The modern office environment has experienced a continuous evolution since its origin. One only has to glance at the historical track record of workspace design — from early 20th century workbenches to private offices and cubicles to today’s near-ubiquitous hot desks — to connect the mercuriality of the office layout with the constant pursuit of increased productivity and profit. But with North American offices now averaging a meager 151 square feet per worker, a reduction of nearly 33 percent over the decade, and with employee satisfaction and productivity suffering, a new status quo was bound to soon arise. Few, however, could have predicted that a worldwide pandemic would be the stimulus for such change. How has COVID-19 changed how designers and companies are looking at office functionality? And what lasting impacts will these changes have on real estate, the labor market and the economy? Hear from a panel of experts as they discuss the new future of the office.
+ Terry Kwik / RMW
+ Jed Kolko / Indeed
+ Yasemin Kologlu / SOM
+ Michele Schneider / Salesforce
+ Mark Hogan / OpenScope Studio