[Excerpts from Knoll Design Days 2020 Workplace Planning]

Our clients’ primary concern for the arrival back in the office is the health and safety of their employees, with considerations around how people enter the office, circulation within the workplace; and new behaviors that need to occur to ensure a healthy and safe work environment for everyone. Organizations are working to balance communicating new policies and procedures with providing their employees the freedom to work safely and maintain the choice and flexibility that we have come to value in the workplace.

While a holistic approach is key, furniture plays an important role in a successful arrival back.

A few strategies include:

Reduce capacity and space out seating in what had been larger team areas to allow individuals to be separate, but together

Remove guest seating to signal that an office is limited to single occupant

Create additional individual spaces by converting enclosed team/huddle areas to private offices

Reconfigure freestanding desks and tables to create more distance between users

Install glass or other add-ups to increase horizon of panels

Reorient desks and add screens for increased separation and space delineation

Add freestanding screens for clearer separation

Use furniture elements to create indicate boundaries and traffic patterns, mandating a directional flow through the space

We are happy to share the full report from Knoll Workplace strategy and if you need hep planning your arrival back to the workplace with furniture adds and changes, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Sheehans sales consultant or call 401.683.3150.