Adapting Office Design to the Pandemic Environment

In the midst of the pandemic, developers and property managers are implementing innovative approaches to appeal to tenants and guide them through uncharted waters. Some even see it as an opportunity to accelerate adoptions of new building technologies and features.

Now is the time for businesses to make necessary changes to ensure their own viability as the commercial real estate world adopts a new normal, according to Byron Carlock, U.S. real estate practice leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which consults companies across all industries, including commercial real estate and the workplace.

“We are excited to return to the office when it's safe to do so," said Carlock. “Many folks are waiting for legislation that makes it safe from an employer liability perspective to have people come back," something Carlock hopes will make it to the legislative agenda sooner rather than later. “A healthy work environment allows for better promotion of culture, better training, talent management and retention," he said.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but specific protocols are emerging as businesses look to reopen safely and sustainably: touchless technology and anti-microbial products; thorough check-in systems and temperature questionnaires; increased sanitation, borrowing technologies from the hospitality and healthcare industries; and the implementation of contact tracing technologies.

Here are some proactive steps businesses are taking to protect employees and future business operations.

As the workforce prepares to head back to office towers and buildings, potential transmission of the coronavirus through the air is a major concern for building owners. Air quality could also become a key decision-making factor when companies consider where to lease space.

According to Carlock, upgrading air filtration systems is a crucial step in mitigating the risks of COVID-19. Air filters with a high minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) are becoming a standard technology for ensuring workplaces have the cleanest air current HVAC systems can provide.

“That filtration is easily adaptable and easily deployable," explains Carlock. “Most building owners in the Class A category are spending a lot of time installing those filtration capabilities, as well as preparing for their folks to come back to the office knowing the air will be cleaner."

Chicago-based real estate developers Bob Wislow and Camille Julmy of Parkside Realty Inc. say the company has coronavirus protocols down to a science with what they say is the nation's first office space developed with post-COVID-19 operations in mind.

Fulton East is a 12-story, 90,000-square-foot modern glass-and-steel office and retail building in Chicago's historic Fulton Market District. It is also the first multi-story office building to employ airPHX, a non-thermal plasma technology, throughout the entire building to help reduce cross-contaminant risks and provide employees with cleaner air and work surfaces, according to the company. The technology is used in hospitals, dental clinics, college athletic facilities and commercial settings where independent on-site testing has shown reductions of 90% to 99% of viruses, bacteria and mold, both on surfaces and in the air.

Even the paint used in restrooms boasts COVID-conscious properties. “Various pathogens land on the paint, and within two hours, it kills any pathogens," said Wislow. The Sherwin-Williams product earned certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for killing more than 99.9% of bacteria. “It's a two-coat process, and then you have to redo it every four years, but we decided we should make that investment in the building."

The pandemic is also expediting the adoption of touchless technologies across commercial real estate, something the Fulton East development team has researched and prioritized.

The building includes the world's first new-construction installation of Canada-based MAD Elevator Inc.'s Toe-To-Go (T2G) hands-free elevator system. This is also Otis Elevator Co.'s first installation of the T2G elevator system, which utilizes foot-activated call buttons for a hands-free elevator experience, reducing the spread of germs.

PwC has embraced touchless technology to avoid contact with door handles, elevator buttons and shared office devices such as printers. “We're trying to take advantage of as much touchless technology that is available or exists to reduce contact," said Carlock.

The developers and architect of the Fulton East project centered the property around the concept of biophilic design, where more connections to natural elements, fresh air and green space are created for a building's occupants.

Creating an office environment based on biophilic design principles—bringing nature indoors—has been linked to a number of health benefits, including boosting employees' mental well-being. That's one of the reasons Wislow and his team prioritized the elements of biophilic design when they acquired the site to build Fulton East "well before the pandemic—over a year and half ago."

In addition, a 9-by-27-foot balcony is on every floor of Fulton East. “We did that so every user could have a private outdoor deck," said Wislow. “They could use it for meeting space or for their lunch and coffee breaks as a getaway space."

An 8,000-square-foot rooftop garden increases access to outdoor air. Fulton East plans to provide TVs on one of the walls for outdoor training sessions and video conference meetings.

The Fulton East developers also observed that there were a number of large buildings being developed in Chicago's Fulton Market District with large floorplates that packed people in very densely.

“We felt there was a market where people would like a smaller floorplate, where everybody had a view out the window, lots of glass, and a very high ratio of exterior glass to the square footage of the space," said Wislow. The design replicates those seen in European countries where every worker has an opportunity to have a view out the window, he adds. “It makes for a healthier work environment, a longer retention rate and less sick days."

In October, PwC began piloting some re-openings of its own offices in Boston. It will be a slow return to offices when people voluntarily wish to go back and it's safe to do so, explains Carlock.

“We've employed temperature checks, questionnaires, tracking and tracing, improved air quality, spreading people out, sanitation—all of the above," he said. “There is going to be more frequent bathroom cleaning by the cleaning staff, more frequent wipe-downs of conference rooms, eliminating a lot of the common-area food activities."

The disruption caused by the pandemic is an unprecedented opportunity for commercial property managers to adapt to new protocols that will keep their buildings—and those inside them—healthy. The reward will be resilience as they emerge from this crisis in a stronger and better position heading into 2021.