Some Companies Aim to Redesign Offices After COVID-19

Many companies are making changes to their offices to help employees feel safer as they return to work after more than one year of coronavirus restrictions¹.

Some are improving office air systems or are moving desks farther apart. Others are removing desks and building more conference rooms for employees who work at home but come in to the office for meetings.

Steelcase is an office furniture company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It says research shows half of companies around the world plan to redesign their office space this year.

Natalie Engels works as a designer at the architecture business Gensler. She said the past year has made people think, "...Why do we go to an office?"

Not every company is making changes and Engels noted² that they do not have to. She tells her customers to remember what worked well and what did not before the coronavirus health crisis³.

But designers say many companies want to make employees feel safe and energized⁴ at the office. This is especially the case as some businesses report a labor⁵ shortage⁶.

The food and drug company Ajinomoto redesigned its North American headquarters near Chicago last year based on those concerns.

Ajinomoto's employees returned to work in May. The building had wider walking spaces and glass divisions between workspaces. This was to give workers more room and to make them feel more secure.

To improve mental health, the company added a "relaxation⁷ room." A test kitchen was set up for online presentations. In addition to that, a cleaning crew disinfects the offices two times a day.

Ryan Smith is the executive⁸ vice⁹ president of Ajinomoto North America. He admits the efforts might be too much, but it could help those who have concerns about returning to work in the office. Smith estimates 40 percent of the new headquarters design was changed.

Shobha Surya, an employee at Ajinomoto, is energized by the space.

She said, "The office gives you a balance of work and home life." She said it was easier to keep her attention at the office now and she is happy to be working with her co-workers again.

Lise Newman is with the architecture business SmithGroup. She said when employees are asked what they miss most about office work, they say socializing and working with colleagues.

Companies are trying to build relationships between employees by having more social areas. Some have areas that look like a coffee shop.

Newman said, "Companies are trying to create that sense that this is a cool club that people want to come into."

Mark Bryan is a designer at M+A Architects, based in Columbus, Ohio. He expects that, in the future, an office will have different places to work in on any given day. Some workers might choose a small, private room. And others might choose a table in the office eating area.

Some office changes show the new mixture of working from home and at the office.

Based in New York, Valiant¹⁰ Technologies provides technical support and other services to businesses. It is letting its employees work mostly from home. Employees request a desk if they want to come into the office.

The company has removed desks and has put more spaces between the remaining ones. Employees leave equipment in safe storage areas.

Not every design change will stay. Steelcase brought back some employees last summer. They pushed tables in the cafeteria far apart from each other and only permitted one person to sit at a table. Steelcase's chief Jim Keane said it made the space so sad that no one wanted to sit there.

He said he learned that workspaces need to be safe but they also need to be inspiring. He said, "People are actually going to expect more from offices in the future."

Words in This Story

desk – n. a piece of furniture that is like a table and often has drawers

furniture – n. chairs, tables, or beds that are used to make a room ready for use

architecture – n. the art or science of designing and creating building

relaxation – n. a way to rest and enjoy yourself

customer –n. someone who buys goods or services from a business

club – n. the place where the members of a club meet

colleague –n. a person who works with you; fellow worker

cafeteria – n. a place (such as a restaurant or a room in a school) where people get food at a counter and carry it to a table for eating

inspire – v. to make (someone) want to do something: to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

4 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

6 shortage   

n.缺少，缺乏，不足

参考例句：

• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
• The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。

7 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

8 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

9 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

10 valiant   

adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人

参考例句：

• He had the fame of being very valiant.他的勇敢是出名的。
• Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister,inflation rose to 36%.尽管财政部部长采取了一系列果决措施，通货膨胀率还是涨到了36%。