HOW TO...
Special Issue HEALTH & WELL-BEING
IMAGINING the
workplace of the future
Special Issue
VENDOR SPECIAL
Why do employers want people back in the office? Once they’ve figured that out – with the employee as well as the business top of mind – it’s time to reconfigure the workplace accordingly
W
ith a background in commercial and residential interior design, Jeanine Goddard started out as Showroom and Interior Designer for furniture and storage manufacturer Bisley in 2017, with responsibility for the vendor’s showrooms in major cities like New York, Dublin, Dubai, Paris and Madrid. In October 2021, she took on the additional – and newly created – role of Creative Director for the company. Her remit is to address the COVID-induced reimagination of the workplace, be that at home or in the office, and the greater awareness of the importance of well-being – physical and emotional – in both settings. Why, for instance, do people gravitate back to an office environment (if that is even the case)? If they are happy to return – or are required to do so, at least in some capacity – what are the key components for employers to get right; where do they need to put their focus? This is where trends and nice-to-haves meet essential requirements, according to Goddard.
www.opi.net
SPACE NEEDS
38
The amount of space required in the ‘new normal’ workplace and what it looks like depend entirely on its purpose. This may sound like common sense, but often it’s essential to point out the obvious. A lawyer may want a lot of paper storage space close to specific desks, for instance, while digital nomads are unlikely to even need a dedicated workstation. Those working for tech-focused organisations and start-ups are good examples of the latter. What they do require, however, on top of an obligatory IT infrastructure, are storage
facilities and lockers for their motorcycle boots and helmets, their gym bags and so on. Essentially, anyone who doesn’t have a designated desk in the office should be provided with safe spaces to leave their personal belongings. And the onus is very much on the employer to offer those. Overall, the square footage of room required may not necessarily go down, but the number of physical desks needed almost certainly will. After all, when it comes to getting your head down and focus, on your own, on specific tasks, most people prefer to do this in their home environment these days, given the option.
People crave connection and are looking forward to seeing their colleagues and customers again. But they want to return to a different environment from the one they left two years ago CONNECTING IN COMFORT
People crave connection and are looking forward to seeing their colleagues and customers again. But they want to return to a different environment from the one they left two years ago. Formerly office-based people have spent so much time at home that they now seek the same comforts wherever they are. As such, workplaces have to be adapted – they have to be softer and more welcoming. Different textures and textiles are one way of creating more of a homely feel.
