Adaptive Architecture: 5 Ways People Are Reinventing Commercial Spaces Post-Pandemic

There’s no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic altered our lives in many ways above and beyond our hand-washing techniques. We changed how we socialize with friends and family, and we even adjusted to a new way of working.

However, as we’ve settled into the new normal, we’re beginning to see that our work environments have changed as much as our everyday lives. Here are just a few of the many ways that people are reinventing their commercial spaces post-pandemic.

Hybrid Spaces

Renting and purchasing commercial real estate is still common practice and remains a lucrative investment option. However, more business owners are beginning to offer their teams the opportunity to work from home, even as pandemic restrictions ease.

Business and building owners are now offering more flexibility in their spaces, with employees given the freedom to visit the office for work or stay at home for a set number of days. As a result, there is less focus on individualized spaces and more emphasis on communal areas for employees to come and go.

Emphasis on Health and Wellbeing

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we need to look after our health and wellbeing, both physically and mentally. Many commercial spaces are being set up to allow for this self-care to happen.

Employees have more access to private spaces, wellness areas, and features that promote wellbeing, such as natural lighting, calming colors, and plants. Hygiene has also become a top consideration, with many commercial businesses and building owners doing away with fabric sofas in favor of leather and other materials that are easy to clean.

Technological Installations

Many business owners didn’t see the rush when it came to welcoming their business and building into the digital age. As long as employees could access their work from the office, there was no need for them to access it anywhere else.

However, as soon as COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, it became necessary to consider technological upgrades if businesses were to keep their doors open. Now, technology is a core part of any well-established workplace in the form of cloud storage, artificial intelligence, video conferencing, and more.

Collaborative Layouts

With more employees working from home, there is simply no need for cubicle-style setups in the average office building. They may sit empty and unused for the majority of the time, leading to a push for the creation of collaborative spaces.

Business layouts are being adjusted with more easy-clean sofas, large tables, and meeting areas where teams can come together and collaborate on projects rather than work on their own.

Smaller Workspaces

Many employers and employees made the decision to work from home permanently, which meant expansive office blocks were not always required for individual businesses. However, that doesn’t mean that those building owners had to deal with reduced revenue.

Instead, they were presented with the opportunity to divide their workspaces and rent out smaller areas. They were even able to rent out parking spaces for extra income and individual desks for entrepreneurs and sole traders.

Now, several businesses can share the same space, allowing for inter-workplace collaboration and more cost-effective premises options for those who simply don’t require several hundred square feet of space to run their business successfully.

Commercial buildings still look the same as they once did, but you may be amazed at how a world-changing event like a pandemic can transform how they function. As we have adapted to a new way of life, our workspaces have had to adapt with us.

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