How Healthcare will Change the Future of Corporate Office Design
image source: Kimball brand NeoCon 2019
The world around us is quickly changing – people, technology, and medicine. The future of healthcare will focus more on maintaining overall well-being rather than masking illnesses. So how will this affect the corporate work environment? We can expect companies to begin integrating these health technologies in the future of office design.
Wearable devices
Advancing technologies will play a major role in the future of consumers health such as artificial intelligence and inter-operable data. Wearable devices like Fit Bits and Apple watches already have the capacity to track and monitor our steps, sleeping patterns, and heart rates. We can expect in the next 20 years to watch this trend grow according to Deloitte. Many medtech companies are already beginning to incorporate always-on biosensors and software into devices that can generate, gather, and share data (Deloitte). This will provide consumers with customized health plans and give them complete control over their well-being.
image source: Kimball brand NeoCon Chicago 2019
Supporting spaces
Today’s work culture is all about employee well-being and it goes beyond fancy amenities like a pool table or kegerator. It is important to promote movement and creative flow within the office. This includes creating both physical and mental supporting spaces. The wearable devices can provide active information to manage user’s health and wellness (WorkDesign Mag).
Physical supporting spaces can include sit-to-stand desks or defined walkways for “walk and talk” meetings. There is a serious lack of physical activity within an office environment which can lead to several health issues. It is important for workplace designers to find design solutions that promote health and wellness for employees.
It is also vital to create mental supporting spaces that goes beyond collaboration. Although the Open Plan concept promotes more collaboration between employees, it can be a distraction. Mental supportive spaces can include “quiet zones” which are separate rooms/areas filled with comfortable furniture and calming aesthetics to unwind and regroup.
image source: Kimball brand NeoCon 2018
The future of Office Design
We can expect to see a lot more changes in the office environment. As employee health and wellness becomes the center of a company’s focus, workplace designers will begin to incorporate technology into
into every aspect of the office from our chairs, monitors, and even computer mouse which will monitor vitals and let employees know when they should take a break or walk around (WorkDesign Mag). Office design will also begin to focus more on stress-management and promote more physical activity within the workplace.
https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/industry/health-care/forces-of-change-health-care.html