Workspace design post-Covid

WHY IS WORKSPACE DESIGN SO IMPORTANT?

A great workspace will both reflect and embed the culture of the organisation. It can allow people to work in different ways and it can encourage people to be in the office. Implementing a good workspace design is also a fantastic opportunity to encourage inclusivity.

What people are needing and looking for from an office space has changed in recent years. Stanford Economics Professor Nick Bloom has conducted research into working trends. He found that what people value most when working in the office are:

• Face-to-face collaboration
• Social aspects
• Clearer work-life boundaries.

Workspace designs that facilitate these things, as well as translating the learnings from home working over the past few years, encourage people to use the workspace. Specific design aspects that facilitate these things may include a high proportion of collaborative spaces and a range of working environments (eg quiet rooms, open plan, etc).

However, workspace design on its own isn’t enough. Promotion of new spaces is important so that everyone knows what is available. Moreover, a change in behaviour is often required to ensure that the new spaces are used as intended. If leadership are able to role-model the intended behaviours this can safeguard against loss of the intentions behind the design.

Zoe shared how Withers & Rogers worked with Interaction on their Bristol office. Their new design includes open areas, comfortable seating and a fantastic kitchen area to encourage people to connect, as well as natural materials, books and plants to promote a sense of calm. They have encouraged use of the workspace by creating purpose – training, meetings, events etc. Their intent is that people value their time in the office, having fulfilled a purpose, and that they leave wanting to return. They believe that the environment is critical to supporting this intent.

 

WHAT TRENDS ARE WE SEEING IN THE LEGAL SECTOR?

In the legal sector we are seeing a move away from individual office spaces towards more flexible spaces, although obviously private spaces are still required. This shift reflects the trends for hybrid working and how best to utilise space so that it is mostly occupied most of the time. In practice, this might look like a variety of alternative work settings with flexible options, which are less space-hungry and more flexible and encourage a variety of uses. This might be accompanied by a move away from private spaces being reserved for senior staff and towards spaces being use by those who need them.

Many organisations are also wanting to create a social heart to encourage community and connection, and which could be used for a range of activities, eg internal team meetings, ideas generation sessions, webinars, CPD events, etc.

 

WHAT FACTORS COULD BE CONSIDERED IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY?

Accessibility is generally considered to address physical disabilities and is governed by building regulations which set minimum requirements that all buildings should meet. Whilst meeting these requirements should make the building accessible, it is worth thinking additionally about inclusivity. That is, what else can be done to make everyone feel included? Just because someone can access a space it doesn’t mean that they feel included and want to access it.

“Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” (Vernā Myers)

In this way we can challenge and go beyond the building regulations. For example, we might consider:

• Making all spaces accessible to all users.
• Thinking about other physical capabilities like core strength and manual dexterity, in the context of how doors operate and the types of light switches, taps and bins to provide. For example, pedal bins aren’t accessible for people in wheelchairs. Sensor taps can be used by everyone.

Making the workspace more inclusive for neurodivergent people was also discussed. We can think of neurodiversity in terms of the senses – vision, sound, touch, etc – with neurodivergent people having different sensitivities to different environments. Giving everyone more control over their working environment can make the office more inclusive, particularly to neurodivergent individuals. Things we might consider include:

• Lighting – Using LEDs. Avoiding reflective surfaces and visual distractions. Providing well-designed signage/wayfinding and clear walkways.
• Noise – Acoustically treating a space with soft furnishings, baffles, etc to minimise sound bleeding.
• Touch – Using tactile, comfortable, natural materials.
• Smell – Thinking about the relative placement of food preparation zones and work zones.

Rather than this being a tick-box exercise, do as much as you can to address these issues and really consider if you are going far enough.

 

WHAT PRACTICES MIGHT WE ADOPT IN THE PROCESS OF REDESIGN?

Emma referred to a case study and talked about some of the key stages in workspace design:

• Leadership and design team clarify the culture and values of the organisation – what do they want the design to bring to life?
• Leadership and design team come up with a high level vision for spaces and the way the organisation will work within them.
• Engagement – asking staff (through surveys, focus groups, etc) what’s working now and what’s not, and for suggestions for doing things better. Asking clients what’s working for them and what impressions they have.
• Forming a community with other organisations – a candid safe space to talk about what’s working for them and what’s not. Shared surveys and comparing results. This can give reassurance to the design and leadership teams as to their chosen path.
• Trial period of working in a different way. For example teams may come up with their own ideas of how to improve their working, and then trial them.

In Emma’s case study, there were huge variations in ideas across the organisation, all within the high-level vision. The trial period lasted over 18 months, and this was a safe space in which to experiment. Giving this time, freedom and safety to experiment before committing to a design was one of the biggest successes in the project.

• IT infrastructure needs to be considered from the start. It is important to understand how technology enables your company to do what it does and the behaviours around using technology in the organisation. Most organisations will be looking for technology to be seamless and easy to use – modern AV equipment to allow for frictionless hybrid working.
• Steering groups, equality networks, etc – the answers are with the staff as they know how they work best and what works for them. A devolved approach.
• Culture change can be hard. Leadership need to lead by example in terms of using the new space / new ways of working. HR policies may need updating in the context of new ways of working to ensure they are complementary.

 

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH

We would love to hear your thoughts, comments or suggestions in response to this webinar and the suggestions above. Please do get in touch with us by commenting below or via email to [email protected].

 

If you’d like to know more about our Inclusivity Unlocked! programme…

…visit this post. You can also access an up-to-date listing of the events and associated resources here, and a compilation of top tips from previous webinars here. In case you missed the live event there’s a recording of “(Office) space: the final frontier?” here, or you can visit the event post to find links to other relevant content.