While the Covid-19 pandemic has rapidly affected every aspect of life, busy work lives have also been affected by this process in many ways. During the pandemic, changes were made to business plans in order to reduce contact. Many companies have adopted the method of working from home instead of the office or have switched to a hybrid system, allowing their employees to avoid contact in the office and during transportation to the office. With the work from home system, employees have become free from the obligation to spend their entire day in the office. How will the new generation offices take shape in these days when the number of cases is gradually decreasing and we are slowly starting to return to offices? How will the return to closed and socially contacted offices after the freedom to work from home create changes in office systems?
Changing Criteria for Offices in the New Era
Currently, Covid-19 measures are at the top of the list of the most important criteria for offices all over the world. In this process, the questions of what the ideal office design should be for renewed offices, which working system should be adopted and what innovations should be made to protect the health of employees come first. The solutions offered are basically put forward with the aim of increasing social distance or ensuring social isolation. The new generation office approach aims for employees to spend less time together and maintain their social distance.
Although the work-at-home model is seen as one of the most suitable solutions for this problem, the necessity of going to the office, working as a team, and having face-to-face dialogue due to work should not be overlooked. At this point, using the office as a shared office and having teams use the office on different days can be a healthy practice as it will reduce the number of people in the office and increase social distance. The density in the office can be reduced with more flexible working hours by taking advantage of new technologies that provide security checks, time tracking and contactless transition at office entrances and exits. In addition, having natural ventilation with openable window systems in offices and providing solutions that will minimize contact in common areas such as toilets and kitchens are also valid criteria for offices after the pandemic. In line with all these expectations, new generation offices continue to be designed and changed with the process, considering the pandemic and its aftermath.
What New Regulations Should Be Included in Office Designs in the Post-Pandemic Period?
Before the pandemic, offices mostly preferred open-plan designs. Since reducing social contact has become a very valuable criterion after the pandemic, open-plan office applications no longer seem possible. At this point, open-plan offices can be planned differently with dividers with different options. In this way, social contact can be reduced by providing personal areas for each employee.
Altınbölme, Alnoplan modular glass partition systems seem to be the ideal choice for new generation office systems. With Alnoplan glass partition systems, the spacious effect in the open plan will be captured, and the dialogue between employees with eye contact will not be restricted. Another method that is compatible with the uncertain pandemic process that we are in is that the partitions used can be applied to the office later and removed when desired. Ceiling-supported partition panels can be preferred as movable or fixed, and office plans that can adapt to the variable work structure can be provided. Instead of large tables that can be used by many people, having personal tables in offices and raising the separators between the tables in the office will also be an effective solution.
In addition to social distancing, reducing the surfaces that are touched in the office is also one of the important factors for a healthy environment. Contact should be minimized by using sensor systems in doors, elevators, and common areas such as toilets and kitchens. Having photocell doors in personal areas provided with dividers will also minimize contact in circulation in the office. Using products that open with a hand sensor and foot pedal in toilet doors and fixtures, Altınbölme Cubicle partition systems, and providing entry and exit to the cabin without contact will effectively prevent the spread of the virus.
The risk of infection can be reduced by choosing easy-to-clean, compact, sterile and durable materials for points requiring contact on the floor, counter and wall. With partition panels and contactless solutions, you can re-plan your offices in the post-pandemic process with Altınbölme’s product groups suitable for every area of your offices and keep up with the uncertainty of the process with the variable office setups provided by movable panels.