b'FLEXIBILITY But there are also health-related The second pillar of Zurowskis pres- drawbacks to working from home. entation was the renewed emphasisMost modern offices have very on flexibility and the focus that willergonomic workstations, and those now be placed on a fluid approachthings arent typically taken into to office and furniture design andaccount at home, Black explains. Bad placement. Modular, flexible furniturebacks and physically challenging work is fast becoming the norm, and in manyenvironments are the direct result of ways has always been a component ofworking from kitchen counters and progressive design companies.dining room tables. When were doing a space plan now,The pandemic will eventually end, and we also create a second space planemployees will return to office life. But with furniture that can be moved orits a safe bet that the workplace wont transitioned into other configurations,be the same as it was before 2020. Bergman adds. Flexibility is key, and how you can add or subtract from a bank of workstations is not only convenient, but necessary.PCL Constructors has experienced their fair share of pandemic-related shifts, having modified their approach on construction sites with necessary precautions, but have yet to see significant changes to workplaces. Our clients have certainly had to rethink how they operate and think about their future office space. Theyve had to consider how many employees actually need to be present and what the office actually means to them, explains Robert Black, Director of Business Development in PCLs Winnipeg office. In terms of redesigning construction to accommodate the changes in office space, PCL isnt seeing any radical changes yet, because so much can be accommodated with modular furniture rearrangements. There has been a change to how meeting rooms and conference rooms are being plannednamely, [they are] much smaller. WELLNESSThe third element, which was simply called wellness, has yielded some unexpected results. For example, employees have learned that by working from home they can easily go for a walk at lunch and make healthier snacks and meals, Bergman explains. Again, wellness and active living have been a part of progressive workplaces for years, but the pandemic has created a renewed204-661-1055emphasis on its benefits. People are1820 DeVries Ave.experiencing wellness very directly andWinnipeg, MBauthentically at home. So even things like HVAC systems and improved air quality are really going to be looked at in futurePRODUCTS FOR THE INDUSTRYrenovations. Its become important to inject some of those methods into the workplace to make people want to comewww.springhilllumber.comback to the office.Issue 4 Winter Edition 2020 BUILD MANITOBA 31'