Smart Buildings

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impacts.

Among them was the almost-overnight shift to working from home. Organizations throughout the world closed offices and sent office employees home to work. Thanks to internet connections and cloud-based solutions, video conferencing platforms and VPNs, workers managed their day-to-day tasks from their home office, couch, or kitchen table, and companies continued to function.

After months of working from home, companies have started to return employees to the office, or are making plans for when and how that will happen.

Most organizations are adopting a hybrid approach to work: employees will spend part of their time in the office and part of their time working from home. This approach provides employees and employers with flexibility, while bringing back in-person collaboration in the office and reinforcing corporate culture.

The Return to the Office
As employees return to the office, the role of the office building is shifting. "Companies that adopt a hybrid approach will likely use offices to develop more emotional connections, facilitate collaboration, and create human experiences," Deloitte reports in their 2021 Commercial Real Estate Outlook.

What these collaboration spaces will look like is spelled out in greater detail in a paper from Panduit and Atlona: Office 2.0