The recent COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered the traditional office setup as it initially collapsed and then was reformed as work from home.
This pandemic might seem to be under control, but we are now aware that many such pandemics are likely in the near future. We are also aware that we might not be able to go back to the traditional offices because of the opportunities and facilities home offices have provided.
The need of the hour is to equip ourselves for future pandemics better and come up with a system that does not collapse using future-proof office interior design Singapore and office renovation Singapore.
Doing so will also allow us to utilize the facilities and opportunities of home offices and incorporate them for a better office environment.
But how will we do that? This blog will share some ideas regarding how future offices should look.
The pandemic showed us that the most touched areas were the hotspot of the virus. The future-proof office shall have no such areas.
Thankfully, the technology has advanced enough to make this possible. The previously detected hotspots were doorknobs and electric switches. Now we have such technology available that has made these functions completely touchless.
We can turn off or on and adjust most of our switches through voice commands. We also have doors that detect the movement and automatically open and close as needed.
The authorities must focus on office renovation Singapore for such incorporations now.
There is a strong possibility that at least half of the workforce won’t return to offices and will continue working from home.
A future-proof office must have a facility to make collaboration possible between the two segments. They should also devise mechanisms to distribute the workforce and provide equal opportunities for everyone uniformly.
Such a setup might require some innovative office interior design in Singapore but will also have several benefits. It will cut operational and maintenance costs, allow the company to be more inclusive, and recruit suitable talent anywhere.
Another lesson we have learned from the pandemic is the importance of open spaces.
A future-proof office must have some open space for its employees to utilize. It can act as a recreational space as well as come in handy if we need social distancing again.
The predictions tell that the subsequent pandemics would likely be because of environmental hazards. It is no secret that trees have a crucial role in maintaining a healthy environment.
A future-proof office must make arrangements to have maximum greenery in their office. They can use vases and hanging plants if nothing else but having ample plants will ensure a flow of clean air.
It will also help the employees stay fresh and positively impact their health. Moreover, it will also be a strong corporate statement that you care for the environment.
Work from home showed us that an employee could be comfortable and productive at the same time. He can casually dress, be in an unconventional position or have some distractions around yet give his best at work.
The future-proof office will be more welcoming to such a culture that will allow the employees to act like normal humans and not be their model self all the time.
Having such an environment will positively impact their mood and make it easier to spend time at work. It will also encourage interactions between them and work better as a team.
Another thing that should be a part of a future-proof office is maintaining the sanitizing and cleaning habits that we learned during the pandemic.
It should be mandatory to have a sanitizer on each desk and sanitize the hands frequently. Anybody who is sick should not shy away from wearing a face mask and adopt it as a norm.
Moreover, there should be particular attention to the cleaning techniques and materials we use. Things like furniture should not only be cleaned but also sanitized regularly.
It will help improve the health quality of the employees and will possibly save us from falling sick often.
With many technological advancements, it is also inevitable that Ai will automate most of our office tasks, especially those related to calculations, maintenance, and processing, and can pass through machine learnings.
A future-proof office setup will foresee this fact and will prepare accordingly. An initial approach to tackle this situation is to have a collaborative area in the office that encourages inter-departmental interactions and co-working.
It will not only enhance collaboration and teamwork but will also boost creativity. This creativity will better equip the existing workforce to learn to multitask, and the authorities will not have to replace them and look for new employees.
Predicting the ideal future-proof office is not quite feasible at this time. But the pandemic definitely has sped up the process and has given us better insights into what we can expect in the future.
It is also obvious that the current offices will have to undergo major transformations, and office renovations and interior designing will have a major role to play in it.
At this point, it is safe to make the changes mentioned above. Companies should also conduct internal research and develop ideas based on the strategy they used to tackle the pandemic and handle the lockdowns.
Such ideas will not only be tailored but they will also be cut out to suit specific niches. It will also help build up a comprehensive plan that can be generalized to most of the offices later on.
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