August 2020

Major changes will be seen in the office
Changes will also be seen in the design of
the office. As such most of the office doors
will be open or there will be increased use
of doors with inappropriate open
technology. It may be that the sound
technology is used instead of the button in
the lift. The office space can be divider with
no open floor. Withdrawal and sanitization
will be more focused. The size of the living
room may increase so that chairs can be
placed a short distance away. Even in the
working space, the distance between
people can be kept more than before.
Experts believe that new technologies can
be developed for video conferencing,
meeting online, etc.
If trends continue, the next architectural
revolution in office design may see the
mass removal of employees from their
traditional workplace, whether through
automation or, as discussed here, remote
working. This transition from collective to
remote working, and the architectural
considerations it will mean for living and
office spaces, old and new, was evident
long before the current coronavirus
pandemic cast it into the public
consciousness. That said, this global
forced experiment in working-from-home
may ironically be a catalyst for a healthier
future relationship between us and our
workplace.
Restaurant
The forecast suggests that we will see
more open kitchens after the pandemic, as
they promote "transparency". Surfaces
built or clad in anti-microbial materials will
also "be a given".
While many might think the second
forecast of contactless dining is "a given",
in reality, it is more nuanced, argues the
report, as nearly half of survey
respondents voted that it is "a fad".
Instead of contactless, Roar uses the term
"contact-light", which would see physical
menus and cash payments become rare "if
not extinct", alongside communal
condiments like salt and pepper.
Restrooms are where the most change will
be seen. Referred to as "a vital
battleground in the war against infection",
the report imagines that most bathroom
doors will be removed except private
cubicles, and those that remain will be
open and closed by foot or via wireless
sensors.
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