Pamela Kamenitsas, Amicus Design Manager, on how COVID-19 has changed design

Pamela Kamenitsas, Amicus Design Manager, on how COVID-19 has changed design.

In the immediate term, business leaders were confronted with some tough decisions around business continuity. Most organisations temporarily closing their spaces – but the long-term effect this will have on working could be profound. How will this be the catalyst that redefines the workspace of the future? 

We are seeing a huge demand for workspace flexibility which goes far beyond one-way systems to facilitate social distancing, and screening and partitioning between desks. There is a growing requirement for the ‘touchdown’ office to provide space, facilities and sanctuary for working-from-home employees. Our time spent in lockdown has emphasised the fact that the workspace is changing and so is our way of working. 

We see the office now and in the future, will only be a place where people meet, create and collaborate – a project space. And furniture plays a huge part in our flexibility planning. In response to the requirement for more open spaces, we are removing desks and replacing them with large meeting tables, agile seating and lounge furniture. Our national in-house design team have been responding quickly and efficiently, providing design test-fits for our clients who are now considering refurbishing, re-purposing their space, downsizing and even moving offices completely. 

“The desk may be becoming a product of the past, but no way is the office dead.” 

- Pamela Kamenitsas | Design Manager, Amicus

The desk may be becoming a product of the past, but no way is the office dead. This new ‘project’ space isn’t going away any time soon and it is so valuable to take this opportunity to reimagine the physical workplace. 

And Technology plays a part. Workplaces still support the technological norms, however they give workers the space to do it together. Whether that’s meeting rooms with in-built technology to support booking, video calls, or just a whiteboard, workplaces are designed to help people get their ideas out of their heads and onto the (often digital) page. 

Read More: Re-Socialising the Workspace