A step into the new

Commercial Design explores how flooring design can provide a new rhythm and pace in the office post-pandemic

A new era requires new strategies. The entire experience of what happens when an employee or guest walks through the front door must be re-considered. Design is leading this effort to reconsider space utilization, FF&E and material use in public space. New strategies to consider start with intentional communication. Is your facility being intentional with how it communicates visually with the occupants?

Our first instinct may be to put up barriers so that people stay separated, but this seems divisive. Flooring solutions can maintain open areas, and thus floors will be more functional than walls when it comes to COVID-19 design solutions. The functionality of space is essential, and flooring helps define this.

Creating floors that define and delineate specific areas for various functions is paramount to guiding occupants through the built environment safely. Flooring also gives people in space visual cues to know how to behave and physically maneuver the space.

Each function of the space must be addressed: How do people enter the building and get from point A to point B? Are there cues for people to walk single file and not in groups? Is the path directional so that people walk one way? Is it clear where people must wait in line, or can congregate in small numbers?

Where can we activate space safely? By designing flooring with intention, people in the space can feel grounded, empowered, and connected to the place.