5 WAYS COVID-19 COULD CHANGE OFFICE DESIGN FOREVER

Covid-19 has upended working life, changing how and where people do their jobs. The US Government and companies around the world are looking to reopen work and ease the economic lock down, with the minimization of the virus transmission at work at the top of many company’s agendas. But what will our offices look like when we return to work?

Here are 5 ways that work and workspaces could change.

Office Workstations

Homeworking will continue, but office life, in some form will too. The challenge lies in how to adapt workspaces to the six-feet distance rule. Existing offices will have to transform themselves where the six-feet distance rule – which governments may continue to mandate – can be observed.

Simple Solutions

A question on everyone’s mind is how will we keep desks clean? As well as obvious additions such as more hand sanitizer, some deceptively simple changes could help. Offices will have to invest in new safety method to help mitigate COVID-19 spreading to surfaces.

Closed Plan & Co-working

Office designs for decades have included open-plan working but COVID-19 could reverse this trend back to cellular cubicles. Another global trend in office design is Co-working. Due to the virus, many companies might not want to put their entire team in one place at a time.

More Signs

Think road markings, but for offices. Offices will likely have their walls and floors covered in visual instructions to keep employees safe. One possible approach is to encourage your staff to walk clockwise, creating one-way flow to minimize transmission.

Technology

Companies may also need to invest in a new suite of contactless technologies to reduce disease transmission. Automatic doors and elevators with motion sensor and facial recognition will also likely be considered when making office changes due to the COVID-19 virus. From hand sanitizer, to the 6-feet distance rule, companies around the world are doing their part to reopen for business and make necessary changes for a post-COVID-19 office future.