Post-COVID offices: Wider hallways, fewer desks

The coronavirus already changed the way we work. Now it's changing the physical space, too.

Many companies are making adjustments to their offices to help employees feel safer as they return to in-person work, like improving air circulation systems or moving desks further apart. Others are ditching desks and building more conference rooms to accommodate employees who still work remotely but come in for meetings.

Architects and designers say this is a time of experimentation and reflection for employers. Steelcase, an office furniture company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, says its research indicates half of global companies plan major redesigns to their office space this year.

"There are things that worked. Everything didn't fail when we left the office. Now, was everything perfect when we were in the office? No. And so, this is a moment where we can reflect on: What was working well? And what wasn't," said Natalie Engels, a San Jose, California-based design principal at Gensler, an architecture firm.

Not every company is making changes, and Engels stresses that they don't have to.

But designers say many companies are looking for new ways to make employees feel safe and invigorated at the office, especially as a labor crunch makes hiring more difficult.

Steelcase worker Carey Potter said she is happy to be in the office once again and pleased with the new work environment.

"Seeing the people, my teammates, my colleagues from different departments and just having those serendipitous conversations, like in the café, walking around. It's invigorating. It's so great to be back," she said.

Steelcase has divided one of its lobbies into cozy meeting spaces of varying sizes, separated by plant-filled partitions. Mobile video monitors can be wheeled in so that people working remotely can be included in discussions.

But after a year of working from home, some employees crave privacy, so Steelcase added more glassed-in booths for private calls and cocoon-like cubicles with small sliding doors.

Tim Elms, a Steelcase employee, worked inside one of the cubicles on a recent day.

"Now, it's a matter of being more flexible. It's a matter of having a space that can link somebody in who might still be at home for various reasons," Elms said.

Not every design change will stick. Last summer, when Steelcase started bringing back some workers, they pushed tables in the cafeteria far apart from each other and only allowed one person per table. It made the space so depressing that no one wanted to sit there, CEO Jim Keane said.

"The office has to step it up a notch so that there's no way you should be able to work more effectively in a home than you could in an office that's designed to support you working," he said.