As building owners, operators, and developers adapt to a hybrid work model, creating a welcoming office space is more important than ever. In an article for Propmodo’s Perspectives series, ESD now Stantec Senior Acoustics Project Manager Scott Hamilton shares his views on the evolution of the open office and why acoustics play such a critical role to the health, comfort, and productivity of returning workers. (Learn more about open office design.)
Rightly, building operators are focused on getting tenants into commercial office space during the pandemic and preoccupied with important issues, such as social distancing and indoor air quality. But many have yet to focus on the challenges of having low occupancy in buildings during the coming winter months.
With low occupancy, there’s not as much demand on building systems, and operators accustomed to operating systems in a certain way could face obstacles. Technology equipment and plug loads will be reduced because the majority of the workforce is at home. Toilets will not be flushed as often, and water heaters will be used less, which can prompt stagnant water issues.
Perhaps the most significant risk during heating season: Minor problems that linger on unoccupied floors may develop into major problems without a tenant there to notify management.
ESD will provide a Rapid Facility Assessment that can be tailored from the menu in the graphic below:
Want to learn more? Reach out to Andrew Lehrer, ESD’s Practice Leader for High Performance Buildings.
