As the pandemic continues to redefine life as we know it, office spaces are also changing, which means business continuity plans should now include a rethinking of how these environments will look in the future. According to an article in The New York Times, these workspaces may include sneeze guards or plexiglass dividers. “This plexiglass barrier that can be mounted on a desk is one of many ideas being mulled by employers as they contemplate a return to the workplace after coronavirus lockdowns,” writes Matt Richtel in The New York Times. “Their post-pandemic makeovers may include hand sanitizers built into desks that are positioned at 90-degree angles or that are enclosed by translucent plastic partitions; air filters that push air down and not up; outdoor gathering space to allow collaboration without viral transmission; and windows that actually open, for freer air flow.” The post-pandemic office may also go against the trend of recent years where hot desking or shared cubicles were the norm.
“I do think this is going to reshape the workplace,” Janet Pogue-McLaurin, principal and workplace leader at design and architecture firm Gensler, told Recode. “Social distance thinking may be part of our DNA moving forward.” These measures, according to Recode, may include markers or other measures to keep people six feet apart.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/health/coronavirus-office-makeover.html
