I think that a lot of open office trends will have to be challenged and discarded.
I redesigned my former employer's office a few years ago. This was an architecture and engineering organization for a public agency. Our previous office was an open office with cloth Herman Miller partitions. Even before this pandemic, it was a source of sickness for many employees, and had noise problems that made it difficult to concentrate on architectural and engineering tasks.
Although I had to work with systems furniture, I used full height non load-bearing partition walls to create smaller areas of open office space. I also used systems furniture partitions that were at least 5'-0" high, with glass to transmit light. I was under tremendous pressure to use low partitions just above desk height, but a previous incident where an employee had come in with influenza - and spread it to much of the workforce - played a role in selecting higher partitions. I created zones where noise and other contaminants were confined to smaller areas. It should be understood that the systems furniture industry does not have "tight" partition modules, and the airflow, including droplets and noise, can penetrate to some extent. Also, as another responder noted, cloth panels can be essentially transparent, especially if there is no solid panel behind the cloth coverings.
For office design, I believe the open office will need to be abandoned and rethought. New partition types, different HVAC design, and more private offices will and should be the norm. Telework will have to expand, and office footprints may be come smaller.
Yet another problem to be faced is cultural. In American society, there is tremendous stress on attendance, from primary school through the workplace. This stress on attendance, along with sick pay issues, has had the effect of having sick employees in the workplace spreading disease. Part of the solution is to have school and employer policies that do not penalize people who are absent due to illness.
Another cultural problem is a reticence to accept telework. Some employers discount the ability to work remotely even when it is suitable for the tasks at hand. A perceived lack of control, among other issues, has made it difficult for some employers to accept telework. There are also political commentators who believe that telework is a cover for not doing any work at all. Organizations must learn to set standards that can be measured so that productivity is assured during telework.
As far as open offices are concerned, yet another problem is that systems furniture can be amortized and accounted for in a way that permanent walls cannot be. Perhaps the systems furniture industry can produce full height, tight partitions that are also can be relocated.
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Marsha Levy AIA
Boca Raton FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2020 21:18
From: Oscar Estigarribia
Subject: Corporate space usage change after Covid19
What is your thought about change in corporate space usage as a consequence of Covid19? As I am hearing that companies are starting to request office space planning projects to add separation between employees, and planning to change current office space configurations.
How do you think this pandemic experience will affect space usage and planning and to what extent? For new and existing corporate space? The end or transformation of flex office?, More flexible policies regarding remote work? Back to private offices? Changes to common shared office space?
Will companies need additional office space reducing density? or less by flexing work form home policies?
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Oscar Estigarribia Assoc. AIA
Director Global Real Estate Facilities
Resideo
Boca Raton FL
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