he offices of today are designed around shared spaces. Making these a focal point has been a trend that has transformed into more of a staple, where the design of spaces like coffee areas, break rooms and informal meeting spots can define an office culture, to be used as both a recruiting tactic and employee benefit. Design of these areas tells the company’s story, and how these spaces are used reflects the personalities and collaborative nature of employees.

As COVID-19 has already drastically impacted the way employees work across industries, its effects will undoubtedly carry back into the physical workplace when people return, especially in an office’s shared spaces.

Shared spaces are the most challenging to address in the wake of COVID-19, as these spaces are inherently designed to encourage gathering. The office footprint has been shrinking due to real-estate costs for years, having to increase density of individual workspaces and provide more flexible shared amenities. So instead of a drastic increase or reduction in the overall square footage for companies, there might simply be a changeup in space allocation, shrinking shared spaces to limit their capacity, and isolating their placement within the office to provide more distance from traffic flow and other work areas. This may be a temporary shift in space to get employees safely back in their designated workstations.

Consider Capacity Limitations and Material Selections
Collaborative “living areas” are among the most-popular design components in today’s offices. They are more residential in feel with loungey elements like soft seating and intimate clusters, designed to put people at ease and foster teamwork in closer proximity. Adjusting these as people return, without losing their true spirit, can begin by limiting capacity and removing some of the furniture while spreading out what remains, and may require signage clearly indicating the number of people allowed per area.