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46 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / December 2020 ELEMENTS Project Management Adapting the Workplace for Health and Safety – and in Budget C OVID-19 not only forced the mass clo- sure of offices across the country, but also it is forcing all office users to take a good hard look at how to optimize their spac- es for employee safety and wellness. The good news is adapting your office to create a space that promotes health and wellness can be a lot easi- er – and more affordable – than you think. CBRE’s Project Management & Workplace Strategy groups have been working with clients across the country to adapt their spaces even within tight budget con- straints. For those looking for solutions to improve their own offices, we are not recommending holistic changes to spaces yet since we cannot predict the long-term effects of COVID-19, but we do have short-term solutions to ease the re- turn-to-workplace planning. While some of these practices will go away as we emerge from the pan- demic, some are here to stay. Many companies are intimidated, thinking they will need to tear down walls, overhaul HVAC sys- tems and undergomassive renovations to adapt their space. However, small things – such as decluttering workspaces, dispersing frequent sanitizing stations, and introducing directional and informational signage – canmake abigdifference inworkplaces.When think- ing about separating spaces and creating boundaries, simple free-standing or desk-mounted screens or barri- ers can be installed to fit any existingworkstation. If you’ve been back into a restaurant, brewery or re- tail space, you may see much more signage than pre- COVID-19. Just like in these spaces, we are seeing an uptick in signage around theworkplace. The execution may vary from floor decals to wall signs, but visual markers are being placed throughout offices to help with social distancing and wellness reminders. Our clients have implemented directional wall vinyl graph- Laura Kucharczyk Managing Director, Project Management, CBRE Rochelle Clarke Senior Project Manager, CBRE Integrated Solutions for Forensic Consulting, Design Engineering, Construction, and Environmental INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF RESOURCES & QUALIFIED LOCAL PROFESSIONALS FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICES IN DENVER, CO 303.623.9116 VERTEXENG.COM Pier 6 Brooklyn Bridge Apartments rendering courtesy of ODA New York