Contract Magazine - July 2020 - 17

Workplace
Charlton Hutton
Associate Director, Design
M Moser Associates
New York

Kimberley O'Dowd, AIA,
IIDA, LEED AP
Director of Projects, Architect
Studio Blitz
San Francisco

"We were already designing with agility in mind since most of our clients
have explosive and unpredictable growth. That agility is only a starting point
for designing out of a pandemic. Now that we've experienced remote work,
we're not going to give it up, and a decentralized workforce is going to become
the new normal. The workplace will need spaces with the tools and technology
to connect so that working remotely is a seamless and equivalent experience.
When we do go to the office, it will be more for emotional or cultural reasons than
for functional ones. We see the future of the office as a shared amenity space-
an "on-site off-site," if you will. A place for teams to come together for the shared
collaborative work. We need to change the design so it's not about being safe
for work (because we're doing that from home), but safe for collaboration. For
a lot of us, work is the only place to find focus, and there's a need for space that
supports thinking with video, acoustics, writable surfaces, and furniture other
than a living room couch. Let's not destroy the culture of a company by ripping
out newly built spaces. Instead, let's augment the spaces to accommodate
these new needs."

Classic
Hightower: Kona Laptop Table
"What's the point of alternative seating if you have
to balance your laptop and coffee? You need a
wide, stable surface that is also nice on the eyes.
And with social distancing, our work area for the
day might not be at our desk."
hightoweraccess.com

New need
Steelcase: SOTO Mobile Caddy
"I still need stuff. It still needs to live somewhere.
We all have our personal work things and a
friendly, small-footprint caddy seems ideal for
stashing them below a desk or in a locker."
steelcase.com

"We've challenged ourselves internally to think about why a workplace is important.
What are the fundamental reasons people will want to come back? After many
brainstorming sessions, it always came back to one thing: people. We are social
creatures and need human connection to feel content, both personally and
professionally. More companies will shift to a blended work-from-home-and-office
policy, allowing employees to choose where, how, and when they work. This will
give everyone a greater sense of purpose, which will foster happier employees
and boost innovation. Prior to the pandemic, there was a lot of attention on creating
open office environments with more places to focus away from office distractions.
I think there will be a shift in design, facilitating more collaborative work and less
individual work. Individual work will still be a component of the workplace, but
people will come in specifically to meet and socialize with their teams. Canteens,
multifunctional meeting spaces that are easily reconfigurable, and spaces with
high-performing technology that people can't access at home will be in high
demand. Also, the transition spaces will be a key consideration. If people are
coming in to meet with their peers, the times between meetings and the spaces
in which people find respite will take on new meaning. This is where we see more
individual-focus work being done, but it will be less about everyone having a
dedicated desk. We all really miss our colleagues. Those face-to-face interactions
are invaluable and are the heart of a company's culture."

Classic

New need

Davis Furniture: Sola Chair
"Sola is a great conference chair that has clean
lines and is minimal yet functional. Its innovation
lies in the timeless design and craftsmanship.
The chair's thin profile is deceptive-it's actually
very comfortable and provides enough individual
adjustment without being complicated and
clunky. It's a perfect balance of aesthetics and
function."
davisfurniture.com

contract

Holmris B8: IGLOO Workroom
"I've been wanting to specify this for a while and it
has even more merit now. Its large, circular form,
open ceiling, and multiple entry points make
it a dynamic solution for informal meetings in
an open-office environment. The physical form
and acoustics are fantastic. It does a good job
blocking out external noise and visual distractions, while allowing everyone inside to be seen
and heard."
holmrisb8.com

http://www.steelcase.com http://www.hightoweraccess.com http://www.davisfurniture.com http://www.holmrisb8.com

Contract Magazine - July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract Magazine - July 2020