As companies mull a return to the office, local business leaders are figuring out the best practices for their physical footprints. A new lab and pilot space that opened Monday in downtown Seattle allows them to glimpse what the office in the post-Covid world could look like.
The space, near the waterfront at 51 University St., is a project spearheaded by One Workplace and Steelcase. The goal is to inspire visitors with possibilities for their own office spaces.
Visitors to the WorkBetter Lab are greeted with unusual set-ups such as a tent-like pod where individual employees can work. There are cameras designed for meetings that track movement. Some offices have been converted to foster collaborative work.
One Workplace, an interior design firm based out of California, and Steelcase, a design and furniture firm based in Michigan, say they aren't simply showing off products — they're trying to learn from potential clients what they are looking for.
"The inspiration behind the space really came out of a couple of pop-ups that we did down in the Bay Area over the last couple of years," said Mark Baker, chief operating officer of One Workplace. "The idea is for us to prototype a range of different ideas and make them physical."
The WorkBetter Lab showcases what a conference room of the future could be.
The firms came up with the idea for the WorkBetter Lab in December but started working on the project in January. The lab is in what used to be a law office consisting largely of individual offices for partners. The offices have been converted to more collaborative work environments, complete with whiteboards, Zoom stations and movable desks.
The WorkBetter Lab has already starting hosting visitors. The firms understand that, after working from home for more than a year, luring employees back into an office could be challenging, and many of the amenities are meant to foster flexibility. Portable charging stations, for example, allow employees to move around the office as they work. The space has portable cameras to allow people to participate in meetings remotely, and an app enables employees to reserve desks before coming into the office.
"After more than a year of working from home, employee expectations of their work experience have changed. This means employers must create an experience that’s fundamentally different and better than the workplace they left,” said Kathleen Selke, co-founder and vice president of sales at One Workplace brand Porter, in a news release. “The elements we liked about the office before the crisis have become even more critical, while those that frustrated us will become an even more significant barrier if not addressed."