Companies looking to optimize or consolidate the workplace are asking themselves a simple question: how much space do we really need? Christopher Hom highlights the importance of agility, data-driven decision-making, and forward-thinking in workplace planning, regardless of the industry.
Hybrid working and the constant fluctuating and shifting demands of the modern office have many workplace teams scratching their heads. The issue of space and adapting to the ebbs and flows is top of mind.
How do you know if your space is functioning well? Or simply, how much space do we really need?
My background is in Architecture, Real Estate, Strategic Workplace Planning and Design, and Agile Methodology for Silicon Valley mainstays like Apple, Dropbox, and Meta/Facebook. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from working at these forward-thinking organizations, it is that we need Agile methodologies in modern workplace planning and data-driven decision-making to determine space requirements.
Insights about space in Silicon Valley can be applied to any workplace or industry. Here are some lessons that I’ve learned.
Agile Methodologies Must be Applied to Workplace Strategy and Design
The application of agile methodologies is an absolute necessity in the tech sector because space use fluctuates constantly. There are different ways of approaching this. For example, seating ratios—each company I’ve worked for has different types of ratios based on their specific working cultures.
Sit-to-stand desks were the backbone of what made our space work at Meta and Dropbox; it was the staple that everyone utilized, regardless of position or title. When COVID-19 happened, we tried to understand what the new workplace would/could look like, knowing that people would eventually return, albeit in a different fashion to pre-COVID days. It was and continues to be the holy grail, not just for tech, but all businesses trying to understand what workspace should look like and how it should function.
At Meta, we explored ideas to solve the challenge of people entrenched in video conferencing. When people returned to the office, there wouldn’t be enough conference rooms to accommodate the expected level of usage and privacy demands.
In trying to understand a new footprint in a manner that allowed for the ability to have video conferences in more places, pre-Covid. We experimented with desk add-ons that included adjustable sound-absorptive panels—along with noise-canceling headsets—wrapped around desks to create a semi-private environment. This rapid experiment helped create a sense of normalcy of how video conferencing could be done in the office without disrupting deskmates or needing more conference rooms.
The program had varying degrees of success but represents the continual process of iterating in meeting the challenges of a changing workspace environment. This iteration of existing space is a prime example of the agile methodology being used in workplace planning and design.
Adapting to Changing Space Requirements is a Key Principle of the Agile Methodology
Neighborhoods of space can help with the ebbs and flows. In the past, the least desired seats were located just off the major circulation paths because desks were constantly distracted by excessive chatter from people walking by and/or outside ambient noise. To resolve this, semi-private areas were created along these main circulation paths.
It became more like streets in a city landscape; where these circulation paths have intermittent buffer zones that provide a transition to the more private neighborhoods that house the bulk of desk seating. In our application, these buffer zone treatments were conference rooms, micro-kitchens, and soft seating areas.
These soft areas allow and promote an alternate place to rest, work, or otherwise break up a routine of either working at your desk or attending a meeting. This use of architecture/design is critical in combating the monotony of sameness.
Data Should be Assessed and Analyzed to Inform Space Planning Decisions
One of the beauties of data is that it can help inform a decision. For example, badge readers help us understand the number of people coming in. Strategically placed sensors can then help inform where people are migrating to and from.
The flip side is that there never seems to be a shortage of data. The challenge comes from being able to identify the type(s) of desired information, the quality of it, and ultimately deciding what to do with it in terms of using it to help understand what is the real nature of the problem that is trying to be solved.
Determining Seating Ratios, Adjacencies, and Proximities in Workplace Design isn’t Always Straightforward
Pre-COVID, scenario planning was relatively straightforward. We used a 1:1 seating ratio so the math was easy to calculate the amount of required square footage for desks/seats, conference rooms, food service cafes, fitness centers, micro-kitchens, et al.
The introduction of a hybrid model, in addition to a remote workforce, has driven the exploration of desk sharing and figuring out the right seating ratio. Choosing 2:1, 3:1, and so forth, all have implications on the overall square footage, operations management, and associated finance obligations.
Furthermore, taking into account the impact of “the human factor” cannot be underestimated. By this, I am speaking to the variables around people tending to be in the office more on mid-week days and less on Mondays and Fridays. When people are in the office, the natural inclination is to congregate around familiar faces if possible. So, how do you create enough space to accommodate the peaks of demand but not so much that in the opposite valley period, the amount of workplace doesn’t feel overly large and too expansive?
This creates the real estate and facilities version of the Goldilocks Principle, where we are tasked with finding a solution that isn’t too much or little but rather, just right. Ultimately, this proves to be more art than science as each company will solve this with more or less variables, such as corporate culture and the degree of financial restrictions.
Emerging Technologies Will Influence the Future of Workplace Design
At our core, we are social beings, and as such, there needs to be a continual push to improve the balance of in-person interaction vs tech-driven solutions. I believe that the next 5-10 years will see technology advancements that will push the boundaries of how people interact.
The evolution of augmented and virtual reality tools will significantly close the gap between how it feels to interact in person. As the distance between science fiction and science fact becomes smaller, there remains the question of how this will impact the need and use of the workplace.
The concept of technology changing how people behave and interact is not a new one. From the first controlled use of fire, gunpowder, the steam engine, the electric light, the telephone, the television, and the computer, each advancement has had a significant impact on how we act as a society.
However, the time between these advancements is increasingly shorter, and our ability to wisely adapt to their use is a continual challenge for those of us who manage the elements in and around the workplace.
The stakes have never been higher. Figuring it out and staying nimble while knowing that the fluidity in our swim lane remains constant is both a little scary and exhilarating.
Conclusion
You don’t have to work in Silicon Valley to learn from these insights into the expanse of the workplace. Agility, data-driven decision-making, and forward-thinking in workplace planning are essential, regardless of the industry in which you work.
Whether you provide an ergonomic desk, a cubicle, an office, areas of delight and amenities, and/or neighborhoods of space that adapt to changing requirements; every company is different in how they choose to solve the problem around the workplace. As such, it is vital to assess and analyze your own data, consider external points of information, and integrate the corporate culture to inform space planning decisions. Since the needs around space continue to fluctuate and the perfect office is an idea that is more aspirational than real, you need to take an Agile approach towards problem-solving.
Engineers may be at the forefront of the tech sector, but employees in all departments share similar work and social needs. These include seeing colleagues face-to-face and using a variety of spaces for differing activities. Ultimately, the issues around space remain a critically present and fluid challenge for everyone to solve.
For more on optimizing office space with an Agile mindset, check out more content, where we explore how incremental changes help guide the workplace strategy as a whole.
About the Author
Christopher Hom is a former executive of real estate, workplace, development, and facilities for companies in the technology and healthcare sectors. He last worked with Meta/Facebook before retiring and enjoyed a decades-long career that included Apple, Dropbox, Cadence, and Kaiser Permanente, overseeing an aggregate portfolio of 130+M sq ft in over 30 countries. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Enjoying our blog? Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on Saltmine's original content with the form below!
