Design Strategies for Transitioning Back to Reopening
March 08, 2022 | By Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen
Across many parts of the globe, we are seeing mask and vaccine mandates being lifted. All this signals positive news for individuals and companies looking to get back to something resembling life in 2019.
This presents an opportunity to create a series of design changes for how we experience the places we live, work, and play. We have seen a gap between preferences and expectations. As more places transition to reopening, research is consistently pointing to the fact that people say they value the spaces that provide the most choices for a variety of styles.
Recent findings from the Gensler Research Institute and our Design Forecast report highlight several themes for cities, work, lifestyle, and health that address how our clients can design to enhance both choice and inclusivity in the places they build:
- Designing for choice and a new awareness of how people behave. The projects that are designed to be welcoming and inclusive to meet people’s diverse emotional and well-being needs will have the most value to people.
- Creating empowered experiences for those who use our spaces. Dynamic offices, stores, and other settings that support autonomy and choice will be the biggest differentiator in making real estate a destination people seek out.
- Shifting to a mixed-use model for business. The concepts of amenities and wellness have evolved. People require variety and choice in a range of everyday settings.
- Prioritizing flexibility in how we design our real estate projects. Younger generations value places differently. The importance of third places drives new possibilities for urban planning and office design in the years ahead.
It all comes down to taking a holistic approach to our business. Design thinking can be applied to a variety of thorny challenges. This problem-solving process for defining ideating, prototyping, and testing will be the new normal for how we account for autonomy, choice, and improvements to the human experience.
As companies address complex challenges, they are identifying a model to success that synthesizes real estate strategies, research, and design thinking to meet the needs of those who use our spaces. We look forward to working with you to shape the future of our cities, communities, and buildings.
For media inquiries, email .