For many years, offices were designed to be “open” to facilitate better internal communication. Large areas of cubicle “farms” – row after row of desks partitioned with five-foot-high walls with fabric covers – were the norm. However after leaning toward this open workplace style for quite some time, architects and building owners are now “all in” on changing that basic design due to COVID-19.
Rami el Samahy – a principal at the architecture firm, OverUnder, and a professor at MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning – states, “This won’t be the first time in history that buildings will be reimagined or redesigned in response to an increased understanding of disease”. 1
Architect David Dewane of Chicago firm Barker/Nestor also points out, “Open offices were already on the decline before COVID-19.” And Dewane, who is perhaps most famous for designing anti-open-office space, hopes workplace leaders will take the best of what they’ve learned from virtual working to help create office spaces that allow for a “balance of isolated concentration and productive, meaningful collaboration”. 1
A Positive Outcome from COVID-19?
According to McKinsey Research, a positive outcome from the pandemic is the improvement in office communication technology.2 Many working from home were surprised how the technology surrounding meetings/conference calls improved, and it’s arguable that some workers became more productive.
The latest technology is not limited to communication. Touch-less technology, automatic doors, voice-activated elevators, cellphone-controlled room entry, hands-free light switches and temperature controls, automated luggage tags, advanced airport check-in, and even restrooms with automatic doors in public spaces, are just some of the “updates” says Craig Scully, partner and chief engineer at the Indiana architecture firm, Design Collaborative.1
What is the Future?
In the post-COVID workplace, designers will call on such improvements as non-porous, more cleanable work surfaces and antibacterial fabrics/finishes – including those that already exist (like copper) and those that will inevitably be developed. “If five years ago I had a conversation with a convention center about implementing those materials, they might not want to spend the money, but today that’s likely to be a totally different story,” says Scully.1
Certain construction/design elements already standard in healthcare may find application in other public spaces – including increased or more efficient air filtration; ultraviolet (UV) light decontamination of surfaces and airborne particles; reduction in the number of flat surfaces where germs can sit; and installation of ventilation systems that allow for removing potentially contaminated air from any given area. Additionally, healthcare also saw a dramatic change in how patients were staged and how care givers and visitors were separated into more protected areas.3
The post-COVID-19 workplace will strengthen the connection between the physical environment and wellness more than ever before. Is the air in this building filtered? Are there proper hand-washing facilities? How many surfaces does one need to touch and how clean are they? Where does one go for a quiet break? 3
To maximize these improvements, organizations should identify the most important processes for each major business, geography, and function, and re-envision them completely. This effort should examine their employees’ needs with respect to being in a certain location (for instance, being physically present in the office at the start and working remotely later) and the different stages of projects (such as being physically co-located for initial planning and working remotely for execution).3
These changes may not only improve how work is done, but also lead to savings. Rent, capital costs, facilities operations, maintenance, and management make real estate the largest cost. In a post-COVID-19 world, the potential to reduce real estate costs could be significant. Simply getting market-comparable lease rates and negotiating competitive facilities management contracts will not be enough.2
The American Industrial Hygiene Associate (AIHA) has also provided building guidelines for controlling pandemic type exposures.4
Filtration
The number one engineering control measure that will become more prevalent is expanded air filtration in more types of workplaces. Most commonly used in pharmaceutical and food preparation industries regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), increasing filtration efficiency can reduce the concentration of air contaminants in fresh or recirculating air. Because virus particles – that can range from 0.8 to 2.0 microns (µm) – will likely be encapsulated in a sputum droplet (particle larger than 5 µm) or droplet nuclei (particle smaller than 5 µm), a MERV 13 filter can be highly efficient for removing these aerosols. The American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) also recommends that MERV 13-rated filters be installed in all HVAC systems that supply air to occupied areas, if feasible.4
Source Minimization
Minimizing the infectious source is another strategy. Changing the workflow placement to limit close-contact time and distance could be a viable solution to minimize the source. For example, in an open office filled with cubicles, leaving some cubicles open can lower the concentration of the pandemic agent. The parallel example in the manufacturing floor area is the addition of space between workers.4
Ultraviolet Light
ASHRAE; the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM); and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) all recommend the use of UV lights to inactivate viruses like COVID-19.4
HETI: Helping Clients Adjust to Changing Directions
The workplace of the post-COVID-19 future will certainly be designed with the lessons learned over the past several years. Enhanced technology will also play a role, combined with effective measures to reduce potential exposure to whatever contagion comes along.
HETI’s staff of industrial hygiene and safety professionals can assist clients in assessing the workplace for improving work area design to minimize pandemic-related concerns. We can provide a workplace evaluation for these and other health and safety hazards and recommend appropriate and feasible solutions to control them. If hazard control methods are already in place, HETI can conduct an evaluation to document their effectiveness.
References:
1 How the COVID-19 Pandemic Will Change the Built Environment, Architectural Digest, May 2020
2 Reimagining the office and work life after COVID-19, McKinsey & Company, June 2020
3 Post COVID-19 Workplace: 5 Ways to Achieve a Healthier Space (workdesign.com)
4 AIHA, The Role of the Industrial Hygienist in a Pandemic Version 2, 2nd Edition, 2021