A New Workspace: Changing Plans Due to COVID-19

Construction companies and businesses know they need to change how they build new office buildings.

Amanda Brandeis shows us one company that had to quickly change its blueprints to focus on keeping employees safe from COVID-19.

CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES ANDBUSINESSES KNOW THEY NEED TOCHANGE THEWAY OFFICE BUILDINGS ARE BUILT.AMANDA BRANDEIS SHOWS US ONECOMPANY THAT HAD TO QUICKLYCHANGE ITSBLUEPRINTS TO FOCUS ON KEEPINGEMPLOYEES SAFE FROM COVID-19.21:38 "WE WANTED A PLACE THATWAS OUR OWN."AN OFFICE SPACE THAT SHAPESCULTURE, WHERE EMPLOYEES WANT TOGO.

REID CARR, CEO OF RED DOORINTERACTIVE6:11 "WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN FLEXIBLEIN OUR WORKPLACE, WE'VE ALWAYSALLOWED PEOPLE TO WORK FROM HOMEIF THEY WANT, AND WHAT WELEARNED IS THAT PEOPLE DO WANT APLACE THAT IS THEIR OWNTHAT WE CAN COME INTO."REID CARR IS THE CEO OF THEMARKETING AGENCY RED DOORINTERACTIVE.

AFTER YEARS OFLEASING AN OFFICE IN DOWNTOWNSAN DIEGO, THE COMPANY WANTED TOCREATE ITS OWN SPACE TO FOSTERCOLLABORATION AND GROWTH.

2:55"WE WERE EXCITED WHEN WE FOUNDIT, WE HAD A VISION FOR HOW THISWHOLE PROCESS WAS GOING TO GODOWN."THE COMPANY PURCHASED NEARLYHALF AN ACRE OF PROPERTY TOCREATE A CAMPUS-STYLE WORKPLACE.2-SHOT 32:55 "WE'RE GOING TOHAVE A PORCH."BUT AFTER THE PANDEMIC CHANGEDOUR WAY OF LIFE, THE COMPANYOVERHAULED THE DESIGN TO ENSUREIT WAS A SPACE EMPLOYEES NOTONLY WANTED TO GO BUT COULD FEELSAFE IN.

16:40 "I THINK WE AREDEFINITELY GOING TO SEE ITIMPACT WORKPLACES, HOMES,MARKETING,SHOPPING, EVERYTHING."THE NEW CAMPUS WILL INCORPORATETOUCHLESS FEATURES THROUGHOUTTHE BUILDINGS LIKE DOORSAND WATER BOTTLE FILLINGSTATIONS.THEY'RE CREATING OUTDOOR MEETINGSPACES WITH HEATERS AND SHADESTO BE USED YEAR-ROUND.AND INSIDE, THEY'RE INVESTING INTHE BEST AVAILABLE HVAC SYSTEMSFOR AIR FILTRATION.12:31 "I'M LEARNING AT ALL THISSTUFF AS WE GO, BUT WE'RELOOKING AT HOSPITAL GRADE STUFF.THEPERSPECTIVE WE TOOK IS THERE'SALWAYS GOING TO BE FLUS ANDCOLDS, SO WHY NOT DO THESETHINGS THAT WILL HELP KEEPPEOPLE FROM SPREADING DISEASE."IN ADDITION TO HAVING THEIR OWNSOCIALLY- DISTANCED WORKSPACE,EMPLOYEES WILL HAVEDESIGNATED AREAS SEPARATE FROMVISITORS, INCLUDING THE KITCHEN.WHICH WILL FEATURE ACCOMODATIONSFOR FOOD PREP AND HAND WASHING,AS WELL AS A NEW SNACKSTATION ALLOWING FOR MINIMUMCONTACT.FROM THE KITCHEN TO CONFERENCEROOMS, THE COMPANY REINVENTEDEACH ASPECT OF THE CAMPUS.6:46 "IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TOHAVE A PLACE THAT'S ATTRACTIVE,AND IT PUTS ANOTHER AND ANOTHERLEVEL OF DESIGN AND AESTHETICAND IDEATION ON AN ENVIRONMENT."AS SOME COMPANIES CONSIDERMOVING TO REMOTE WORKPERMANENTLY, CARR SAYSTHERE'S VALUE IN A WORKPLACEDESIGNED TO SUPPORT EMPLOYEES.BUT TO MAKE IT WORK, FLEXIBILITYAND RESILIENCY IS KEY."I MEAN, THIS IS OUR HOME."IN SAN DIEGO, I'M AMANDABRANDEIS REPORTINGIT ISN'T JUST FALL SPORT