RETHINKING OFFICE DESIGN
Hybrid work has sparked a shift to open-plan environments with an emphasis on ambience
For many office workers, the last two years may have revealed that being in the office often helps get the job done. But, the challenges of working from home aside, many companies are now embracing the idea of hybrid working — a concept that's gained traction during the pandemic.
The hybrid model means working some days in the office and some from home, significantly impacting what we need from our office spaces. It's got architects like Steven Casey, partner at architectural practice KPMB, rethinking office design. What do we need to add? What can we lose?
Casey says that if you're an employer, it's probably wise to ask yourself: Why am I asking people to come back to the office?
If people have private office spaces at home, they're probably less likely to want to return to the office, apart from the social benefits and getting in the same room as others when collaborating on projects.
There has been a shift from designing private office spaces to more open-plan, modular environments, with hot desks becoming increasingly popular.
KPMB has embraced the office design concept of hoteling, where several seats are not assigned to any particular team member, and people can book it using their phones.
“If you're coming in on a regular basis, three days or more, at this current time, you do have an assigned seat,” he says.
This hotel design approach to offices is being taken further by some companies that want to embrace the lobby-type feel of a hotel for their staff. Think big, comfy armchairs with good Wi-fi and coffee on hand.
Now ambience is increasingly important in offices and different from traditional design, where the best views, rooms and spaces were designed with clients in mind. The focus is now on how the space feels for the staff who work there.
“We're working on a large office fit-out in Toronto. What we've managed to do is give the staff a bistro (a lunchroom), and it has the best view,” Casey says.
This client has invested heavily in spaces where staff congregate, such as getting coffee, with particular attention to the graphics and artwork. They have made it a place people want to stay.
Casey says he's interested to see where building developers go with this kind of design thinking.
“These communal spaces, spaces where collisions (between people) can happen, and events spaces, don't necessarily need to be taken on by the tenant but can be taken on by the developer and shared by all the tenants. Companies might not have the appetite to invest in real estate the way they did before if it's not being used 100 per cent of the time,” he says.
Designing for collaboration, instead of individuals working, will become more the focus in office design, and the hybrid (home and office) model is here to stay, says Casey.
At KPMB, it's still really important to them that people can get together and collaborate in an office environment, he says.
“Your office is your second home.”