How Coronavirus Will Change Office Design
What will the post-coronavirus office look like? As company owners and C-Suite executives contemplate how to move their business forward, legal and moral obligations to control the coronavirus pandemic will ring the changes.
Some obvious solutions are already in place, whilst other options were gathering pace before the Covid-19 outbreak. Cloud technology and wireless devices have given employees the ability to work almost anywhere, whereby more companies will introduce telecommuting.
However, working from home is not for everyone. Prior to the pandemic, the average number of people working from home in the United States – a proponent of telecommuting – is only 4.3 per cent of the population.
The trend of working from home will no doubt increase. Some businesses will have no alternative option. On the plus side, having fewer employees in the office makes it easier for companies to install a new office design that falls in line with new legislation designed to minimise the spread of Coronavirus.
Healthy Office Environments
As concerns for public health are at the forefront of legislation right now, businesses will need to rethink the open-plan office in order for employees to feel safe.
An increasing number of companies and building owners have been exerting great efforts to promote health and wellbeing in the office. These ideals have also crept into office designs in relation to improved air quality, more natural light, biophilic elements, adjustable desk and seating, and encouraging movement around the office.
Although companies may dispense with the idea of hot-desking, employees will be encouraged to take the stairs rather than the elevator, and people will be given more space and privacy at their workstation.
Solo Working Space
The other alternative to spacious desks is to provide employees with private booths or unutilised space elsewhere around the office.
London-based office designers, Office Principles, say there has been an increased demand for acoustic booths in recent years and analysis reveals that in the average office, conference rooms and meeting rooms are not being used 70% of the time.
Private space provides employees with peace and quiet where they can focus on their work and concentrate for a longer period of time. One of the biggest complaints among employees in open-plan offices is the number of disruptions.
Smart and Sustainable Technologies
Smart technologies such as wireless devices and cloud computing are already making a huge impact on how employees work. The introduction of other smart technologies around the office post-coronavirus could also impact how employees experience the workplace.
Intelligent building such as Deloitte’s, The Edge, in Amsterdam already utilises smart technologies that are designed to enhance the work experience and lower the companies carbon footprint.
Employees should expect to see the introduction of facial recognition technologies and motion sensors that enable you to walk through doors and activate running water without touching any surfaces, and apps that operate the drinks machine.
NanoSeptic Surfaces
Surfaces that you cannot avoid touching such as desks, chairs, photocopier and keyboards may require Nano Septic applications. Self-cleaning fabrics and materials are already commonplace in hospitals and will help to create a hygienic workplace in office environments.
Nano Septic surfaces feature antimicrobial technology that protects users against harmful microbes. Whilst the body’s immune system can defend itself against the majority of bacteria, offices are notorious for spreading viruses.
It is inevitable that companies will need to invest in a post-coronavirus office design. To ensure you create the safest work environment for your staff, you may want to consider consulting an office design expert.
