The Post COVID-19 office design will be quite different. There will be no more people rushing into one another, and employees are likely going to be separated by partitions to minimize physical contact. Planning office design during this period may require a lot of thinking and creativity. However, it doesn’t have to be difficult. In this article, you are going to learn how to rethink office design post-COVID-19.
Create a Phased Plan
At first, it may seem that you need a lot of changes. However, you can create a phased office design plan.
Phase 1: Immediate Office Redesign
Like many companies, your primary goal may be to bring employees safely back to work, so productivity can be back and business can bloom again. Even unengaged employees are interested in getting back to work, so they can alleviate the economic toll of the pandemic. As a company, you have to make the office safe for the return of the employees. The office can be redesigned to allow physical distancing by adding barriers. In addition, there should be an enhanced cleaning and safety measures, and support for those who are working from home longer.
Phase 2: Short Term Planning
After the implementation of the first phase, companies can start effecting changes that can change the design of the workplace to one that feels natural and allow others to fully return. There are hundreds of research studies going on the behavior of the virus.
Design ideas could include having more and newer layouts to workstations, like higher screens as well as glass to make these workstations more comfortable. There can also be an integration of video conferencing as travel will still be limited for a while. In addition to your short-term plan, you may want to add spray disinfectant units and lids with UVC or Far-UVC lamps to toilets. Also, ensure that toilets have lids, in order to minimize contaminant dispersion.
Phase 3: Long Term Design
Planning the office design for long term post-COVID-19 pandemic will require integrating with emerging technologies in boosting employee productivity, safety, and wellness. This will result in a massive shift in the office design paradigm. For instance, employers will now have to focus more on flexibility, instead of permanence. Long-term design plans can also include installing new hands-free toilets with built-in sanitization mechanisms. In addition, you can install UVC lamps or Far-UVC systems to aid install sanitization.
Assess Building Preparedness
Currently, there is no official guidance on building operations for returning to the office. However, your company can create a set of criteria that will enable you to reopen your building This is best achieved by working with your landlord. You can talk to your landlord about the requirements for changes that need to be made to building systems or operations. For instance, you may want to consider every touchpoint between an employee’s parking spot and their desk, including their entry to the building, use of elevators and restrooms shared with other tenants. In addition, restroom facilities may become points of complaints, so proactively address cleanliness and comfort.
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