Designing offices for resilient companies

Now that the restrictions have been eased, organisations have had to rethink office design. With social-distancing measures in place, creating a safe environment is key but this is just one part of the equation. Companies must also create places that workers want to come back to, which means understanding what employees need and crafting a workspace that reflects their values.

Covid-19 has significantly changed the work landscape. Last year saw a tipping point as 100% of employees were allowed to return to the office – but surveys found that more than 80% of respondents prefer some form of flexible work arrangement. The Myst In order to make the office an attractive place to return to, companies have had to rethink office design and workplace strategy.

NBBJ, the American architecture and design firm, has a track record of creating notable office designs. For example, their work includes Amazon’s 3.3 million sq ft corporate campus in Seattle and Samsung’s US$300 million ($400 million) North American headquarters in Silicon Valley. In Asia, projects such as the 270,000 sq ft headquarters for Tencent in Shenzhen, China and the 16-storey, 700,000 sq ft headquarters for South Korean banking firm Hana Financial Group, are significant projects currently underway.

Robert Mankin, head of workplace design at NBBJ, places emphasis on the goal of designing an office that reflects the values of a company and encourages employees to come back. At the beginning of every project, he notes, they determine the main values that would drive their client’s long-term success and resilience.

The Hana project, for example, was designed to create a restorative environment where people can leave the workplace feeling better than when they arrived. To that end, NBBJ incorporated a variety of elements aimed at enhancing well-being and community, including a 12-storey “ribbon park” that traverses the entire building, flexible workspaces and places for employee collaboration.

Addressing the needs of the multi-generational workforce has also become an important part of office design. From senior-level to junior, employees want in-person connection; while mid-career and those with young families tend to prefer more flexible hybrid arrangements. To meet this need, Mankin advocates for offices that are flexible enough, eschewing the one-size-fits-all approach.

It is important for companies to be cognizant of what employees need and implement changes that will make the office an attractive place to come back to. For example, Vivo’s headquarters was purposely designed to cater to multigenerational usage, with a mix of workspaces, group and private settings, and relaxation areas.

When it comes to designing an office that people want to come back to, flexibility and an understanding of employee preferences are key. By doing so, companies are paving the way for their long-term success and ensuring their employees are happy and healthy.