When the world returns to work, day-to-day office life stands to be quite different than it was pre-COVID-19. New physical spacing expectations could play a major role in the redesign of workstation layouts and previously-accepted boardroom setups. Will employees accept a return to five-foot desktops? Or will small surfaces and a close proximity to coworkers suddenly feel too cramped in a post-pandemic world?

 

A recent survey by Gartner suggests that nearly three-quarters of CFOs intend to move part of their workforces to remote locations once business is back up and running in order to reduce real-estate costs. Workplace adaptation was previously gaining popularity—now, weeks of forced remote work have demonstrated that in many industries office downsizing is not only possible, but effective. If the trend of remote work indeed continues, the technology to support it will be the next big business boom, with significant commercial design implications. Increased connectivity with off-site workers will likely impact the way offices are wired and laid out, and the construction industry will be expected to accommodate the shift through the provision of extensive video-conferencing capability.

 

For the employees who return to conventional offices, learned social-distancing habits will impact individual comfort levels—and either real or perceived workplace safety. Will employers move toward larger, open-concept boardrooms and meeting spaces? Will bench seating, a hot craze of the not-so-distant-past, now feel too close for comfort? As employers reassess office layouts in a world where physical distancing has become a conscious custom, the design and construction industries will have to meet these developing needs.

 

Another prospective change could involve a shift in sanitation standards. Most commercial cleaning companies have established stricter protocols for disinfecting shared spaces; the promotion, or even requirement, of hand washing could necessitate specific sanitation stations, that would in turn modify plumbing needs. Advanced air purification systems may well become a top priority for safety-savvy clients, impacting HVAC asks.

 

The return-to-work timeline might remain a moving target, but already employers and employees have developed a new lens through which to examine safety standards—potentially making for a very different work environment when non-essential businesses reopen their doors. Clients’ design needs will undoubtedly shift amid the new normal, forcing the construction industry to adapt.