What do we mean when we talk about the “new normal”? This is a novel concept that has yet to be precisely defined. Some people use it to refer to only those changes that have come about due to a new focus on health and safety, including topics such as the importance of the new habits of constantly disinfecting workspaces, worrying about correct purified air circulation, keeping enough distance between people, no-touch technology, etc. 

But when we talk about the new normal, we are also talking about new ideas, trends, and requirements as they pertain to in-person and online collaboration and human interaction. The pandemic has helped us realize what is truly important: human life in society. That is why new offices must be designed with a focus on spaces that help us reconnect to one another. Architecture is the perfect tool to create precisely these kinds of spaces so that we are prepared for the new normal.

Remote work helps resolve most individual dynamics, but it is the office that must address the dynamics of collaboration and provide the necessary technology to make the most of the digital era in a more collaborative, more human world. While collaborative spaces in traditional offices accounted for as much as 40% of the total area, the new workspace seeks to boost that percentage. Depending on each company’s work philosophy, these areas can now cover up to 90% of the available total.

As we can see, it is not easy task to define the meaning of the new normal. As a concept, it means more than just new biosecurity standards, encompassing new ideas and concepts for a world that fosters human connection. That is why we at EDDICO have created the LIFT consulting service to help companies identify ahead of time the types of changes that their infrastructure is going to need, and to establish the right plan of action to best adapt to a world that has already changed.