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Has the Pandemic Transformed the Office Forever?
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Has the Pandemic Transformed the Office Forever?

Companies are figuring out how to balance what appears to be a lasting shift toward remote work with the value of the physical workplace.

John Seabrook
The New Yorker, 2021
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Writing in The New Yorker, John Seabrook explains office design and its history in light of technology and COVID. Many firms embrace a hybrid approach, in which staffers split time between office and home; getting the balance right is tricky. Keeping workers off-site saves money, but could undermine corporate culture. COVID safety drives office design, with special entry rooms and customized HVACs. Microsoft stands ready to customize virtual offices for companies in the cloud, offering new options and limitations. Seabrook’s analysis offers rich insight into likely future office design.

Take-Aways

  • Companies are considering whether to retain office space or jettison it.
  • Before the pandemic, communication and collaboration technology had already undermined the physical office.
  • COVID-19 safety measures lead current office design.

About the Author

New Yorker magazine staff writer John Seabrook wrote The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory.

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