Gensler Defines an Elevated Amenities Approach for Engaging Office Workers
With many companies issuing return-to-office mandates or new hybrid work policies, global design & engineering firm Gensler has outlined some ways in which employers can go beyond rote commercial building features to offer curated amenities that expand employees’ view of the workplace. Drawing on a more consumerist mindset, Gensler’s Chicago co-managing director Todd Heiser and principal/project director Eric Gannon ask: “How can we bring the unpredictable and enticing into the landscape of workplace design?”
Read on for some examples from i+s coverage that illustrate several of these designers’ top insights.
1. Deliver Dynamic, Layered Environments.
Heiser and Gannon note that while they serve up the essentials, typical offices tend to fall short in terms of experience. Back in August, Rachel Ryan shared how FCA developed a flexible, comfortable, yet inspiring space for its own employees by incorporating configurable elements like lighting and temperature control, different sitting/standing areas for more choice, and restorative spaces that encourage social interaction or allow for quiet breaks.
2. Factor in Authenticity.
Gensler’s blog also covers the importance of differentiation while incorporating the values of the business and its employees. Establishing a visual connection between the company’s culture and what employees want to experience when they come into the office was a big part of Dyer Brown’s design for military and government agency supplier NOBLE. Principal Sara Ross shared that the client’s need for a sophisticated yet welcoming environment drove decisions like a neutral palette with pops of red, and branded graphics and products on display to remind employees that their teamwork and expertise is important.
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3. Add Thoughtful Access to Outdoor Spaces.
It’s been said over and over: Biophilic design provides enormous benefits to mental and physical well-being. Designers can help clients move beyond indoor greenery and allowing in natural daylight by examining the opportunity to develop outdoor spaces adjacent to the office. “Extending the workplace past the office walls,” observe Heiser and Gannon, can enable a “meditative escape.” In an article on designing purposeful outdoor spaces, authors from Duda|Paine Architects cited research by the University of Minnesota and Harvard University that demonstrated the positive effects of fresh air, outdoor scenery, and exposure to daylight on cardiac health and stress hormone levels. While outdoor amenities have been mainly considered at ground level, some facilities owners are implementing terraces, balconies, and elevated gardens at different building levels so all occupants can circulate indoors and out.
Find Heiser’s and Gannon’s full perspective in the “Dialogue Blog” on Gensler’s website.
