Enabling Connectivity In the Hybrid Workspace
5 Key Office Design Concepts
from SCHARLY DESIGNER STUDIO®
Written by Beatriz von Ungern-Sternberg, Business Development Intern
Graphics by Victoria Perez Giannone, Architect Intern
A lot has changed in the work environment since the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2022. New tools were implemented to fit the remote environment, flexible schedules were carried out, and people shifted their habits to accommodate for a much more balanced work life. Today, organizations are ready to bring people back into the office.
However, as employees demand a higher level of flexibility, businesses have to come up with ways of attracting employees into the workplace. Redesigning the workspace can be one of these solutions.
According to the New York Business Journal, around 78% of top executives found during the pandemic that they could streamline their businesses (Bizjournals.com 2022). Employees realized that tasks such as email, analyzing data, and file reporting could be done from anywhere and were no longer tied to physical presence in the office. Now, for many young employees who joined the workforce for the first time during Covid, working in the office is a new concept.
A Smartsheet survey reports that many millennial and Gen Z employees don’t feel connected with other co-workers and find it difficult to communicate (Reimagining work in the era of covid-19 2020). Being in an office surrounded by co-workers enables more opportunities for human interaction, thus providing social and professional benefits while strengthening company culture. In addition, in-person meetings make mentorship, training and collaboration more efficient.
As the office is now considered a space where people connect, collaborate, and celebrate, SCHARLY DESIGNER STUDIO® suggests the following 5 key office design elements to help create an environment conducive to these activities.
1. Add a coffee bar with seating area
Condeco, a leading company in workspace solutions, believes that companies should incorporate office coffeebar with plenty of seating so employees can enjoy their lunch hour in a social setting instead of eating alone at their desks (Bizjournals.com 2022).
2. Conference rooms and gathering areas
Since collaboration is the key idea to attract people back in the office, companies should make sure there are enough conference rooms and flexible gathering areas available for employees to brainstorm (Bizjournals.com 2022). Necessary tech equipment should be available to enable remote workers to participate in meetings and share content.
3. Movable desks, tables and sectional couches
When it comes to space planning, cubicles have been replaced by open floor plans and communal tables, rolling desks and sectional couches making the environment more inviting to training, mentorship, and collaboration (Bizjournals.com 2022).
4. Individual privacy pods
Certain activities require employees to find a quiet place to work. Office pods are a great way to provide employees with their own private space on demand (7 Modern Office Design Concepts for 2022 that are currently trending 2022).
5. Manifestation whiteboards
Incorporate dedicated areas for employees to express themselves, individually and collectively, such as whiteboards, magnetized/pinnable surfaces, and shelves (Phillips Badal, 2021).