The ongoing trend to work from home, whether for two days out of the week or five, will likely have an impact on workplace design. Designers share their thoughts on the new trend, how it can bring about change in the layout, choice of materials, lighting and more.
“A lot of offices are designed to be open plan and I think that will be here to stay, but with partitions and more space between the desks. That will help people feel better,” says Clifton Leung, the founder of Hong Kong-based interior design firm Clifton Leung Design Workshop. “And the partitions will be made from materials that will be easy to clean and disinfect. Nothing that is porous.”
Whether we work from home or at the office, the workload remains the same. Spending long hours at work is normal and Leung hopes that increasingly offices will move away from the standard, cookie cutter looks featuring a monotone colour palette and practical furniture—an uninspiring look that is not conducive to productivity or creativity. “Especially the standard fixture of installing a false ceiling and fluorescent lighting, which isn’t a cheaper option anyway,” says Leung.
