durham inc.
THE NEW OFFICE H o w
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BY H A N N A H L E E
PHOTO BY AMBER ROBINSON
Sophia Lopez, a freelancer, Steve Bullock, member success manager at American Underground, and Eddie Hanline, founder of Client Forest, work 6 feet apart at the common tables in the Bullpen at American Underground @Main.
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August 2020
oodbye, water cooler chat. See ya, midday conference room meetings. Really, forget any preconceived notions you had of what the word “office” means. The COVID-19 pandemic – for better or for worse – forced businesses to adjust their operations, including, well, where they do them. Or if they need a physical space to do them at all. According to a Gallup poll conducted in April, 62%
of employed Americans said they’ve worked from home since the onset of the coronavirus. That’s double the rate from as recently as mid-March, and people are discovering en masse how much they enjoy their home “offices.” An IBM study from May found that more than 75% of those surveyed indicated they would like to continue working remotely, at least occasionally. “One thing that has been established,” said John Warasila of Alliance Architecture, a firm that specializes in designing