Health in the Workplace Begins with Design

It’s safe to say that in the past 16 months, employees and employers have thought more about the requirements for safe office space than ever before. But as many professionals return to downtown office spaces for the first time since the early months of 2020, the question has changed: What does healthy office space look and feel like?

The aesthetics of the temporary barriers that were initially erected to prevent the spread of COVID-19 left many of us feeling like employees at the DMV, separated by clear plexiglass barriers that seem woefully inadequate against the airborne virus that sent so many office workers home in 2020.

But with time and planning, more elegant and effective solutions to emerging office safety challenges have emerged. The world’s designers have come up with better ways to ensure that today’s office spaces are not only safer from a public health perspective, but healthier and more productive environments for focused professionals.

Here are the six key elements we’ve included in all Firmspace offices that we believe should be the basic requirements for most professional environments (with healthcare being the obvious exception).

1. Windows That Provide Ambient, Natural Light

At Firmspace, we were fortunate to find that our focus on providing secure, private office space was easily adapted to the public health concerns of the current moment.

This is, in part, because our offices are designed to maximize the number of private offices on each floor to ensure that as many people have access to natural light as possible.

2. Physically Comfortable Workspaces That Facilitate Deep Work

Physical comfort and overall health in the workplace are the culmination of a number of factors: temperature, light, sound, and furniture. While anyone who has ever worked in an office building knows these spaces tend to be chilly, this can easily be remedied by layering your wardrobe.

It is more difficult, however, to find a workspace that supports proper ergonomics. This is why we recommend giving your team access to adjustable standing desks and supportive chairs in private office spaces as well as in meeting rooms.

While most discussions of workplace ergonomics focus on the positions we hold in front of our computer screens, it’s as important to have nearby space where you can take a brief walk, whether that’s a lap around the office hallways or a quick trip downstairs to a nearby greenspace.

3. An Appropriate Sound Landscape to Support Focused Work

While some professionals thrive in the cacophony of an open plan office space, we believe that walls are essential for health in the office, both mental and physical.

Without soundproof walls that go deck to deck, it can be difficult to find a truly confidential setting in a modern office where you can conduct a private conversation. At Firmspace, we use a combination of design elements in the walls and doors in our spaces along with a sound masking system to ensure that our members can conduct their business in total privacy.

4. Security and Privacy Measures, Including Doors That Lock

In addition to sound masking for security, offices should also be designed with physical and digital security in mind. While cybersecurity largely falls under the provenance of each individual and company out there, shared office spaces can (and should) be designed to support private internet access.

At Firmspace, we ensure that each of our member offices has access to a separate internet connection, which both supports bandwidth concerns and makes it simple to set-up VPNs and other security measures as needed.

On a more basic level, we believe that professionals should have the ability to shut and lock the door to their office, whether they wish to do so to secure their hardware and documents overnight or because they need a block of uninterrupted time to work.

Having a door that locks provides professionals with a sense of both physical and mental security, and these are critical components of a health office space.

5. Nature-Inspired Decor Helps Promote Health in Workplace

While health in the workplace isn’t determined by how many giant Monstera plants you pack into the lobby of your office, the presence of green plants and natural materials can actually support relaxation and focus.

Plants can provide a much-needed pop of color to energize folks as they walk through the halls, or serve as a reminder to leave the office and get outside before the sun goes down. They also helpfully release oxygen back into the environment.

While not as clearly proven, wood panels and furniture bring warmth to a conference room that you won’t get from glass and chrome, while still being easy to keep clean.

6. Clean Air and Surfaces Are a Requirement for Building a Healthy Work Environment

In light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the discussion around office health and safety requirements will continue to evolve in the weeks and months ahead.

But one thing has been made very clear: a place where you can go to be productive must also be a place where you can safely work. Today, this means having protocols in place to ensure everyone in the workplace has access to clean air and surfaces throughout their day.

To find out how Firmspace is tackling these issues, read our latest Covid Standards.