The future of office design

While there is already some evidence that many of us appreciate the flexibility of being able to work remotely, clearly some businesses will need to ask employees to return to office-based working.

The signs are that there will be fewer people working this way than before the Coronavirus pandemic and therefore the demand for large office spaces is expected to reduce.

However, there are also signs that the design of offices may well change too.

According to an article in Wired the open-plan office will go and in its place will come designated work spaces and even small individual offices.

Already work stations have been fitted with Plexiglas screens and pathways through offices marked with arrows to show social distancing and routes.

More maintenance and cleaning of air conditioning and heating systems will become the norm and there will be more use of antimicrobial materials, such as wood and copper, for office equipment.

The use of open roof spaces and balconies, and the use of plants may also increase.

It is possible that businesses will shift to using smaller and more de-centralised offices, making the multi-storey office building a thing of the past and with all these changes will come shifts in the management and leadership of teams.