In the commercial office market, the move to shorter lease terms reveals how businesses continue to feel their way in an environment drastically changed by 2020.
Jennifer Herron, principal with Herron Horton Architects in Little Rock, said her residential clients are wanting more office space at home in both new projects and existing remodels — “And it must look like an office and not a bedroom” — and that corporate clients are looking for more flexible workspace.
“The new purpose and design of the workspace is evolving to create new experiences that offer more flexibility and a variety of spaces,” she said.
Herron cited a study from Knoll that predicted office employees will work remotely one or two days a week and individual workspaces will morph into group space. It also foresees more open airflow and unassigned spaces, the latter of which are expected to double; more collaborative group interactions; increased use of social and outdoor spaces will grow in importance; and decreased workspace footprints.
“Our challenge is, how do we design a space that facilitates collaboration, that allows people who are virtual and physical to work together, that gives less individual space and more group space,” she said. “We can do the individual work at home. These collaborative spaces are more spacious. Before, it was more densifying. Jam more people together. We need more rooms that have open air flow, are not so much like being in a glass box. And holding meetings outdoors is important.”
