CREJ - Office Properties Quarterly - December 2017
With organizations becoming increasingly more agile, workplace designs demand greater flexibility. As both individuals and groups, modern employees thrive in autonomous settings. Workplaces that support different preferences for productivity, socializing and health throughout the course of a single day nurture a more resilient workforce, meaning employees can respond and adapt to rapidly changing conditions, which are inevitable in modern business. Perhaps the earliest proponents of autonomous workplaces, technology companies continue to demand designs that support speed, agility and growth. For example, we recently completed Evolve Vacation Rental’s headquarters in Denver, which provides a combination of open and enclosed work spaces with a variety of seating types integrated throughout. The design takes into consideration the many different group and individual needs for ergonomics, acoustics, privacy and collaboration. Quantitative drivers such as square foot-per-person ratios, conference space ratios and amenity allocations often have ruled workplace design. For Evolve Vacation Rentals, both space allocation metrics and flexibility were a major concern. Ultimately, the design increased the facility’s performance, as well as the autonomy of the workforce. While the overall sf per person was reduced, each employee was provided with more choice of where and how to work. We designed an open stair that is located next to the break room to encourage employees to easily move between two floors. In addition, several collaboration spaces are located adjacent to the stairs on both floors. This provides informal meeting spaces and a vital connection between all departments within a single company. Set over a full and partial floor, the facility also accommodates the organization’s rapid growth. When necessary, the partial floor will be expanded and easily fit with the layout and design of the full floor. The layout of benching stations allows for additional stations to be added in the future and not look like an afterthought. Employee health and well-being is another factor in building an autonomous and resilient workplace. A healthy workplace can help mitigate stress, improve well-being and increase productivity. In Agility Recovery’s new headquarters in Denver, our design team incorporated: • Treadmill desks accessible throughout, • Plentiful daylight and outdoor views, • Three exterior patio spaces, • Filtered water at all sinks, • Height-adjustable desks, • Vending machine stocked with only healthy foods, and • Biophilic design elements. In addition to integrating specific wellness elements, creating a sense of place is equally important for wellbeing. Sharing stories that are significant to the users of a space – such as showcasing works in progress, incorporating company values or displaying personal photos of employees – can help build comradery and foster a feeling of inclusivity. Culture can be encouraged or ignored, but it cannot be forced. The key is understanding the current culture – what unites employees and drives their curiosity – cultivates positive experiences and ultimately well-being. The relationship between autonomy and resilience will remain a critical factor of workplace design. With the recent rise of co-working spaces and the gig economy, autonomy is the future and resilience is key.