Biophilic Design Elements Do Double Duty as NYC Office’s Social Distancing Markers
In January 2020, construction started on a Float Studio client’s 4,750-square-foot office suite in New York City. Only two months later, the city would quickly become the epicenter of the United States coronavirus outbreak, with high infection rates, resulting in some of the most stringent regulations and business closures.
By March, the New York City-based architecture firm said it was “confronted with the fact that offices could not be expected to operate the same,” as in-person work halted across the city. With work on the space already underway, the team had to pivot and design an office that would support the health of its occupants, Nomad Financial Startup employees, while remaining true to its client’s desire for a workspace that suited it beyond the pandemic.
Even before the pandemic made health concerns a priority, the design revolved around the concept of wellness and the idea of creating a balanced workspace. That means the office fostered productivity while also being “[a] regenerative [space to] offset the heavy digital workload,” said Julian Giarraputo, studio manager at Float. A variety of spaces give employees flexibility with individual desks, breakout spaces and common areas. Comfortable furniture and strategic lighting seek to make focusing easy.
Float kept the original open plan, but reconfigured the office to have workspaces with sufficient separation, redesigning the custom workstations to keep six feet of space between employees.
The office is designed to accommodate a blend of remote and in-person work, which for many companies will likely become the “new normal.” Closed breakout rooms are placed throughout the office for working sessions, and are all acoustically fitted for video conferencing and phone calls with colleagues working remotely.
“The idea that everything needs to be an in-person meeting with the full team — that's had to be reevaluated and we believe the culture has changed for the better,” said Giarraputo.
The range of seating options and common areas, like the coffee bar/kitchen and the lounge, create a dynamic work environment and accommodate different work styles while still ensuring employees can remain safe and appropriately distanced throughout the day.
“[The company has] been cycling their team through the space and really enjoy both the private spaces and the more ‘social’ areas,” said Giarraputo. “That mix keeps a liveliness in the space despite the lack of typical work bustle.”
Another core tenet of the design was the desire for plenty of nature incorporated throughout the space, with a focus on mental wellness and natural materials.
The office draws on principles of biophilic design, which “brings the outdoors in” by incorporating elements such as plants, natural materials and finishes, ample daylight, water features and more to connect building inhabitants with elements of nature. The design concept has been shown to reduce employee stress and positively impact physical and mental health, productivity and morale.
Unique concrete planter “boulders,” covered in moss and lichen, bring greenery to the office, and also encourage employees to remain distanced from one another, while circulating throughout the space. The boulders form lanes for walking around the office without aggressive wayfinding markers, described Giarraputo.
While creating an office that responded to coronavirus concerns was a priority, Float also ensured that the space would work for the firm for years to come.
“Pandemic or not, [the office] feels clean and safe while remaining warm and invigorating — a prototype for the next iteration of the office,” said Giarraputo.
