It Can Be Done: Reducing Your Footprint While Adding Staff
How should the office environment change to embrace and support employees who are telecommuting, on the road or just plain multitasking? Phase Zero Design principal Matt Wittmer tells us that, in implementing workplace strategy and design changes, the goal is to reduce the client’s real estate footprint, even while they bring on more staff. This often allows for a solution that makes financial sense and supports the bottom line. Matt finds that reducing square footage while accommodating more staff can be done in a number of ways: create multi-functional spaces such as a work café, flexible conference areas, and “bookable boxes” (technology-focused areas that can be reserved for group meetings and teleconferences). Matt adds that many of the solutions come from simple furniture changes; not everyone actually needs an office. Spaces, therefore, should be flexible, and that could incorporate movable partitions, group rooms and larger conference areas. The idea is to always promote collaboration. This could be done by designing unique areas spread throughout the office environment, which allows for possibly two- to four-person informal meetings and work sessions. For more information on our Bisnow partner, click here.
