Session 10 / Chicago Live Program: Collision vs. Distancing: Workplace Evolutions
17 November 2020
UTC: 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM
The vanguard of office design has recently been to “engineer serendipity”—to structure workplaces so that random, idea-producing “collisions” occur between members of different departments, or even companies. The need to practice social distancing to stem the spread of disease has dramatically changed perspectives on this concept. Yet, workers still need to collaborate, and virtual meetings are not a complete substitute. How should workplaces be designed to facilitate these seemingly oppositional goals? How can offices support new ways of working and needs for isolation and privacy, and still allow for safe, productive collaboration? The experts leading the charge into the unknown convene in this session to share their insights.
Session Chair: Hi Sun Choi
Senior Principal RET, Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., New York City
Michael Palmer
Principal, Perkins & Will, Chicago
Stephen Nichols
Associate Director, Systems Engineering, Otis Elevator Company, Hartford
Qingyan Chen
James G. Dwyer Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Editor-in-Chief of “Building and Environment” Journal, Purdue University, Indianapolis
Luke Rondel
Senior Director of Channel Partnerships, Saltmine, San Francisco