Life after lockdown will be starkly different than the world we knew before – and commercial property in Cape Town will be no exception.
As the economy slowly reopens and people venture back into the business spaces they once occupied without a second thought, workers and management will have a new focus: health and safety for everyone.
A new generation of health-first buildings
Recent decades have seen a raft of improvements to the work environment – from air filters and green buildings to gyms and wellness facilities on-site.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, this trend is set to intensify quickly as developers and landlords seek to create a healthier workplace with advanced technology such as voice-activated control for doors and elevators. Just as they had to quickly adapt to a virtual workforce during lockdown, business owners and leaders will need to be proactive rather than reactive in preparing their business environment for the road ahead.
Not all companies can operate remotely, and there will be plenty of workers ready to welcome a return to the workplace without the challenges of home, but if they don’t feel that their well-being has been considered and the offices aren’t fully sanitised, they possibly won’t have to return. Businesses will be well advised to incorporate best practices if they want to re-open their offices;
- Health and well-being will become key concerns for employees, management and clients whenever they enter an office building or retail space.
- The sudden widespread work-from-home culture that Covid-19 has forced on the world will raise employees’ hygiene expectations at work. Their workspaces will need to be as comfortable and hygienic as their homes in order to draw them back.
- Buildings that provide state of the art health and safety technology and smart management systems will have a definite edge in the market.
Health is the new security
The current lockdown in South Africa has seen a drop in crime levels – yet the danger of a disease outbreak is always present.
Health scares are going to be top of mind for a long time – and they will need to be avoided and dealt with swiftly and decisively if they do occur.
- Buildings may be equipped with temperature scanners, isolated air con units and medical-grade air filters.
- These upgrades will pay good dividends by keeping occupancy levels from falling due to health and safety fears.
- Open-plan offices and compact workspaces may need to be re-thought entirely and replaced with smart mini-offices that allow safe collaboration and polite isolation.
If you’d like to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to office space trends, our team of area specialists is on hand to consult with you. Contact us today with your commercial property queries and we’ll be glad to assist you.
