4 Office Design Trends for The Post COVID-19 World

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in every aspect. People had to let go of their joy in small things like shopping at malls, hanging out with friends or working in the office with colleagues. During these tough times, we discovered a different yet convenient way of doing things, be it shopping, working or something else. People found themselves more inclined towards doing things virtually whether it is a work meeting or shopping.

However, things are back to normal now and we can start living life the way we used to live before this pandemic was in the picture. This is the ‘new normal’, the dynamics of which apply to every facet of life, including workplaces. There is no denying that things have changed in many ways for the better. This pandemic has made all of us rethink the future of how and where we work. Now, offices will have to become places that can mimic the comfort of working from home while maintaining efficiency. With each passing day, new interior design concepts are being introduced to create such modern offices.

Here, we have compiled a list of five emerging office design trends in 2022 that will definitely thrive in the post-pandemic world.

Work Stations Suitable for Physical Distancing

Every business owner tries to optimize the office space to make the most out of it but given the current scenario, it is important to ensure a minimum distance of 6 feet between workstations within the office layout plan. Whether the government continues to mandate this or not, it is imperative on the organizations’ part to make employees feel secure. This can help them shift their complete focus to work instead of other things like the chances of getting an infection or something else. This can be achieved by spacing out workstations and defining circulation patterns and ingress/egress points.

Using workstation enclosures like transparent plastic or glass screening panels is also a great option as it can keep the employees protected while allowing them to see each other when they interact.

Using Signages within the Premises

People still tend to overlook the seriousness of this contagious disease. Or, at times, they do not follow the COVID-19 safety protocols because they are not used to them. Signages can be populated within workplaces as they do a great job of reinforcing boundaries and circulation patterns. They will remind the employees to adhere to all the COVID-19 safety protocols within the workplace.

Open Floor

Businesses can also opt for an open office space which is already quite a popular commercial design trend. This is a much easier way to limit the number of surface areas people will touch in the office. The conventional office layout plan includes several cubicles and there are a lot of things like door handles, and cubical openings that everyone is going to touch. The more people come in the contact with such common surface areas, the higher the chances are of the spread of Coronavirus. Open floor workspaces can go a long way in reducing the number of common surface areas.

Providing Proper Ventilation

According to a number of studies, it has been observed that if you spend most of your time in a properly ventilated space, your risk of contracting COVID-19 is much lower. It is a fact that good airflow reduces the concentration of coronavirus within enclosed spaces.

This is something you can do very easily as ventilation used to be one of the most important factors considered while constructing a building even before COVID-19 came into the picture. As a new office interior designing concept, many offices nowadays are replacing their HVAC systems with passive ventilation techniques or office climate control systems.

All in all, the more connected your employees are to their workplace, the better their productivity will be. Especially in the post COVID-19 world, it is important to design the office space to suit the needs of the people who work there. Now that employee safety and well-being have become a non-negotiable priority, it has become all the more important.

Looking to revamp your workplace to make it COVID-19 ready? Let’s connect over a cup of coffee.