“The innovation lab is one of the many ways that we are seeking to create the magnet, not the mandate, for people to return to office and to re-experience the benefits of shared culture, idea exchange and camaraderie,” said Nina Albert, the commissioner of the Public Building Service at GSA, during the grand opening celebration. “What you’re going to see today are just innovations: innovations in furniture solutions, innovations in conferencing, how really can we experience hybrid in a way that feels seamless and effortless as opposed to a burden.”
The year-long project brought together five furniture vendors and one technology provider to offer agencies the opportunity to test out and provide feedback on new and different office space designs, a key piece of the broader Workplace 2030 initiative. GSA is accepting reservations for agencies to test out the lab and to provide tours…
“There’s a section of the innovation lab that I think is pretty cool. It showcases home technology solutions. But really, the majority of the lab is focused on office solutions,” she said. “Specifically, the themes that I keep looking at and keep resonating in every conversation that I have about what the future workplace might be is around mobility and flexibility. You’ll see movable, modular furniture that reflects that need to experiment in the next couple more years until people figure out what that new normal mode of working is for their team. You’re also going to see furniture that’s a little bit more relaxed, so that people can bring that living room comfort to the office. There’s lots of different varieties of space and that’s because the future of the workplace is about providing employees with a lot of different choices.” … Read the full article here.