BACK TO W RK

OFIS practical guide and design recommendations for the post-COVID workspaces

Since its establishment 34 years ago, OFIS has been working closely with both end-users and interior designers to help them find the right furniture and flooring products. Today, we're on a different mission —supporting companies across the UAE to create and re-create more health-conscious workspaces in the post-COVID-19 world.

To get organizations running at partial capacity, they will need to bring their employees back in waves, while the majority of the workforce will continue to work from home. Thus, the workplace needs to be thoughtfully planned based on current government & global health guidelines and available researches and design recommendations from the top global workplace specialists, such as our partner Steelcase.

Additionally, employees are also trusting and counting on their leaders to help them get back to work safely.

BACK TO W RK

Where do we go from here?Taking into consideration space planning, physical distancing, mandatory sanitization, cleaning and safety measures, employees need to be and feel safe.

We hope that you will find this guide and our initial recommendations useful. It will certainly evolve in the upcoming weeks as we get more relevant evidence-based research on how to sustain the Coronavirus impact in workspaces.

In the meantime, our sales and design teams are on call to answer your questions about different layout options and available solutions, so please request your online meeting today.

#StaySafe #InThisTogether

Gianni Sharrouf,general manager at OFIS

Contents

• OFIS DESIGN OBSERVATIONS

• FAQ

• STEELCASE FINDINGS: NOW, NEAR & FAR

• SPATIAL GUIDELINES

• FLOOR PLAN CONSIDERATIONS

• IDEAS PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS

• FABRICS & MATERIALSBACK TO

W RK

OFIS observesAs designers, we’ve been given an opportunity to put a new lens on creating healthier work environments. It’s a wake-up call for us to study the dynamics of space planning and design more responsibly not only in terms of resilience and sustainability but also adaptability and flexibility.

A few keywords for the times ahead of us are: sustainability, wellness, responsible design, digital transformation, anti-microbial surfaces,voice-activated access, advanced air-filtration systems, virtual collaboration & adaptability.

We have studied the impact of this pandemic on social, behavioral and spatial design requirements extensively and have concluded the need to focus on three key areas that go beyond the design ofthe physical workplace. BACK TO

W RK

OFIS observesThese include the density of the workplace and its population; employee protocols and communication and stringent infection control.

If these criteria are met and protocols are followed by all employees, then we can ensure that the office environment is safe.

Let us know how we can help you in retrofitting your space to create the future well-being of your workplace and people.

#InThisTogether #SafeWorkplace

Hina Kidwai,

Senior interior designer & OFIS design teamBACK TO

W RK

FAQHere we share answers to some of the most common questions that we’ve been recently hearing from our customers on how to adapt quickly and safely our office environments to current health risks.

Is cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing the same thing? No. Cleaning removes germs and dirtfrom surfaces or objects with soap (or detergent) and water but does not necessarilykill germs.Disinfecting uses chemicals ( for example,EPA-registered disinfectants) to kill germs on surfaces and can lower the risk of spreading infection. Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level. This process either cleans or disinfects surfaces and objects to lower the risk ofspreading infection. (Steelcase) BACK TO

W RK

FAQWhat are antimicrobials? The term antimicrobial indicates a property or function of a material that kills or inhibits the growth or action of micro-organisms which include bacteria, fungi and viruses.Antimicrobials can come from an inherent material attribute, physical structure or chemicaladditive. Antimicrobials can target specific groups of micro-organisms (e.g. antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral), specific members of a group, or may act more broadly.(Steelcase)

Can antimicrobials combat coronavirus? Known antimicrobial technologies currently availablefor fabrics and surfaces have not been proven to combat or inhibit viruses such as the coronavirus. Some customers do require antimicrobial additives and, as aresult, Steelcase has options available for high-touch surfaces such as worksurface laminates. BACK TO

W RK

Today’s workplacedesign challenges

Open plan | High density | Shared spaces | High mobility | Communal spaces | Residentialaesthetic

Today’s workplaces were designed to fuel creativity, innovation, speed and agility. They were not designed to mitigate the spread of disease.

Our partners at Steelcase worked with a network of leading experts to create a guide for returning to the workplace. "Navigating What's Next" offers strategies for retrofitting, reconfiguring and reinventing the workplace to create a safe office.

In the following pages, we've summarized Steelcasekey findings and spatial recommendations. BACK TO

W RK

The Now, Nearand Far

To create the right kind of workplaces for people when they return to the office, our partners at Steelcase recognize the importance oflooking across the time horizons of now, near and far.

For many organizations this will happen in waves anddiffer across geographies, as they bring segments oftheir workforce safely back into the office.

In case you want to know more, you can download your copy "Navigating What’s Next: The Post-COVID Workplace" via this link: https://www.steelcase.com/postcovid/

BACK TO W RK

NowWHAT WE KNOW NOW

This will be the first wave, with portions ofthe workforce continuing to work from home. Planning for now also means retrofitting the workplace, based on a common-sense approach that adheres to governmental and global health guidelines, including physical distancing, adding barriers, cleaning and safety measures.

Key principles to focus on:

• Density of the workplace and its population• Geometry of the furniture arrangements• Division using screens, panels or other barriers

BACK TO W RK

Nea rSCIENCE-BASED & DATA-DRIVEN

At this stage, organizations may be ready tobring back most or all of their workforce. Building on what we learn from our experiences and science, organizations can begin reconfiguring the workplace. This will involve new ways to lay out space and change work settings to offer longer-term solutions for enhanced safety.

Key principles to focus on:

• Density of the workplace and its population• Geometry of the furniture arrangements• Division using screens, panels or other barriers

BACK TO W RK

FarSCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY

Office in the future will require reinvention as science-based evidence and emerging technologies offer new solutions. Going forward, offices will need to adapt easily to possible economic, climate and health disruptions. The reinvented office must be designed with an even deeper commitment to the wellbeing of people and their safety.

Main considerations:

•Design for adaptability: spaces that expand and contract; Hands free; Sensors•New materials as the new norm•Living on video; Remote work norm

BACK TO W RK

DENSITY

Three key strategies to consider when retrofitting spaces now or reconfiguring in the near term are:

Spatial guidelines

the number of people per sq. f t . /m

GEOMETRYhow the furniture is arranged

DIVISIONusing screens, panels or barriers

BACK TO W RK

Minimum distanceCreate minimum 6f t /2m distancing between people in open workstations, meeting spaces, cafés and lounge spaces. Reduce occupancy by removing desks, tables and seating, or use alternating desks.

Spatial guidelines

Meet in the openUse open spaces for meetings of more than five people, leveraging flexible furniture with movable whiteboards and screens to create boundaries.

More owned spacesReduce/eliminate shared desking and shift to more owned individual spaces

Separate desksPull workstations and desks apart to increase distancing.

BACK TO W RK

Re-orient furnitureReconfigure desking to reduce faceto-face orientation; turn workstations to 90-degee angles to prevent workers from working directly across or behind one another.

Add space divisionIncrease barriers for existing workspaces by adding screening, storage elements, plants or partitions.

Moveable ScreensAt workstations, consider increased user-movable screening and privacy devices to reduce exposure.

Height helpsImplement the highest boundary possible above the worksurface (on all exposed sides) when a minimum

Spatial guidelines

6f t /2m distance cannot be achieved. BACK TO W RK

Floor planconsiderations

1Individual work spacesBoundaries around individual desks increase privacy and reduce exposure.

2Storage: Storage creates high division to provide separation and psychological comfort.

3Shielding & panels : Moveable boundary screens protect personal space and reduce exposure.

4Cleanable surfaces: The use of cleanable surface materials makes it easy to keep workstations clean.

5Safe distances & biophilia: Individual workstations have been separated to provide 2m of personalspace and biophilic elements promote wellbeing. BACK TO

W RK

Workstation ideasBACK TO

W RK

Cubicles optionsBACK TO

W RK

Meeting room ideasBACK TO

W RK

In-between and rejuvenation spacesBACK TO

W RK

OFIS brandsAs custodians of both sustainable and research-based brands, OFIS offers complete solutions for spaces, which foster wellbeing, higher productivity and active engagement among people.

Apart from Steelcase and its associate partners including Orangebox, Viccarbe, Coalesse and Bolia, many leading brands from Europe and US also trust OFIS to represent them in the UAE. These include Italian brands DVO, Aresline and Diemme, Australian brand Schiavello, as well as Spanish brand Sancal.

For the past 25 years OFIS has also been the exclusive dealer for Interface, the world's leading carpet tile manufacturer and we continue to be its largest and most successful dealer within UAE.

Products & solutionsOFIS offers a wide range of products & solutions for the post-COVID office environments. Get in touch

with our design and sales team today so we can can help you plan a safe return to your office.BACK TO

W RK

An essential part of planning for the Now phase, means retrofitting the workplace, based on a commonsense approach that adheres to governmental and global health guidelines, including physical distancing, adding barriers, cleaning and safety measures.

The addition of screens or panels as special shielding solutions to existing spaces is especially important to create new divisions when the minimum required distance between employees cannot be achieved.

Companies need to be able to adapt their existing spaces now, with short term solutions that require minimum investment, to let people come back safely to the office.

Shielding solutions

BACK TO W RK

Retrofitting Shields

Leverage existing space division screens on desksand benches. Light and easy to install, the retrofitting extensions provide an immediate and low -investment solution for additional protection at the workstation.Compatible with Divisio and Partitoscreens.

Desk Shields

Desk Shields are easy to integrate in existingworkstations and provide the desired level of protection with different applications.The shields are compatible with pre-installed screens.Polycarbonate allows for full visibility and the cardboard option has a low environmental impact.

Freestanding Shields

At workstations, user-moveable screening and privacy devices help to protect personal space and reduce exposure. The freestanding shields are light, so they are easy to assemble and to move.

BACK TO W RK

Partito Wall brings structure to open areas and offers support for the different types of task carried out during the working day.

The Partito system supports the many different types of activities that take place every day in the office.• You can create areas that make it easy for people to work together, or that help them to concentrate and function independently.

Clever cable management makes data and power distribution virtually invisible, while acoustic absorption means effective soundproofing.

Steelcase PartitoProtective Screen

BACK TO W RK

The Steelcase Flex Collection empowers teams to create spaces that can be rearranged on demand, creating environments individuals need to do their best work.

These lightweight, freestanding screens come in threeshapes and sizes and connect with a magnetic edgeso you can build and take apart, again and again.

BACK TO W RK

Steelcase Flexfreesta nding screens

The acoustic boundary improves acoustic performance and provides a boundary for space division.

With two sizes, the acoustic boundary will be your go- to to make your team space functional and feel just right.

BACK TO W RK

Steelcase Flexacoutic boundary

Lagunitas Lounge System expands its breadth of line with a freestanding nook for solo work, Lagunitas Focus Nook. This addition offers users a touch-down destination for doing focused tasks in a traditional work posture —optimizing space within the open plan, while staying centered and free from distractions.

With its high screens in a signature knitpattern or fabric construction, the Focus Nook offers enriched color and warm design to invite more expression in the open plan.

BACK TO W RK

LagunitasFocus Nook

Enclosed in mesh, Turnstone's Campfire Screen creates an office oasis by providing semi-private boundaries. It adds privacy to lounge settings.

Right hand and left hand available.

BACK TO W RK

TurnstoneCampfire Screen

Coppice is a stand-alone, single occupancy work booth that provides a high level ofacoustic comfort, increasing the productivity of those doing focused work tasks.

Where work requires high levels of concentration and focus, Coppice is the ideal solution, offering differently configured personal booths designed to combat noise distractions in the open-plan workplace.

BACK TO W RK

OrangeboxCoppice

Our Italian furniture partner DVO offers the newDV300-Screen. It's a collection of protective barriersdedicated to those in direct contact with the public orworks in offices with multiple workstations.

These are transparent plexiglass screens and adaptable to most surfaces, therefore easily integrated into an existing workstation. They are also equipped with a self-supporting system that allows you to place them on reception, desks, tables and other workstations.

100% recyclable, the panels of the DV300-Screen series are almost an imperceptible presence inspace and fit perfectly in any context.

BACK TO W RK

DV300 screens

Our furniture partner from Australia, Schiavello has designed a series of protective shields as a control measure to reduce the risk of infection inhigh-density workplaces and call centres, as well as retail and public service facilities.

All panels can be designed to size as a retro-fit solution to suite your space, using a selection of non-porous durable materials with antibacterial properties that can be easily cleaned.

The Schiavello range of protective shields have been certified by an independent Occupational Hygienist to guarantee the highest level of safety for your employees and clients.

Protective shieldsby Schiavello

BACK TO W RK

Focus High Density Workspace Divider

Freestanding dividers as a perfect solution for any high-density workspace including call centres.Discourages co-workers from entering and touching a workspace. Glass insert maintains visual connection with colleagues. Available in a range of protective

Desktop Hygiene Protection Screen

Provides a physical barrier between two workers in a high-density workspace.Unique slide on bracket provides superior stability while also being mobile.Suits any worktop thickness. Available in a range off protective materials including acrylic, glass, and

Hygiene Protection Screen

Designed for retail, public spaces such as banking, protecting both employees and clients. Includes access cut-out at the base to enable employees to transact with clients or c o -workers. Brackets are designed with superior strength to lock in securely resisting any force.

Privacy Panel Extension

A retro-fit solution to increase the height of any panel or wall system.Customisable heights are available.Available in a range off protective materials including acrylic, glass, laminate and antibacterial vinyl.

m ateria ls. antibacterial vinyl BACK TO W RK

High, curved Focus panels form a shield from the surrounding environment, absorbing noise and creating a quiet and intimate place of retreat with dampened acoustics. Focus is available in a variety of configurations and finishes such as fabric, leather,veneer, MDF and timber.

Focus range bySchiavello

BACK TO W RK

Toku collection creates spaces for privacy and focus.

Toku Screens respond to the ever-changing needs of the workplace, acting as a standalone room divider and creating separate spaces for different tasks when the need arises.

This empowers people with the autonomy to choose the place they need, enabling them to fulfill their tasks while embracing diverse working styles.

Toku screensSchiavello

BACK TO W RK

Soft Boundary is a considered piece of soft architecture that delivers an acoustic and visual boundary, allowing individuals to control their workspace – particularly within open plan spaces.

Soft Boundary’s geometric form and melded synthetic felt composition works to maximise the disruption of sound waves. Soft Boundary’s form also creates a visual barrier, allowing staff to block areas off for privacy surrounding meeting spaces, the desktop, or windows.

Soft boundary

BACK TO W RK

Schiavello

Shelves can be used for potted plants, as well as storage for books and other ornamental objects. The grids can also be displayed as a room divider, either indoors or outdoors.Offering a range of single and grid modules,

Vertical Garden houses 3–12 plants, suitable for a project of any size.

SchiavelloVertical garden

BACK TO W RK

MOSSWALL® is the proper solution to give you the latest decorative trend in architectural and interior design, both for residential and commercial settings. A moss wall design can be a relaxing scenography for a dining area in a hotel or restaurant, or again it can be used as room divider and wall decoration in an office or a reception.

Available in 23 colors, it can be simply fixed to a wall or assembled with a modular, freestanding wall.

Verde ProfiloMosswall divider

BACK TO W RK

Sagegreenlife, a Coalesse partner, provides beautiful living green walls and self-contained, freestanding walls and movable partitions.

Biophilia – our innate affinity for nature – has become more important for those who want workplaces that promote wellbeing. In response to this growing demand, Coalesse and Sagegreenlife have joined forces to enliven the workplace with living walls.

BACK TO W RK

Sagegreenlife

Tapís by Sancal

Tapís is a divider panel system designed by Isaac Piñeiro for Sancal to create and define small environments in open spaces without resorting to construction works or the unsightly PVC panels.

These upholstered mobile walls are available in a wide array of vibrant fabrics. This empowers interior designers to fit them into their design project – in stark contrast to other options that offer a very limited variety of finishes.

These panels are available in three heights and two width options to create compositions with a simple assembling system.

BACK TO W RK

Design elements created through a modular Interface carpet tiles can work as a measuring tool on the floor to help prompt physical distancing. OFIS design team can support you by designing a

flooring concept that can help you create boundaries, zones, and movement throughoutvarious types of office spaces. BACK TO

W RK

Designing fordistance with Interface carpet

The floor can be an important wayfinding tool. But it could also serve a larger purpose in impacting behavior. Beyond simply helping the individual navigate space, wayfinding could evolve into a “we-focused” practice that acknowledges the individual’s role in keeping oneself and others safe.Flooring can play a role in creating that physical and psychological security.

In corridors, for example, you can create lanesfor uni-directional and bi-directional movement while in open spaces, the floor can work together withfurniture to create zones. BACK TO

W RK

Many companies will extend working from home on a part time basis to allow safe reintegration into the workplace.The new ecosystem of spaces will include the home office

and our team can help you with choosing the right ergonomic task chair so you cancomfortably work from home. BACK TO

W RK

People & places arean organization’s greatest assetsSpace planning

From space planning ideas to practical furniture solutions, we can help you rearrange your existing furniture and better utilize your office, allowing spaces to flex and adapt fluidly as teams start returning to work.

Employee engagement

We can help you create spaces that offer a controlled environment to get your staff back into work flow and focus, free from distractions, understanding workers' current needs to be and feel safe.

Follow us

Looking for the latest insights in post-COVID workplace design or a daily dose of inspiration for your next restaurant, hotel or a school project? Follow us!

BACK TO W RK

Get in touch!

www.ofis.ae

customercare@ofis.ae; steelcase@ofis.ae

+971 4 3563 700

OFIS Showroom & Workspace Ground floor, OFIS building Umm Hurair, Dubai

ESAG Design Hub 1st floor, Building 1aDubai Design District d3

THAN K Y U