Hybrid office space for post-pandemic era makes new home at Toronto college

Executives at George Brown College showed off a new downtown hybrid workspace Monday as employees return to the office following COVID-19 lockdowns.

They held a tour of their staff offices at 230 Richmond Street East campus, which now include large rooms with desks, collaborative spaces and meeting rooms equipped with technology.

The $1.9 million pilot project has been in the works for nearly two years as the college discovered through a survey that 80 per cent of its employees want work from home options.

The college said the new space is a way to support staff and show flexibility wherever they are working.

Juanita Wattam-Simeon oversees the academic quality unit. She has missed the office and is enjoying seeing colleagues again, while being able to work with people who are not physically in the office.

“Today I’ve had an in-person meeting, two meetings online, one over there, one over here, so I love it. I really do love,” she said.

The new office opened in mid-September and employees are encouraged to come in two to three days a week. They can book a spot from home or through an app by selecting a spot in green on a map of the office.

There are desks where people can choose to sit or stand. That desk may be next to a colleague from their department or someone they may have never met before.

Privacy is still an option at the hybrid office, as it is equipped with several sound proof booths for phone and video calls.

In total there are about 450 seats for 220 employees. They can also invite students or members of the community into the workspace.

“One of the key functions of us as a post-secondary institution is to maintain a sense of campus culture for our students so we wanted employees to come back some of the time,” said Graeme Kondruss, manager of work planning at the college.

President Gervan Fearon said having staff return downtown is part of the city’s financial recovery.

“[It] will not only help us, but it will animate and reanimate the communities and neighbourhoods around us,” he said.

Toronto Mayor John Tory was invited to see the space. He says some companies are also adopting the model.

“This is work that is really important to the well being of the city, and its economy and the people most importantly, who here and who work elsewhere,” said Tory