“Open office isn’t really a thing anymore. Now it’s more of a blended office. The question is, ‘What’s the right blend?’”
Martin Goldstein
Denver offices need to adapt after COVID-19. Here's what's most likely to change.
April 20, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing company leaders to re-examine nearly every aspect of their businesses, including their office spaces.
No one is sure what an eventual return to in-person work will look like, but experts agree that the current pandemic is likely to have both short-term and long-term impacts on office designs.
Popular trends such as the increasing densification of office space — implemented, in theory, to encourage collaboration (and reduce square footage) — could face a reversal. Others that have been slower to catch on, such as the adoption of anti-microbial surfaces, could see a surge in popularity.
Jon Gambrill, principal and co-managing director of architecture firm Gensler’s Denver office, emphasized that the anticipated changes will evolve as this vast work-from-home experiment continues. And the long-term effect remains the biggest unknown.
“We’re learning through this,” Gambrill said. “Every week it seems that we’re gathering more and more research.”
Denver Business Journal spoke to several local architecture and interior solutions firms to get their thoughts on the possible changes, both big and small, that may be in store for offices.