Cubicles will become commonplace in open-plan offices, says Ferro
Paul Ferro
Cubicles will return as the layouts of Silicon Valley offices are rethought, says Form4 Architecture co-founder Paul Ferro, in a guide created to advise its clients on how to return to work after coronavirus lockdown.
San Francisco-based Form4 Architecture developed the guide for its Silicon Valley clients, which include Facebook, Netflix, VMware, Google and Spear Street Capital, to advise them on how to adapt their offices to allow for social distancing following the pandemic.
In the report, the architecture studio states that offices will need to reduce densities, widen walkways, and remove almost all shared spaces. The studio suggests that dividers are put up between desks in large open-plan offices in the short term, and believes that cubicles will be widely reintroduced in the longer term.
"Something approximating the cubicle will become normal in the open office," Ferro told Dezeen.
"To combat the spread of droplets and aerosols, desks will be surrounded by taller partitions and/or screens and we will likely see the use of canopy elements that partially extend above each workstation."
"The 120 workstation configuration may prove a viable option"
In particular, Ferro believes that the 120-degree desk, where three desks are arranged in a circle separated by dividers, is well suited to post-pandemic requirements.
"The 120 workstation configuration, a short-lived option from the past, may prove a viable option as it provides a sense of openness with the lower density and increased separation between seats now required," said Ferro.
"For the 120s of today, the partitions between the three desks within a pod will need to be taller to minimize the spread of droplets and aerosols."
Post coronavirus requirements "at odds" with modern workplaces
Ferro believes that much of the core thinking behind the development of Silicon Valley offices will have to be rethought, as designing for spontaneous encounters and to maximize contact will not be possible after the pandemic.
"Before Covid-19, we had the open-plan, denser than ever; the proliferation of various forms of meeting and collaboration spaces; presentation and training spaces; alternative workspaces; shared furniture; break rooms and cafes; lounges and game rooms; open stairs between floors; and a preference for the mega floor plate versus multiple stories – all of which are intended to maximize interaction and collaboration."
"The personal apprehensions caused by Covid-19 and the initial possible solutions focused on 'distancing' lead us to separate and isolate ourselves from one another, and therefore are at odds with the environmental and cultural characteristics we have come to associate with modern workplaces."
"An end to hotdesking"
Ferro suggests that desks are arranged into small groups, which he refers to as courtyards, to allow companies to retain some of the feel of pre-coronavirus offices.
"In order to provide a sense of community and the needed collaboration among team members, workstations can be arranged to encompass a team-dedicated 'courtyard,' sized and configured to provide the right distancing to allow for discussions while maintaining healthy separation," he explained.