
As we were all looking to turn the corner on COVID and 2021, COVID slapped us in the face once again to start 2022 and delayed back to the office plans for many organizations.
I sincerely hope 2022 will be a year of full recovery. With this hopeful recovery, re-entry to the office will follow suit. While people remain concerned about their health, setting the stage for a successful back-to-office environment will be crucial to workplace re-entry. Here are four design considerations as offices prepare for re-entry:

Photo courtesy of Spiezle Architectural Group
Maintain a Hybrid Environment
The hybrid work world is a cultural shift attributed to COVID. Companies will be pressured to accommodate this shift if they are not already on board. Office environments will begin to allocate space based on what was learned from working at home. People need heads-down focus time to be productive and efficient. Long gone are the days of endless seas of benching systems. Plan for various environments that cultivate autonomy and options for private and collaboration space. In the 2022 office environment, you will choose the suitable work environment for the day: a small acoustic pod, a glass-walled office, a table in the break room, or a seat in the garden outside the building. Employees back into the office will be seeking engagement and collaboration with coworkers after being isolated at home. Therefore, spaces which encourage interaction, casual conversation, and collaboration will be key.
Provide Advanced Technology
With the widespread acceptance of working remotely, office design will need advanced technology for those working remotely alongside staff working in the office. In-office spaces will need to be set up to provide equity to both workers. Conference rooms may need multiple cameras and screens positioned throughout for close-up visibility to all. Cameras and video screens will need to be set up in casual work settings for quick access to video conferencing with remote workers. If anything, COVID has taught us that our innate connection to the outside is real — so take the Wi-Fi outside. Having had the flexibility to take work outside on a nice day while working remotely is a concept that workers will want to continue when back in the office. In the summer of 2021, we worked with a global flooring company to design its new headquarters. A key design concept included exactly this, and the space allowed for work to be inside or out. Landscape Forms offers stylish and functional products that blend furniture and technology for the outside.
Strengthen Connectedness
People have an innate need for human connection, and while working at home, people often feel isolated. Offices in 2022 will strengthen and encourage connection and interaction that was missing during COVID. Spaces that are casual and mirror social spaces out of the workplace will allow people to let their guard down. For example, a café with a coffee shop vibe will allow for casual interactions in a comfortable environment. A simple way to encourage connection and engagement is through furniture. A well-positioned furniture grouping will provide an inviting atmosphere.
Pre-COVID, the trend in office design was to bring the outside in. With the responsibility of wellness top of mind, a shift has occurred. Offices look to blur indoor and outdoor environments. This connection of inside and out will emphasize a company’s desire to support wellness. It is widely documented that connection to the outside improves physical and mental health. When organizations are considering relocation, special consideration will be front of mind for outdoor amenities such as outdoor conference spaces, enhanced outdoor dining, walking paths, and meditation gardens with quick and easy access.

Implement Wellness | Mental and Physical Wellness
For years there has been a focus on nutrition and physical wellness. Recently, mental health and wellness have become a conversation that is front and center. Office environments need to account for all physical and mental wellness. All the aforementioned will support wellness, whether in spaces that provide for quiet, heads-down work or spaces that connect with the outside. Serious consideration of wellness aspects should be front of mind for each space. Items to consider are acoustics, lighting (natural and artificial), areas for headspace, density comfortable for social distancing, proper ventilation, and materials and furnishings that provide a healthy environment.
COVID tested our traditional way of working and opened our eyes to new potentials. Creating a workplace that embraces the new way of working allows for ease of re-entry to the office.
Jill Di Clementi is an associate principal at Spiezle Architectural Group, and she may be reached at Jdiclementi@spiezle.com.
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