• Posted: June 30, 2020
• better construction, Cushman & Wakefield., G|R|E|C Architects, Malko Communication Services; Michael Berger, NECA, Steven Bauer, Thomas Pedergnana

Absent a vaccine or effective treatment method for COVID-19, a resurgence in the commercial real estate market in urban centers like Chicagoland depends upon solutions that make it safe for people to congregate and collaborate in person. Last week, Powering Chicago convened a virtual panel discussion in partnership with RE Journals to discuss the current state of the commercial real estate market in Chicagoland, what companies with office spaces are considering right now as they begin bringing employees back, how the built environment can be adapted to promote health and safety, and the role technology can play in helping businesses safely reopen. 

Joining Powering Chicago Director Elbert Walters III, who moderated the panel, were experts from the Chicago area and beyond, including Josh Bone, executive director of industry innovation for NECA; Thomas Pedergnana, vice president of Malko Communication Services; Michael Berger, principal and director of interiors at G|R|E|C Architects; and Steven Bauer, executive director at Cushman & Wakefield. 

For almost an hour, the panelists provided their perspectives on where the commercial real estate market is headed locally and how office spaces can be updated for life in a COVID-19 world. You can watch the full discussion here, and we encourage you to do so, but we also wanted to share a few key takeaways for those short on time. 

“Traditional” office spaces aren’t going anywhere

A full-scale return to office spaces in Chicago’s central business district in the near future is unlikely, but that doesn’t mean the office spaces that anchor the city is going to disappear. As Cushman & Wakefield’s Steven Bauer explained, “the billion-dollar question is how are companies going to use their space going forward? Have we lost much by working at home and is there a place for a hybrid type model? We don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all [solution]. [Office use is] going to be [different] across industries and across certain functions. Cushman and Wakefield did a large survey with 50,000 end-user respondents and the findings came out this week. One of the big takeaways, and no surprise here, but people said, ‘yeah, I could do my work [at home]. I can get everything done, but that’s not why I necessarily work at a company. I work at a company for training, I work at a company for mentorship. I work at a specific company for the culture, and I’m not getting that.’ 

“We especially saw that come through in the survey results with the younger talent that is out there, who are saying, ‘yeah, I can get stuff done [at home], but I don’t like it. I want to be in the office at least part-time.’ There’s a lot of speculation happening about whether people are going to use more space, less space and how it’s going to affect the industry. But I think right now it’s no more than speculation. Once we start getting back [into our office] space, it’s going to feel different. And the end-users we’re talking to are saying ‘we’re ready to get back in. We’re going to do it slowly, but we want to be in.’ ”

The Physical Environment Must Be Adapted for the New Normal

After years of reducing the size of workspaces to get more people into the office, we’re on the verge of a new era as companies work to de-densify their office spaces and spread out to maintain social distancing when employees return. In addition to platooning employees and staggering schedules to reduce the number of people in close proximity in the office on a day-to-day basis, GREC Architects’ Michael Berger anticipates that many companies will rethink their spaces to make better use of the square footage available to them. Rather than devoting extra square footage to conference rooms, huddle space, phone rooms, and other shared amenities, workstations themselves are likely to expand and be dedicated spaces for employees, eliminating hoteling models and returning office spaces to the way they looked 10-15 years ago. 

“It’s going to change and it’s going to adapt so that people feel safer in the office, but we don’t need to shut down downtown Chicago [permanently],” Berger said. “Right now it’s about adapting some of the standards and thinking about the way that we circulate the space, which is not something that we ever really thought about as much before. It’s also certainly about making people aware of what you’re doing [to modify the office layout] so they feel comfortable [returning].”

Technology Can Help Businesses Safely Bring Their Employees Back to the Office

Technology modifications also have a role to play in safely reopening workplaces, and Powering Chicago contractors have extensive experience with them already. Malko’s Thomas Pedergnana described a range of solutions the unionized electrical industry can install to create contactless office spaces. These include hands-free or motion-activated lights, thermal camera systems to detect elevated body temperature and possible illness, AV solutions that can be controlled with mobile devices to reduce the need to touch shared surfaces, far UV and visible white lighting to sanitize surfaces, and wireless connectivity throughout the office to increase flexibility for future adaptations necessitated by the pandemic.  

On this last point, Pedergnana elaborated, saying, “wireless was already becoming not just a nice to have, but a required component in the commercial real estate space. So if you’re looking between two different venues, one has cellular conductivity, all your employees, cell phones work. The other one doesn’t, that’s been a deciding factor to the point that some people are calling it the fourth utility, along with water, power and gas. As these spaces evolve as the layouts change now, and then if they change later, these workstations, if you’re connected wirelessly through wifi or cellular conductivity, the flexibility that you have to make changes [is important]. To have that flexibility from a technology connectivity perspective is really key to addressing our current situation and being prepared for what’s to come with the evolution of the workspace in the commercial real estate environment.”

The Importance of Experienced Partners Can’t Be Overstated

All of the panelists agreed that the unusual circumstances we’re currently facing will require a customized approach for each company as they transition their employees back into the office. Every company will have its own unique needs based upon how they work and the ways in which their teams collaborate. Before reopening office spaces and bringing employees back, each company must have a customized plan that meets its individual needs, as well as partners supporting them as they reopen who can help ease the transition.

Pedergnana succinctly summarized the value of working with an electrical contractor that serves as a partner throughout the process. “The technology is only as good as how it’s used and how well the customer understands each and every aspect of that item,” he said. “You need to align yourself with an electrical contractor or whatever other trade is involved that is certified and knowledgeable with each of the different technologies. And ideally, find a partner that is well versed in multiple disciplines. There’s some integration between electrical and AV; wireless can complement low-voltage and other systems. Stay informed and align yourself with the appropriate partner, working with somebody that understands and is able to converge and operate multiple disciplines.”

To learn more about how office spaces can be adapted to safely reopen with the help of experienced Powering Chicago contractors, contact us today.