What we most want now is what we don’t have—certainty. As our understanding of this new reality remains unsteady, and our expectations of what comes next get revised daily, the absence of certainty creates a situation only combat veterans and inhabitants of war zones know from experience. We are all inhabitants of a war zone now—and yet, we must continue with our lives. This guide represents the work of O+A’s best planners and designers to apply what we know now to a work environment that everyone agrees will be radically different. At the time of this writing, the CDC’s guidelines have undergone several iterations. The ideas presented here are based on a wellness consensus established over the early months of the pandemic—the need for social distancing, face coverings, heightened hygiene, improved circulation. Our team has looked at every aspect of the workplace, from the parking lot to the in-house café, and determined how these spaces may be adapted for our post-pandemic reality.
