ARCHITECTURE

Using the Workplace to Build Community.

Advances in mobility and technology have changed the way we work. A 2016 study by Steelcase cited that 70 percent of employees who are allowed to work away from the office sometimes (or always) are highly engaged and highly satisfied, compared to just 30 percent who are not given the option. So it’s not surprising that occupancy studies confirm that there are fewer people in the office, and busy coffee shops offer a hint at where they’ve gone. Does the rise of this remote work signal the demise of the traditional corporate office? Not likely. But business owners, operators, and managers are tasked with fostering togetherness in the workplace to motivate employees who increasingly have the option to work from anywhere.

So what’s an organization to do in an era where the workplace is less about necessity and more about community? If you work in a traditional office, your space can encourage co-working-inspired connectedness and build community through the following:

SPACE PLANNING

To address these challenges from a space-planning and furniture perspective, the office is shifting toward ancillary furniture. That means that traditional, large workstations are being downsized to reclaim office space for informal lounges, coffee bars, and lifestyledriven amenities.

One of our recent clients allocated around 230-square-feet per person in its headquarters. Of this, 75 percent went to amenities, shared spaces, and circulation, and just 25 percent of this was dedicated to a personal workspace. This represents a significant shift, because, historically, the average personal workspace was around 50 percent of the overall office area. This transition from personal to shared spaces is integral to the success of tomorrow’s work environments.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROBINSON

NEW AMENITIES

This transition to increased shared spaces also impacts the type of amenities we see integrated into workplaces. Our clients are no longer enticed by spectacle-driven amenities, like a pingpong table or foosball. They are hearing their employees’ voiced concerns about flexibility and work-life balance and, in turn, are open to incorporating more meeting rooms, additional informal places to work, and wellness- and lifestyle-driven amenities.

Take Dairy Farmers of America, for example. The international milk-marketing cooperative included highimpact amenities like a full-service cafeteria, fitness and yoga studios, milk bar, outdoor meeting rooms, and a bocce ball court. While workstations are intentionally compact, they come complete with sit-stand desks, ample natural light, and flexible configurations to allow personalization. In addition, there is a conference room or informal gathering space for every four employees . . . and the conference rooms were intentionally designed to look dramatically different than traditional conference rooms. They’re complete with residential furniture from Restoration Hardware and Blue Dot, resulting in a space that feels more like a contemporary living room than an office environment.

EMBRACE VARIETY

When we’re meeting with workplace clients, whether they have 25 employees or 2,500 employees, we encourage them to embrace variety in a way that celebrates and reflects their unique culture. We work with clients – and engage their staff – to determine how they like to work. The needs of your employees should drive decisions of variety. We have found that similar to your home, often the most critical gathering place centers around food. These kitchen and café spaces are no longer a small, internally focused room, but, instead, are becoming the showcase and heart of the office, featuring break meeting rooms, family tables, healthy and quick food options, and signature design features. They often are the most used social spaces.

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PHOTO BY ARI BURLING

When it comes to meeting spaces, a one-size-fits-all boardroom rarely is functional for the way people work. We must consider a wider variety of room sizes and postures, from traditional executive seating to lounge chairs to barstools around community tables. I always encourage clients to consider small, focused rooms for one-on-one interaction, too, in order to ensure people have spots for more informal, private conversations. By providing options, employees will gravitate toward options that increase personal productivity and foster connectedness.

SET AN EXAMPLE

Finally, it’s important to note that if you’re a leader in an office, you set the culture for your place of work. Employees look to you for an example of both how to lead and how to work. We’ve seen organizations implement flexible work environments only to watch them go unused. The reason? Leadership hasn’t given permission – verbal or situational – for staff to utilize those spaces. A workplace only goes so far. Cultural change has to be part of any long-term workplace strategy. The most successful workplaces with the happiest employees are the ones where executives are working from the café or sofas. In turn, they are silently giving employees permission to work in a way that makes them successful. This organizational decision helps address employee happiness and engagement if your staff doesn’t have the option to work remotely.

Your workplace has the potential to be a comfortable home, but it means acknowledging the multi-generational nature of your workforce and the dramatically different ways in which people work. By setting an example and embracing variety, you can foster community and togetherness that creates an environment where your employees actually desire to connect, produce, and converse. .

Eric Linebarger is a senior project designer and senior associate at HOK. In his 15-year career, Eric has overseen the renovation and new construction of inspiring corporate work environments in Kansas City and across the country, ranging in size from 2,000 to 400,000 square feet.

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