizing the rich diversity of practice, practitioner, and client. Letters also intersect to express connection and support between OT practitioners and clients. Features of the space were intended to be healing and therapeutic to reflect the work of OT practitioners, with an over-all neutral color palette coupled with strategic pops of AOTA’s new brand colors. The team also worked with an occupational therapist specializing in low vision to ensure visually impaired people can fully distinguish the over-lapping letters and colors.

The space is designed to be open, flexible, and encourage mobility throughout the workday. In fact, upon moving into the new space, AOTA issued each staff member a laptop to make it easy to work from various spaces throughout the day. Common areas such as the lunchroom, reference library, huddle rooms, and the large open meeting space positioned on the interior building atrium, are all designed as multi-functional spaces. Natural elements such as a live moss wall, rustic reclaimed barn wood, and stacked stone are used throughout to bring the outdoors in. A curved cove ceiling detail winds throughout the space connecting all individual areas, symbolizing AOTA as the connection source for practitioners, educators, students, and patients and clients receiving OT services.

Artwork is extremely important to both the feel of the space as well as the mission message. All artwork was created by persons who received occupational therapy services, with his/her story of art as a form of therapy accompanying the various pieces. Additionally, colorful books and artifacts displayed along a publication wall opposite the large conference room, and professional reference books displayed on ends in the public-serving reference library, all serve as purposeful artwork within the design.

AOTA Executive Director, Sherry Keramidas, PhD, FASAE, CAE, shares, “Through the design, you see and experience AOTA’s life-affirming message at every turn in our new space, and we’re reminded of the people we serve. It makes for a very inspiring and satisfying place to work.” 

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As employees contemplate returning to their workplaces, new anxieties are arising from working in close proximity to their colleagues. Employees will try to maximize space between each other in order to practice social distancing – which is predicted to extend through 2022. In today’s high-density workplaces with low-paneled workstations, open bench-seating, hoteling, shared ancillary, and building amenity spaces, this social distancing mandate will require re-thinking current office design. Yet, as we now address infection control as a new normal in our work lives, it cannot be at the complete expense of office community, employee fellowship, shared creativity, and enjoyment of the people we see and interact with each day. After all, this is why we want to come to the office.

Design Best Practices for Infection Control in 2020 and Beyond

There are many health-conscious designs which can be integrated into office environments without compromising the overall aesthetics and design. New products, materials, and design best practices which can help reduce the risk of Coronavirus and other similar viruses are considered below. Undoubtedly, resources and implementation will continue to expand as the world demonstrates its incredible resourcefulness and creativity in battling this and other deadly contagions — as we’ve already witnessed with awe and appreciation.

Some of these design best practices may include:

—Redesigning entrances at building front, suite entries, conference centers, fitness centers, and other high-traffic areas to include:

• Automated sliding, revolving, or gateway doors which do not use door pulls. All have ADA considerations which must be evaluated
• Voice-activated doors
• Foot/Hand-wave door openers
• Push-button entries
• Security card reader scanners and/or proximity sensors
• Nexkey technology
• Body temperature scanners
• Sensors identifying behaviors and actions associated with existing illness

—Medical-grade materials and finishes for non-medical office environments

• Increased use of finishes with antimicrobial surfaces, specifically copper, brass and bronze which rapidly kill a wide range of harmful microbes, typically within a two-hour time-frame
• Higher MERV-rated air filtration (see below)
• Fabrics which can be easily wiped down with bleach

—Automated hand-sanitizing stations at building entrances and throughout tenant and amenity spaces

—Hands-free restroom faucets, kitchen fixtures, and public water fountains

—Automated lighting sources

—SmartKitchen appliance technology

—Expanding the size and capacity of bike rooms and creating easy access points to promote social distancing and discouraging use of public transportation when possible

—Designing work environments which are more adaptive to changing governmental and global health guidelines, including social distancing, adding barriers, cleaning, and safety measures

• Reorienting workstations to create social distancing (directional and/or height levels)
• Rotate workstation adjacencies so there is no face-to-face orientation
• Increasing the number and height of panels between workstations
• Integrating workstation screens which create physical barriers between employees
• Reorienting and removing seating options in conference and meeting rooms to create smaller meeting sizes, and to enforce social distancing.
• Retrofitting ancillary spaces:
  • Break multi-seating lounges into individual, screened seating
  • Arrange seating to eliminate face-to-face orientation
  • Introduce “hoodies” into individual and small seating areas to create additional barrier options
  • All storage throughout spaces will include sanitizers and cleaning supplies for quick and easy access by all employees

• Increase in outdoor seating areas with free-standing heat and fan/air units to encourage longer outdoor times.
• Rethinking hoteling environments:
  • Limiting to one person per day per station
  • Fully disinfect station surface areas daily
  • Consider moving to more long-term (“owned”) workstation environment

—Increasing corridor size from 5’ to up to 7’ to promote social distancing.

What About Air Quality?

According to current evidence reported by The World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact routes. Airborne transmission is different from droplet and is generally considered to be particles which can remain in the air for long periods of time and are transmitted to others over greater distances. In a recent study performed in China, it is believed the virus was transmitted in a restaurant from one individual to many through droplets sent through the air conditioning. Increasing indoor air quality and standards is crucial to mitigating these risks and other potential outbreaks in the future. One way this can be accomplished is through installing air filters with higher MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) ratings. MERV is an air filter rating system ranging from 1 – 20. As reference, MERV 8 is typical for commercial buildings; MERV 13 is considered the highest rating for commercial buildings; and MERV 19 is typically reserved for cleanrooms and medical facilities. However, due to the novelty of COVID-19, there is currently no consensus of the minimum MERV rating to eliminate the virus. In addition to higher MERV ratings, more frequent filter changes are highly recommended.

Another option for increasing air quality is installation of Air Disinfection UV Lighting and other air sanitation systems. This UV system is often used in healthcare settings but can also be implemented in office environments. This system is also considered more environmentally mindful due to the lack of heavy chemicals required. There are, however, demanding space requirements for these systems which need to be incorporated early in the design of the space, as well as additional energy costs which should be acknowledged.

Increasing air ventilation (bringing fresh air from outside) can also act to mitigate the transmission of the virus. Spaces with poor ventilation can stimulate unhealthy symptoms such as fatigue, sinus congestion, and nausea, creating an overall weakened immune system. Factors like humidity levels, access to windows, and air flow should also be evaluated.

Final Thoughts

Many of these changes can happen quickly while others are a futuristic look at the post COVID-19 workplace. The overarching theme of these changes portray the office of the future to be agile and adaptive to potential health, climate, and economic crises. The companies and organizations who integrate these changes will foster healthy and productive employees, as well as be the most prepared for future uncertainties.

Contact DCS Design Today

DCS Design will retrofit your current office with these and other COVID-19 prevention design practices and products to create a safer environment for your employees’ and tenants’ return. Or if you are considering a move, let’s discuss new design best practices for your future space.

Call us today to learn more and get started.

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Sources

Application of WELL Building Concepts to MEP Design in Commercial Offices Post COVID-19. Allen & Shariff Engineering, LLC, 2020, pp. 1–8, Application of WELL Building Concepts to MEP Design in Commercial Offices Post COVID-19.

“Building Evidence for Health: The 9 Foundations of a Healthy Office Building.” 9 Foundations, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2007, https://9foundations.forhealth.org//.

“Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 2020, https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.

DDG Virginia Engineering, PC., 2020, http://www.ddgvirginia.com/index.php.

Kissler, Stephen M., et al. “Projecting the Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 through the Postpandemic Period.” Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 14 Apr. 2020, https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/04/14/science.abb5793.

Lu J, Gu J, Li K, Xu C, Su W, Lai Z, et al. COVID-19 outbreak associated with air conditioning in restaurant, Guangzhou, China, 2020. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Jul, 22 Apr. 2020. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.200764

Navigating What’s Next: The Post-COVID Workplace. Steelcase, 2020, pp. 1–30, Navigating What’s Next: The Post-COVID Workplace.

“Scientific Brief: Modes of Transmission of Virus Causing COVID-19: Implications for IPC Precaution Recommendations.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 29 Mar. 2020, https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmission-of-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc-precaution-recommendations.

Wood, Johnny. “These Harvard Scientists Think We’ll Have to Socially Distance until 2022.” World Economic Forum, 20 Apr. 2020, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-social-distancing-how-long/.

Elizabeth is a registered Interior Designer and has nearly 35 years of experience in planning, designing, and managing commercial architectural projects in the Metropolitan DC area. Elizabeth is an Associate with DCS Design providing leadership in solving clients’ evolving needs and keeping DCS at the forefront of addressing what’s next for our industry.

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