Health-Focused Design Firm Retrofits Shared Workspace for Coronavirus Return

When Constellations, a shared workspace in Atlanta's historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood, opened in 2017, the goal was to architect an ecosystem that considers the well-being of its members, tenants and guests, explains founder and CEO Gene Kansas. Little did he know how important this emphasis on health and happiness would be just three years later.

“We believe if you stay ready, you'll be ready," says Kansas, who recently commissioned Atlanta-based Cognitive Design to advise on a healthy redesign of the creative haven. He wanted to ensure that tenants of Constellations' private offices, studies, and creative spaces would feel comfortable about returning to work amid COVID-19.

Cognitive Design founder Matt Finn promotes health through design of the built environment, specifically emphasizing the need to develop spaces that address people's whole lived experience and their immediate and long-term needs in ways both seen and unseen.

“Design starts with understanding the nuances of people, and a lot of people will be experiencing stress and anxiety about returning to public spaces," Finn explains. “Considering the economic uncertainty of the moment and quickly-moving information about coronavirus, we've advised our clients to make readily achievable improvements focused on promoting hygiene and immune function, which benefit health holistically."

For Constellations that meant architectural moves around air purification, sensor faucets, and touchless soap dispensers, as well access to cleaning supplies throughout the building. The space makes it easy for employees to stay compliant to habits that will help them stay well, says Finn. “We wanted to enable tenants to have more control and [have elements that] serve as environmental cues for hygienic practices, like hand washing."

The Cognitive Design team also enhanced Constellations' emphasis on biophilia, the desire to be close to nature, by enhancing the space's greenery, one of Kansas' favorite elements.

A Retrofit to Reinforce the Definition of Health

Kansas points out that the post-COVID retrofitting measures have stayed true to the coworking space's personality. “We took our Molekule air purifier, for instance, and kitted it out with our North Star Library house band design."

The improvement process was a collaborative effort, adds Kansas, whose firm, Gene Kansas | Commercial Real Estate, helps clients buy, sell, lease, and develop commercial properties in Atlanta with a focus on community building and difference-making.

“At Constellations we have 5th District Studios—a really nice place to record—and so often when we work together we just go in there and talk. The 'healthy redesign' conversation was not specific to our requests—instead it was focused on the definition of 'health.'"

For Finn and his team, that extends beyond just physical health and integrates design elements that acknowledge mental, social, spiritual, and emotional health as well.

“The COVID-19 pandemic really highlights the importance of this," he explains. “As we acclimate to living and working in different environments, or living and working differently in those same places, the many ways we're affected become increasingly apparent."

Because health is more than just hygiene, Finn says he and his team also examined ways to encourage other healthy behaviors. They wrote a letter to the members of the Constellations community to raise awareness of improvements to the built space and to encourage healthy choices around sleep, diet, and exercise. “We even provided a map for a 30-minute walk past some of my favorite buildings in the neighborhood."

Building Upon a Foundation Based on 'Conditions, Climate, and Care'

According to Kansas, Finn and his Cognitive Design team were an obvious choice from the initial buildout of the former Southern School Book Building in 2017, citing the time they had spent researching and presenting how to design therapeutic spaces for veterans with PTSD, and for addressing issues such as social isolation.

"This same consideration for the emotional and physical well-being of people was designed into our work together from day one," points out Kansas, "and is now being even further adapted for today's conditions, climate, and care."

Kansas reinforces that the team's focus has always been on providing what people want and need even as the landscape changes. “It is not necessarily about a future-looking vision; instead it is more an adherence to our guiding principles: Freedom of Choice, Variety of Experience & Opportunity, and Community with Retreat. These have served us well, and I believe will continue to add value as the world changes because they're genuine to our DNA."

A Return to Community, Retreat, and Health

“When people choose to return to the workplaces we've designed," says Finn, “they'll return to a place that is noticeably improved in ways that support them maintaining their health."

Kansas agrees, and looks forward to the day when the coworking space is bustling once again with energy and ingenuity.

“I believe now more than ever having the opportunity and choice for privacy is critically important. It's also truly nice to have people around. The opportunity for our tenants to enjoy both community and retreat delivers the supreme value of choice. With a fluid situation, that's a winning combination people are enjoying."