Napa Valley architect reveals what the post-pandemic office may look like

In one year, the world has been brought to its knees from a tiny virus originating in a remote part of China. Not only have we sheltered at home and changed our living and health precautions, but also our businesses and economic survival has been radicalized. This business shift may very well be permanent.

It’s also changed our workspace. That’s an environment that has not changed significantly since the ’60s. The open-office environment was an easy way to jam a lot of people together.

Now, privacy noise abatement, increased concentration and productivity — not to mention health and proper ventilation — have become the new priorities.

We may not be returning to the “Mad Men” private offices but improved personalized cubicles and shared gathering spaces. SGSs are becoming the future model office layouts.

Unfortunately, when architects and engineers began emphasizing energy conservation to reduce carbon output, that reduced outside air influences. Now, we must provide a better balance of fresh filtered air.

Quality air will be paramount as we continue into the 21st century. Our present fresh-air circulation should be doubled. This will not only improve health conditions but also productivity. The “afternoon slump” might be an easy victim.

In a recent survey, 53% of respondents replied that they would not feel comfortable working in the traditional office building of the 20th century.

One in 3 Americans feel they can be more productive at home or in a hybrid. Should people return to the office environment, 47% said they want individual private offices with doors. Considering the exploding number of commercial office space vacancies, that desire might become easy to accomplish.

The future office space must take into account physical, behavioral, psychological and social behavior to succeed. Safety and security will be at most, but communications will be essential. The big conference room meetings will be replaced by zoom meetings permanently.

We designed a coworking office complex in Berkeley that combined private cubicles, SGSs or mini meeting and conference rooms in an environment for both students and remote-working professionals.

Architects and professionals know that camaraderie and collaboration must not suffer in this new world.

And yet, only 20% of a standard office is used for conferencing. More SGSs will be the future. Offices may start to take on the look of hotel lobby gathering spaces with multiple comfortable gathering areas. There will be more of a trend towards separation of personal and communal spaces, while spreading people out and meeting together as necessary.

As more employees are working around the clock, our office areas will take on the same shared spaces. Therefore, a single office may need to have multiple personal adaptation. Chairs, desktops and computers will instantly modify for the new inhabitant.

Workforce telecommunications will become a standard for many companies. While the glamorous high-tech Silicon Valley industries quickly adopted, more industries will also. Just as people are moving out of the cities, workers will permanently work remotely and only visit the office as necessary.