Preparing Your Office Building for 2021: Key Trends to Consider

There’s no doubt about it; 2020 has made the future of office workspaces hazy at best. 

There are many California businesses that haven’t convened in their office spaces since the pandemic began, leaving building owners with empty buildings and a feeling that the mercurial future of office work means that the interiors of their buildings will definitely need upgrades if they are to remain competitive in this evolving space. 

Proactive building owners know that now is the time to renovate – and they’re taking decisive action to ensure that when stay-at-home orders are lifted, they’re prepared to entice their tenants back into safe and adaptable workspaces. Here are some of the most defining trends we predict to see in 2021 office workspace renovations.

Space for Distancing

For years, academics and architecture specialists alike touted the benefits of open office plans, team-based workspaces, and co-working solutions. These practices will need to be adjusted for a post-COVID world, however, to maintain necessary physical distancing when teams return to work. Workplaces must consider how they can make the most of the space available to them, in some cases finding ways to incorporate partitions or other distancing safety measures like de-densification while still maintaining a pleasing aesthetic and a necessary sense of community. “The likely reality is that we will eventually return to a collective workplace, but one that has changed beyond what we could have previously imagined,” says Blaine Brownell in Architect Magazine.

Communication Upgrades

Remote work has fundamentally changed the way that teams communicate with each other and with partners, clients, and vendors outside of their own corporate bubble. Even with the eventual return to office work that many businesses will undergo over the course of the next year, video conferencing will still be a large part of the essential work of many businesses. Savvy building owners should incorporate technology upgrades into their renovation plans. Rooms and spaces capable of hosting video conferencing for teams, high-speed internet infrastructure, and reimagined conference spaces that allow for physical distancing as well as productive work will help businesses foster necessary communication between those working in their offices and those working remotely. 

LEED Certification

The popularity of green buildings has risen even through the COVID-19 pandemic. More businesses than ever are favoring designs that incorporate green ideas and measures over less-environmentally-friendly alternatives, finding that green buildings align more harmoniously with company culture and workforce values. One of the most popular green building certification programs designed by the U.S. Green Building Council is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. An experienced contractor can bring your renovation idea to life within the bounds of LEED certification requirements by using LEED-certified equipment and building materials.

To incorporate these ideas and more into your office space renovation, contact us today. 

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With years of experience in both commercial construction and residential construction, Alpha Omega Contractors is your go-to construction company in Southern California. Our experts take on projects ranging from office space remodels, medical office renovations, and retail space updates for gyms, financial centers, restaurants, salons, car washes, and more. A trusted Orange County contractor and Los Angeles County contractor, we help bring your renovation wish list to life while helping you safeguard and future-proof the profitability of your business. Whether you need help with a residential floor plan or an upgrade to your medical office or retail space, our team of general contractors, designers, and design-build experts will collaborate with you from the initial stages of pre-construction through to putting the finishing touches on your dream remodel project on time and within budget.

Learn more about how to future-proof your commercial property investment.