If you missed part one or two of my previous articles, I illustrated where SUM sees office design heading based on the long-term effects of COVID-19 and what workplaces will look like. For my final piece, I’d like to stress that post-COVID design is just that: good design. Good design worked before the pandemic and will continue to work after COVID has been tackled. Here are some of the ways SUM Design Studio has always practiced good design to create successful workspaces.
We look for the best site selection
If you’re constructing a new building, site selection is an important decision. SUM aims for property that takes advantage of views outward (think parks, trees, grass, rivers, or distant views through building corridors and even skyward). Consider seasonal changes and exterior access around the site or from a rooftop to get people outside for meetings or social gatherings. Exterior spaces should become extensions of the interior used by staff for workspace, small meetings, or group conferencing. Placing a building on a site is important because it can allow occupants to control daylighting and allow group access to fresh air through operable windows.
Surrounding a building, SUM deploys natural and native landscapes that require less watering, but also thrive in the surrounding climate and complement your design (in other words, here in Portland we don’t plant cacti and other desert plants). We've always been a firm that designs Northwest Contemporary and timeless design for interiors and exteriors, or buildings that are true to their nature, true to where they are creating a sense of place.
We create human-centric spaces
We don’t typically design for more than 24 workstations or workspaces in an area. More than that, people start to feel like they're in a sea of faces and lose place identity. SUM likes to create work clusters or neighborhoods that encourage staff to actually know the people around them. When your employees feel comfortable with the people next to them, they begin to feel more protected and part of a team.
We like to break up giant oceans of workstations by creating these neighborhoods of stations, separated by phone rooms, break out space, conference rooms, nooks and booths, and private offices. This makes each area feel like a safe zone for those people working in it, with access to daylight and operable windows. Additionally, we like to move open concept breakrooms, boardrooms, IT, and storage to the building core, giving more window line to staff. These efforts make employees feel like members of a community versus just a number on the firm’s spreadsheet. These design considerations also create spaces for both the introverts and extroverts in your office. Each of these groups will work better in the spaces you provide them (think: big, open spaces at WeWork versus their “phone booth” spaces).
We use green to inspire
Biophilia is hugely popular now, and for good reason. From massive green walls in lobbies, built-in planters and plants in pots around offices, having green in an office can help lower stress and increase creativity. And, it just looks cool. By bringing the outdoors in, you also provide clean, fresh air and a natural-feeling environment. Houseplants in a cubicle or space can soften the hard edges of an office, too. To take it a step further, we’ve created atriums in buildings, allowing occupants in an interior space to receive daylight and enjoy the plantings in the atrium space. Biophilic strategies like these also help bring fresh air into a building through openings versus just relying on a mechanical system to bring air in.
We use natural finishes
When it comes to finishes, we typically focus on using more natural elements. We choose building exteriors of stone, brick, wood, concrete, and steel and interiors using natural materials such as brass, copper, and other metals. We opt for solid wood, paneled wood elements, and fabric selections like cottons and wools that are naturally antimicrobial and easy to clean vs petroleum-based products.
These materials and finishes not only look pleasing, but their health benefits to a post-COVID office are immense. We believe that the use of material should be a true expression of what it is. If you want a wood look, use wood. If you want a stone aesthetic, use stone.
Parting advice
SUM has always focused on exploring the environment around us, bringing that environment to interior and exterior spaces, and providing a holistic experience in an office versus an enclosed, tight, controlled environment. In a post-pandemic world, we will continue to provide workspaces that are naturally healthy and inspiring for their occupants.
If you want to sit down and have a conversation about what your office will look like post-virus, we’re already there. Please reach out —I’d love to chat.