Creating Spaces That Attract and Inspire Employees

California Buildings • Q2 2022

By Sarah Brengarth and Brian Corbett

One of the most important lessons we learned from the pandemic is that the value of human connection is irreplaceable. People are seeking community and looking to reconnect in purpose-driven spaces that inspire. The open office's one-size-fits all solution is no longer seen as an acceptable answer for an ideal work environment. We must be more intentional by creating places that offer employees the choice of when, where, and how they want to work. As we approach our flex-work world, we consider the workplace as a network of spaces designed to support a variety of work modes.

California Buildings • Q2 2022

So, how is this accomplished? By shifting workspaces from “me space” to “we space.” With most employees coming into the office two to three days a week, clients are moving away from ownership at assigned desking and shifting towards dedicated team neighborhoods. Our new hybrid schedules will decrease the demand on seat count, freeing up valuable real estate to create a variety of spaces, tailored to better support employee needs: distraction-free spaces that support deep focus, stations for socialization, hybrid-ready collaboration, and wellness spaces.

While there is a myriad of reasons that drive people to return to the office, one common thread is that people miss

people. Teams want to reconnect, which is more than chatting and socializing. While those activities are important, we are seeing teams choreograph their collaboration. By hosting community days and having departments scheduling their meetings to occur on the same day every week, employees want their time spent in the office to be productive and meaningful. "The new flex-work office must go beyond the residential- That said, beyond inspired workplaces of the past decade, and shift to a function, successful hospitality mindset, viewing employees as valued guests." workplaces must also spark joy and create opportunities for engagement. To achieve this, considering an office’s experience must be at the core of our design thinking. The new flex-work office must go beyond the (Continued on page 24)

California Buildings • Q2 2022

By Ruairi Barnwell and Andrew Blauvelt

There is still uncertainty about returning to offices and other public spaces, but at the same time it’s clear California and the rest of the world are going to have to learn to live with the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

This reality requires a hard focus on indoor building air quality and occupant safety. A bright point in all this is the acceleration of technological advances for data compilation and risk mitigation strategies.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives and recent COP26 regulations around accurate reporting on progress towards corporate sustainability goals are spurring air quality interest in the marketplace. Global enterprises, tech firms and real estate investment trusts are increasingly embracing the concept of healthy metrics for building performance ecosystems.

There’s also been a shift in perception about new baselines for carbon footprints. The new hybrid work environment, in contrast to the traditional nine-to-five occupancy schedule, requires a more focused attention to real-time energy adjustments. Historically, energy efficiency was a priority. But safety and comfort for the inhabitants must be factored in as well. A cleaner building might have higher energy usage, but looking through the lens of holistic building management means not only ensuring energy usage is optimized, but spaces

California continues to lead continue to be safer and healthier for the nation in clean energy for occupants. buildings, passing the first Meeting energy management rules in light of more ESG initiatives will statewide building code in the require these kinds of automated, U.S. that strongly incentivizes robust platforms that detail and report all-electric construction. progress. California continues to lead the nation in clean energy for buildings, passing the first statewide building code in the U.S. that strongly incentivizes all-electric construction. Requirements for building efficiencies are tightening up to meet public health, climate, and clean energy goals for both newly constructed and renovated buildings and will go into effect next year. (Continued on page 26)

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California Buildings • Q2 2022

By Danny Murtagh

In the waning hours/days of the pandemic as we progress back to the office and a more flexible work schedule for some, the requirements for maintenance and approach to indoor air quality (IAQ) have been enhanced, but many of the requirements are just an adjustment of traditional means and methods having been in place for years. 1) Performing the required maintenance and repairs on mechanical systems is now more front and center in the minds of building managers and operators. 2) Things like enhanced filtering with higher MERV ratings, more frequent replacement of filters to offset the loading of dirt and resistance through the filters, 3) Higher levels of outside air into the buildings where physically possible or higher levels of MERV filtering where more OSA (outside air) introduction is not readily available. Keeping in mind that where ambient conditions get hot and humid, building design may limit the times that introducing more OSA is physical possible while maintaining comfort conditioning. 4) Keeping the interiors of HVAC systems cleaner and more dust free. 5) Painting (sealing) unfinished surfaces inside HVAC rooms and areas. 6) Adding a sanitizing step on a scheduled basis to assure no laden germs or bacteria. 7) Increase maintenance frequencies to assure quality outcomes. 8) Keeping up with the maintenance of water borne systems with proactive water treatment and testing. 9) Deploying IAQ censoring in the office and inside the HVAC systems to constantly check the standard IAQ metrics like temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, VOCs, and other constituents we gather to determine indoor air quality and efficacy. 10) Adding germicidal treatment systems, (things like UV-C and Ionization systems, upper air UV), as they become practical and appropriate with high levels of efficacy. 11) Dynamic filter technologies are here and maturing, so the day is coming to really enhance the filtering. 12) Adding portable or fixed germicidal systems inside the tenant spaces where they can have a higher efficacy and impact on local populations, where virus is spread. Deploying these types of portable systems within the offices, can have a much higher effect on limiting the spread of virus and bacteria where the transmission is occurring. 13) Increased janitorial services to sanitize surfaces after hours. 14) Business culture changes like making it more than acceptable to work from home or take time off when the seasonal cold and flu season takes hold. Stop the spread! For ages, it has been an expectation to come to work, no matter how you feel. These seasonal cold and flu viruses are very transmissible and affect all coworkers in the office. If you are not in the office when you’re sick, then it stands to reason that you will substantially reduce spreading it. Keep your cold/flu to yourself. 15) Using common sense in life. Old-world courtesies that used to be the normal. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough; wear a face covering when coughing and sneezing; don’t vilify those who suffer from seasonal allergies or chronic scratchy throats. 16. Remember in life, we do build our immunities by exposure to things, starting at birth so don’t be afraid to live in the world and likewise when a global pandemic hits, use your common sense or suffer the consequences.

There are certainly more things we can do as we go forward, but many of the things that make it possible to deliver a higher quality or IAQ occur in design and development of new buildings and code requirements. Can we stay focused on building better systems into the future? Or will this wain as the pandemic wains? This is a question and the most important lesson or outcome we can have to effect better future outcomes. Once a building is designed and built, the patterns are set and much more difficult to alter or improve. In a society where codes and standards supported by the state and local jurisdictions can help steer developers in the right direction, while allowing them to decide, has a much higher chance of failure every time. n