By some estimates, office space in Marin County is at almost a 20% vacancy rate. That aligns with the overall vacancy rate average across the US, which was 17.2% in the first quarter of 2021. COVID continues to take a toll on the way we work. For some, it is an awakening. The U.S. Department of Labor’s statistics show that during the months of April, May and June 2021, a total of 11.5 million workers quit their jobs.
How is the way we are working now impacting the how office space is configured?
- Those wide open workspace areas, so popular with start-ups and tech companies could be a thing of the past. Of course, that prediction started well before the pandemic. The open space design was meant to foster greater collaboration, spark more creativity and in turn innovation. According to the Harvard Business Review: When the firms switched to open offices, face-to-face interactions fell by 70%. So why continue a design that fails to achieve the desired result?
- Noise reduction techniques can make an open workspace more conducive to productivity. The sometimes chaotic noise level of an open workspace can make concentration impossible. A commercial architect can help with simple things like office screens or acoustic paneling to something spectacular, like a living wall of plants to mitigate noise. Creating drop-in quiet spaces with unassigned desks where people can sit in private for a period of time is another option.
- Employees who have experienced flexibility won’t want to go back to the way things were, as evidenced by so many choosing to work from home, as least part of the time. Health issues aside, if they’ve had the flexibility to work where they feel most productive, whether that is at the kitchen table, in a cozy overstuffed living room chair, in their local coffee house or in a tidy home office, they want options. An office floorplan that includes lounge style seating, traditional conference rooms, relaxed gathering spots and stand-alone quiet pods can be designed to meet a variety of needs.
Wherever the debate about working from home or the benefits of a flexible, more inviting workplace design take us, one thing is certain — Change is in the air. People are talking about what they want from a workplace culture. They aren’t afraid to admit that the workplace environment matters to them. And yes, many want a sense of connection and belonging. The right architectural design can go a long way to enhance those feelings.
Don’t feel you have to tackle a redesign on your own.
If you are a business owner reexamining your floor plan with an eye to creating a dynamic, enticing environment to welcome your employees back to work, a commercial architect can bring your vision to life.