EASY DOES IT

The newest seating offerings are effortlessly adjustable to allow workers to adapt to their environment, with comfort and a greater sense of autonomy.

The M-Series Quad Workstation, new from HAT Collective, makes ample room for four users but minimizes the workstation’s overall footprint. The workstation can be configured for small group, touchdown, or collaborative uses, and each of the work surfaces can be independently adjusted to a user’s preferred height with no need for electrical power. Available in a range of finish options, Quad comes with a height range of 27.6 inches up to 44.1 inches, and is available in five different work surface sizes. Vettore is a new adjustable lounge collection from Studio TK designed with home-like elements, while reflecting the post-COVID shift to more collaborative space. A base is offered in 16 colours with two configurable components: seating and tables. A vast selection of upholstery options for each seat section expands the options to a broader range of applications. Surface table materials are available in laminate and veneer.

Allseating reimagined the conference chair with the launch of Prata, their latest collaboration with designer Carl Gustav Magnusson. The conference chair uses an innovative mechanism concealed within its seat frame that allows users to naturally adjust their position for comfort, without having to search for adjustment levers. The suspension mechanism automatically reacts to users’ weight so they can recline comfortably. The chair is available in polished aluminum finish with low-back and mid-back variations, and its shell is intentionally neutral with many combinations, including leather, fabric, dual fabric, or contrasting patches of different materials.

The E300-E350 Embrace Sofa, designed for Carl Hansen &

Son by Austrian design studio EOOS, features ten modules, each of which is combinable yet can also stand alone. The sofa frame is made of solid FSC™-certified wood, as are the modules with armrests and table. Down-filled upholstery brings comfort, and a deep seat and loose cushions create a spot for rest and relaxation.

Framery debuted the world’s first connected phone booth to meet the expected demand for video conferencing. Framery One combines 4G technology and a digital ecosystem within a single-person, soundproof space to connect virtually with colleagues not in the office. The pod received a quality rating by the new ISO 23351-1 standard for sound insulation and features wireless charging and occupancy sensors. A high-res touchscreen and seamless user interface allow users to control reservations, airflow and lighting. The ventilation speed is 29 liters per second, over four times higher than what is recommended for occupied spaces. The pod is made of metal, available in eight colours, and is 95 per cent recyclable.

Resource Furniture recently launched Giro, to help people make more use of their space while working from home. The transforming console table and desk pivots outward 90 degrees from the wall, unfolding itself to reveal a generous tabletop. Giro can function as a work surface or dining table for four, to provide a variety of multi-functional options. It is available in over 35 different lacquer finishes and features optional storage solutions, such as a file drawer.

Integra debuted a new divider panel for its Coffee House

Collection of seating. Available on all straight or curved highback units, the panel provides added privacy, separation and acoustics for seating within lounge areas and other common areas. They come available in a variety of vinyl or fabric options, with a choice for stainless steel stand-offs, which create a space between the seat and back unit, and the panels for easy cleaning.

BY CHANTAL FRENETTE

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HYBRID WORK

New innovations often fail, not because of the idea itself, but because existing paradigms are applied to new solutions.

Although the world is paying attention to the fact that hybrid work is here to stay, many continue to think of it in terms of something we need to do, rather than shifting mindsets to consider how work can be done differently in an adaptable, hybrid model. Much has been written about the various steps an organization can take to implement hybrid work; yet for these steps to be successful, it is imperative that we rethink core components in our understanding of how, why, when and where work gets done.

The following are five key mindset shifts to optimize hybrid work:

EXPANDING LOCATION AND TIME FLEXIBILITY

A now familiar equation is often illustrated as a simple scale with inperson at one end, remote on the other, and hybrid in the middle. Occupancy ratios are simply calculated based on the number of days in the office versus remote. But the realities of hybrid work are much more complex and should encompass two dimensions:

Location flexibility: Rather than just inoffice or at home, hybrid takes a much freer form. Work happens at home, the office, a client site, or anywhere in-between.

Time flexibility: Flexible schedules may include full or partial days in the office, but should also take into account hours within those days. Family responsibilities, external factors, and individual preference should all be taken into consideration to ensure attraction and retention of the best and brightest.

DON’T FALL INTO THE “DATA TRAP”

We live in a world where everything can be measured. Badge data, booking tools, and various levels of occupancy sensors provide detailed information about the usage of space. Data is a necessary input when determining your future workplace strategy, but it paints a partial picture.

To truly understand how people work, respond to their changing needs and drive behaviours, organizations should observe, engage, experiment and measure. Insights derived from this ongoing quantitative and qualitative analysis will drive decisions and always be in service of the organization’s future vision.

MOVING TOWARDS A MINDSET OF CONTINUOUS CHANGE

Many interior projects today are based on wholesale redesign and aligned with lease contracts, resulting in periodic and “permanent” changes. The ways we design, assess and measure are conditional on stability — a quality that rarely exists in today’s businesses. Continuous change requires adaptable spaces that benefit from ongoing iteration to allow for future flexibility.

There are two ways by which we need to prioritize adaptivity in real estate: 1) initial site selection and 2) spatial progression over time. Initial site selection is critical in creating adaptive spaces, and organizations should prioritize spaces that allow for modular space and system design to allow for future flexibility. Measuring these two aspects as part of real estate performance reporting will help expose and prioritize adaptivity as a criterion.

AN INTEGRATED PERSPECTIVE & APPROACH

A successful hybrid strategy does not reside solely with real estate or human resources. A full spectrum of involvement, from technology, facilities, training and development, communications, and security, to senior leadership, people leaders and employees will generate one unified and integrated approach.

Looking at the full user experience and identifying interactions between various touch points, such as space, technology, operations, will enable a cohesive and seamless experience. People and a humancentric experience should form the foundation — empowering employees as partners in making decisions about how to do their best work and enabling them as agents of change within the organization.

EMBRACING COMPLEXITY

The world around us is increasingly complex, and the tendency is to simplify, but human behaviour is complex at its essence. Embarking on a new way of working will not be simple. Leaders should embrace complexity, invite diverse stakeholders to work together to solve complex problems and continue to re-evaluate and adapt their policies in order to design interventions and build resiliency for the future.

Applied together, these five mindset shifts will result in a holistic approach to optimizing hybrid work that will extend far beyond the physical realm of the office. | CFM&D

Chantal Frenette is the director of M Moser Associates, a global architecture and design firm. As a bilingual leader with over 20 years of experience in workplace strategy and design, Chantal thrives on collaborating with clients and team members to break down the complex challenges facing organizations as she leads the development of human-centered design solutions that further her clients’ goals, culture, and brand.