The post-Covid office will transform without disappearing

For a long-time working community have been physical/virtual entities, only partially linked to a tangible place. The Covid19 pandemic has taken this polarity to an extreme by shifting the weights to the digital side. However, numerous testimonies coming from observers of the real estate market argue that in the era of social distancing the office will continue to exist, even if undergoing a deep transformation. It is fundamental to maintain the sense of belonging, to review the organisational paradigm and to insert the appropriate technologies to guarantee welcoming, safe and accessible workplaces for all. To redefine the new densities, the new flows and to identify feasible guidelines, a 360-degree vision is required that integrates design, technology, managerial culture, management of environments, employees’ operability, and sensitivity. Physical return, even if only for a part of the workforce, must be taken into account and this will constitute a technical-health challenge, but also a symbolic one. In the medium term, with employees returning to the office more frequently and regularly, occupancy will be greater, therefore the spaces will need to be reconfigured. From the reception areas to the operational areas, it is necessary to review the geometry of the spaces by introducing touch-less systems and flexible and easily adaptable furnishing solutions to reconfigure spaces according to new needs. The choice of materials will also be much more careful to meet the requirements related to ease of cleaning and sanitation. The global COVID-19 pandemic will change the workplace forever. The opportunity awaitng us is to make workplaces even better, also from the point of view of accessibility, than they were before the crisis.