For the most part, the post-pandemic office will be a cross between home office environments and traditional workspaces that we once knew.
Architecture firm HLW Los Angeles is anticipating demand for low-rise office properties that make it easier to offer workers a safe, low-density office space.
“We anticipate that there will be a continued shift away from class-A high rises to what we call ‘groundscrapers,’ which create fewer moments for bottlenecks in terms of vertical mobility,” said Sejal Sonani, a principal at HLW Los Angeles. “As more attention is paid to creating workspaces that employees feel safe returning to, these types of buildings will grow increasingly attractive.”
HLW Los Angeles’ is using this method to shape its Westside Pavilion project, allowing a single tenant to occupy three floors.
Sonani added that the local market will support this strategy as Los Angeles is always seeing demand for creative office space rather more so than retail.
“This is actually the case for a lot of the urban projects in Los Angeles—the developments are surrounded by transit and amenities, so while the structures might not make sense as a shopping mall, they do make sense for creative office space,” said Sonani.
