The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly transformed how industries across the world operate. The construction of new offices after this pandemic will likely demand new and better strategies to ensure offices are safer, comfortable and more humane. Here are a few signals of what the post covid -19 office space construction would look like in the future:
Incorporating Hospital Design Elements
Post covid-19 office spaces will also need to include a few hospital design elements to help with employee safety. For instance, the use of disinfection infrastructure like easy to disinfect and clean furniture, curtains, door handles and floor finishes. Prevention of virus transmission through physical proximity, airborne transmission and droplets must also be considered in the office design. In addition, creating quarantine rooms or mask stations could be a necessity in the future office space.
Decongesting Offices
There has been a major shift towards remote working during the covid-19 pandemic. This trend is likely going to continue, with many companies focusing on establishing compact and ultra-efficient offices. The main theme here is to decongest your office space by considering the social distancing requirements. This will mean larger office spaces and fewer employees.
Rethinking Air Conditioning
A huge redesign may be required when planning air-conditioning needs for post covid-19 office spaces to prevent community infection. Zone or floor-wise separation of HVAC units will likely be common in the future office building designs. Likewise, HEPA filters that come with UV lights that can kill viruses and bacteria might become a common feature.
Sanitization Tunnels
Future office spaces may require mist sprays and sanitization tunnels to sanitize everyone accessing the building.
Real Estate
As mentioned above, offices must have sufficient space to safely host all their employees, even with others still working remotely. The office of the future will have more generous spacing as employers as employers strive to offer adequate physical distance to all their workers.
Conclusion
All the changes shown above will likely occur post covid-19 office space construction. Having lived through this rough pandemic, with extensive shutdowns and personal losses, you should also expect employee behavior to change. Employees will certainly need more space, both physically and mentally, to ensure safety and optimal performance. The way workspaces are designed and how people work will change significantly after covid-19. Fortunately, you can trust on the experience of seasoned professionals in this industry to create your perfect office space efficiently, safely, and without disrupting your employees.
References: Stobuildingheight, Constructconnect, Arcadis
