Melissa Pesci, AIA, LEED AP, is an Architect and Principal specializing in workplace planning and design in HGA’s Corporate Interiors Group. Here, she talks about changes driving the workplace—and opportunities to engage people on different levels.
What inspires you about workplace design?
Workplace design is really about people and understanding what makes people happy and productive. People spend most of their day in the workplace, so it is important that the design creates a positive experience for team members. In many ways, workplaces are our second home, and we often spend more time with our co-workers than with our own family during the day. The most successful businesses recognize that design supports business goals by improving efficiency, staff wellbeing, and innovation. They also recognize that the workplace is always evolving and changing as the business model and marketplace change. Companies need to adapt to changes to grow and continue to be successful.
What changes are impacting today’s workplace?
Technology is having a big impact on how we use space and how we design space. Mobile technology is changing the work environment and giving people more choices in how and where they work. And as technology evolves almost daily, the workspaces themselves need to adapt and evolve quickly to accommodate new uses. The five-year office plan has now become the two-year plan, and business owners need to reimage their space to accommodate new processes. When I first started in architecture, I was designing on paper. Now I work off a laptop and make design changes in real time using virtual reality (VR) tools that help owners make informed decisions about their workplace.