THE OFFICE, 2.0
Companies will have to reinvent workplaces if they want to entice staff away from their home desks and couches
Though the pandemic has left empty a large chunk of commercial buildings across global business hubs, it seems the end of the office is not yet nigh.
It looks increasingly likely that offices will remain central to the way companies do business in the post-Covid world. In fact, work-from-home fatigue is starting to set in among many formerly office-bound employees, if a new study by global real estate advisory
JLL is anything to go by.
The Worker Preferences Barometer, a survey of more than 3,300 office workers across 10 countries conducted in March, found that half the week (2.6 days) is still being spent working remotely. But productivity at home appears to be declining. JLL says only 37% of the workforce now feels more productive at home than in the office, compared with 48% last April.
Though “office nostalgia” is growing, 63% of respondents want the option of alternating between different places of work in future. According to the survey, three days a week in the office is the new employee preference, with two days a week worked remotely.
“Flexibility in working patterns has become a ‘must have’ in the employee package,” says JLL. “Work-life balance is now the number one workforce priority, ahead of salary. It is a ‘ratchet effect’ of the pandemic.”
Other real estate players agree that there’s a growing adoption of a hybrid working model combining the best of both worlds: working part of the week from anywhere and part from either a central or satellite office.
But how do you reinvent the corporate office to adapt to new ways of working? If a third or more of your staff continue to work remotely, should you cut back on office space when leases come up for renewal, to save on rentals? And what new layout, design and decor solutions, if any, do you need to get employees back in the office and promote a happy, healthy and productive workforce?
These are some of the key questions companies are grappling with as the world starts to recover from the pandemic.
Zama Zaca, head of business development at Tétris Design & Build, the Joburgbased interior architecture design arm of JLL in SA, says Covid-induced changes to the way people work have forced companies to adopt new design solutions.
“It’s not only about spatial planning any more,” Zaca says. “The question corporates are now asking is how to reconfigure their offices to support new workplace strategies.”
Cost considerations also mean that many companies are looking to scale back on the size of offices, which has prompted increased focus on the more effective usage of space.
Zaca cites the introduction of rotational desks as one way to manage this. Smaller “touchdown” desks and chairs can also replace larger, conventional desk areas for staff who may only spend two or three hours a day in the office.
However, Zaca says it’s crucial that companies balance cost considerations with the need to provide employees with a comfortable and attractive workplace. “Aesthetics are more important than ever, not only to help lure people back to the office but also to
What it means: Workplace design will be more important than ever in the postCovid world
retain staff,” she says.
“There’s also more emphasis on employee wellbeing and on taking care of your staff.”
Two major interior design trends Zaca expects to become more prevalent in the commercial space relate to biophilia and resimercial influences.
Biophilic design refers to the gravitation towards a natural, “greener” office environment. Examples include the introduction of natural light and fresh air flow through larger windows that can open, more indoor plants and increased use of timber and other natural materials.
Resimercial relates to the concept of making the office look and feel more homely.
“There’s a big movement to bring more upholstered furniture pieces into the office, such as lounge chairs and coaches, as well as soft furnishings, including rugs and scatter cushions, to add comfort and warmth.”
Acoustics will also have to be top of mind, given that virtual meetings are likely to become a permanent set-up for many employees in the post-Covid workplace.
Zaca refers to the introduction of private booths that employees can step into quickly to make Zoom calls without disrupting colleagues. Smaller quiet zones and focus rooms should be added to the mix and be complemented with larger, visually interesting social areas that help to build brand culture.
Zaca says companies need to think about clever ways to bring people together. “Small gestures such as providing free fresh fruit, good coffee and sparkling water to staff in a central pause area encourage social engagement and promote employee wellbeing.
“Post-Covid office planning will have to incorporate more flexible design solutions to allow for multipurpose usage.”
Kirsty Schoombie, senior associate at Joburgbased design firm Paragon Interface, voices a similar sentiment. “The office has to be a more inviting place than before. And companies need to look at providing different types of settings to support different work requirements,” she says.
While the number of work stations may well be reduced and desks may be placed further apart to meet lower density requirements, Schoombie says open-plan settings with comfortable couches and other seating options that bolster quick chats and collaboration among employees will also have to be increased.
But not everyone will necessarily cut back on physical office footprints. “The focus will be on optimal utilisation of space,” says Schoombie. That means traditional layouts will have to be reconsidered, especially as social distancing and sanitising are unlikely to go away any time soon.
For instance, wider corridors and doorways and additional partitioning will become more common. Other features that will increasingly be integrated in office design will include notouch doors, increased use of stairs to reduce crowding in elevators, and the use of materials such as silver and copper for surface finishes, because of their antimicrobial properties.
Schoombie says office furniture will evolve. Think foldaway desks and modular pieces that can easily be moved around and adapted as business requirements change.
“Companies will have to adopt more of a ‘plug and play’ approach so that settings can be changed without disrupting an entire floor plate,” she says.
Technology is growing in importance in an era of online meetings.
“Whether staff are working from home or in the office, it’s crucial to have the right technology that allows for seamless connectivity,” says Schoombie. “Companies will have to consider ways to reduce noise levels on the back of increased connectivity.”
The office has to be a more inviting place than before. And companies need to look at providing different types of settings to support different work requirements
Kirsty Schoombie
Global companies such as music streaming service Spotify, software firm Salesforce and online identity-management company Okta are already undergoing radical office redesigns, according to US business magazine Fast Company. It reports that Salesforce has reduced the number of desks in its offices by 40% to create more room for collaboration.
Desks have been replaced by private booths, cafés, communal tables, couches, whiteboards and mobile audiovisual equipment to allow teamwork to happen anywhere.
Spotify, too, is shifting towards team-focused “neighbourhoods” to replace what was once a sea of desks.
But it’s all about striking the right balance. To counter increased noise levels, Spotify’s new offices feature library-like rooms divided by bookshelves, with individual laptop desks surrounded by acoustic panelling as well.