Well-designed workspaces need to strike this balance between focus and collaboration, and companies with easily reconfigurable space that can align with constantly evolving needs will be at an advantage. Others will require more space for heads-down, focused work for those employees who need to be able to concentrate free from distractions. Some will prioritize workspace that cultivates active collaboration and brainstorming, which requires presentation space, soft seating, and breakout areas designed to spark conversation and ideas. We know from listening to feedback from our own members, which include some of the world’s largest enterprises, that spaces that support diverse working styles will be crucial. This will look different for every business, so workspaces that are easily adapted through innovative, light-touch, and cost-effective design solutions offer a clear advantage. So what will this mean for the office? For companies and employees alike, the office needs to be optimized for the work activities and social interaction that can’t happen at home. The office needs to be optimized for the work activities and social interaction that can’t happen at home.Īlongside this, the workforce will demand more flexibility, especially with respect to where, when, and how they work. Optimized HVAC systems, enhanced cleaning, and modifications to enable social distancing have become a necessity for any company. Workspaces that prioritize health and safety are now table stakes for every business. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. Once companies return to work, they can leverage their workspaces better by using flexible spaces tailored to specific needs. This has enabled a greater acceptance of exploring new things and getting to the crux of what actually works best for their businesses. The pandemic has presented business leaders with a unique opportunity to think about office space in a new way not just as a cost for housing employees but as a means of supporting specific business functions. ![]() Pre-pandemic, office space capacity averaged around 60 percent-employees were with clients, traveling for business, or working from home a day or two a week. The workplace has been redefined as a hub for collaboration and productivity-and workspace design needs to evolve to support this change. ![]() With persistent home working stifling innovation, employee expectations of the office are shifting. While these past months have shown that working from home can be done, and that it has some advantages, it has also highlighted the office as a critical resource that enables human connection and interaction. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a seismic shift in the way the world works. Investing in flexible workspaces for coworking spaces has been on the rise especially with the growing small businesses and startups.This article originally appeared in Architects’ Journal. This workflow style allows for cost savings because employees use common infrastructures, and enhance the collaboration and experience sharing between people coming from different backgrounds, which can foster the project they are working on. 8 Flexible Workspaces for a Productive Future OfficeĬoworking spaces are spaces where employees from different departments, and sometimes even different companies, gather to work together or independently. Unlike traditional offices with fixed and assigned desk positions, workers in a flexible office space can choose the area of the office that best suits the type of work they need to do at that moment. But you don’t need to fill it with desks.”Ī flexible workspace is a type of workspace designed to provide employees with a variety of different places and ways to work. “The office is a convenient container to put the values and protocols and shared aspirations of any organization.
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