12 Offices Designed To Work for the Coronavirus Era

Businesses across the country are searching for what the new normal looks like when it comes to returning to the workplace. Whether your company has already gone back to the office in person or is still formulating its plan, there is knowledge to be gleaned from architects and developers that are designing workspaces for a safer return to work amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Some developers are going above and beyond in new office construction to incorporate high-tech pathogen mitigation systems or design "boutique" buildings with more private space, while other companies are coming up with creative built-in social distancing solutions or incorporating COVID-friendly furniture into their existing space. For most, a greater emphasis on health and wellness has become a top priority for tenants, with biophilic design elements, outdoor workspaces, and advanced air filtration systems emerging as must-have features.

Whether its through incorporating health-conscious elements or redesigning workspace layouts to support social distancing, these 12 offices are examples of spaces that strive to make returning to the office safer for employees.

Adapting Office Design to the Pandemic Environment
Fulton East, a 12-story, 90,000-square-foot modern glass-and-steel office and retail building in Chicago's historic Fulton Market District, is the first multi-story office building to employ airPHX, a nonthermal plasma technology, throughout the entire building to help reduce cross-contaminant risks and provide employees with cleaner air and work surfaces.

Broker Bets on Demand for Private Office Space
A 6,500-square-foot office at 406 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, California, offers a coveted feature for today's tenants: a private entrance, lobby and elevator.

Chicago Office Boasts Advanced COVID-19 Features
The retrofit of 2017 N. Mendell St. in Chicago made the building one of the city's first to implement medical-grade plasma and blue light technologies to kill pathogens.

Austin’s W4 Office Carves Out Creative Space With Post-COVID Advantages
A private entrance and elevator bay, outdoor space, touchless features and abundant natural light are all aspects of the 4,439-square-foot W4 office in Austin, Texas.

L.A. Coworking Complex's 'Garden Pods' are Pandemic-Resilient
This expansive 90,000-square-foot coworking campus features a central building and 60 self-standing garden pods that are completely surrounded by green space.

New Insurance HQ's Design Serendipitously Accommodates Social Distancing
Before the pandemic, Assurance decided to accommodate space for growth by planning for the ability to increase its desk-sharing ratio — a move that turned out to be valuable in the current era of shift work and social distancing.

Biophilic Design Elements Do Double Duty as NYC Office’s Social Distancing Markers
With construction on the space already underway when the coronavirus pandemic cause a nationwide shutdown, architecture firm Float Studio had to pivot and design an office with creative solutions that would support the health of its occupants while remaining true to its client’s desire for a workspace that suited it beyond the pandemic.

California Tech HQ is Configured with Dynamic Collaboration Spaces
With custom modular pods, movable origami walls, and biophilic design, the GoGuardian office in El Segundo, California, is an experiment in creating adaptable collaboration spaces with distributed teams in mind.

Design Firm's Austin Office Showcases Workplace Wellness
This WELL-certified office puts health at the center of employees' day with outdoor space, natural light, and an emphasis on reducing toxic elements with natural materials and enhanced indoor air quality.

Health-Focused Design Firm Retrofits Shared Workspace for Coronavirus Return
Constellations updated its workspace with air purification systems, sensor faucets, and touchless soap dispensers, and placed a greater emphasis on occupants' connection to the outdoors.

Data Drives Redesign of Architecture Firm’s Santa Clara Office
California architecture firm One Workplace did away with the dedicated desk model after finding that employees weren't using it effectively, instead opting for a hot desk system where employees could choose from a variety of workspace options and telework.

Well-Preserved: How a Historic Retrofit Models Modernity Through Well Standards
In an era where human health and wellness is paramount to developers and tenants, the industry-leading International Well Building Institute sets an example with its own headquarters.