JUNE 2021 21
FMJ.CO.UK
versatile layouts,
with redundancy and
resilience built in
where required, and
this will play a key role
in delivering flexibility
as needs change.
As we see a return
to the oˆ ice, booking
regimes to enable
social distancing and
infection control by
monitoring who is
using which desk
have already been implemented in many workplaces.
As the virus subsides, these systems are likely to remain
for hot desking, which has implications for workstation
connectivity, smart technology and on desk equipment.
This includes the use of Bluetooth and RFID technologies
to allow automated registration of personnel at the
workstation and multi-directional sockets for power,
charging and connectivity to allow rapid hot desk set-up.
During the pandemic, adapting to new tools and
platforms has not only enabled remote working but also
collaboration across departments, sites and borders.
Consequently, we’re also likely to see an evolution
towards more tech-enabled oˆ ices to enable continued
collaboration in the virtual space.
With a move away from traditional desk layouts towards
formal and informal collaborative and quiet working
spaces, powerbank or wireless charging functionality
built into furniture for break out areas and acoustic
meeting/isolation booths will allow workers to take a
fluid approach to where they sit and how they work.
Apple’s adoption of wireless charging technology has
been a game changer in terms of homogenising the
tech required for wireless charging of any device. As this
technology has become more robust, enabling charging
of both phones and tablets, there is a more compelling
case than ever for integrating wireless charging within
furniture, alongside USB charging and power sockets.
New technology will also aˆ ect workstation ergonomics
and desk size. While next generation large-format, curved
screens are cost-prohibitive for most occupiers at the
moment, as the cost comes down, we are likely to see a
transition from the current dual monitor set-up to a single
monitor with a split screen. What that means for the
current wave of oˆ ice refurbishments focused on social
distancing and agile working is the need to take into
consideration how this should aˆ ect desk and monitor
arm choices in order to futureproof them and deliver
more eˆ icient and comfortable spatial layouts.
THE DESIGN EXPERT’S VIEW
SONIA BROWN, DIRECTOR & HEAD OF DESIGN AT
HUMAN BY QUADRANT DESIGN
The pandemic will have a lasting impact on the evolution
of workplace interiors. People have been used to working
in an intimate home environment and that needs to spill
into the oˆ ice.
Navigation through a space needs to allow for social
distancing but be more organic and less restrictive. This
will be achieved by demarcation on floors and positioning
of furniture. Using furniture to create zones means it can
be reconfigured - flexibility is key. Rows of long desks
need to be separated, creating neighbourhoods of desks
interrupted by break out zones to encourage socialising.
Gone are the days of oˆ ices at 100 per cent capacity.
If people are only in the oˆ ice two or three days a week,
they need to be able to communicate and socialise with
other people. If staˆ come in and end up at a fixed seat on
a bank of desks on their own it will only ignite the feeling
of isolation and loneliness that we all want to break free
from. Hot desking is a quick win solution to accommodate
staˆ flexibility and
encourage people
to sit together.
As the oˆ ice
space becomes
more agile, IT
functionality will
need to follow suit
and be much more
plug-and-play
and adaptable to
diˆ erent settings.
We’ve all got used
to home comforts
over the last fourteen months and oˆ ice interiors will
need to bring elements of that into the workplace. So‘
furnishings add warmth and cosiness, so drapes and
cushions will be in high demand. Personal motivators like
prints and props will also help people feel more at ease
when they return to work.
People o‘ en have more colour in their homes than
might be typically found in a traditional oˆ ice. Dark
colours absorb light while white reflects it back which can
be problematic for continuous screen use. Green and blue
are calming, natural colours and add more comfort and
security than white or grey. Colour will go a long way in
adding warmth and creating a home-from-home feel.
Oˆ ice colour and design should reflect a company’s
brand and culture. It’s important to embrace colleagues
back into the brand they work for a‘ er being
disconnected for so long. How do you want your brand to
make your staˆ and visitors feel? The oˆ ice design should
mirror that feeling.
With remote working, people have enjoyed more
activity-based working. People might work at the kitchen
table for a few hours, hold one to ones on the sofa or
move to the garden to read. This breadth of choice will
need to be replicated in the workplace to draw people
back to the oˆ ice.
Businesses need to be clever about how they manage
their corporate real estate. Multipurpose spaces are the
solution. Space needs to be adaptable enough that it be a
social lunch or TV space or a meeting area. Meeting rooms
FM CLINIC
Sonia Brown
Tim Shirt
ADVICE & OPINION
link
/www.fsifm.com
