# Breaking Tradition: How One Design Firm Reimagined the Post-Pandemic Office
The pandemic forced every business to question how they work. For Los Angeles-based design firm OFFICEUNTITLED, this wasn't just about survival—it was an opportunity to conduct the ultimate design experiment using their own 5,000-square-foot Culver City office as the testing ground.
## Turning Crisis Into Research
Three months into the pandemic, OFFICEUNTITLED assembled a five-person research team to tackle a fundamental question: **How do you design an office that maximizes collaboration when people aren't there every day?**
The team analyzed pre-pandemic usage patterns, studied emerging research, and began systematically testing new configurations across five key areas:
- Outdoor spaces and natural ventilation - Reception and entry experience - Informal gathering zones - Kitchen and communal areas - Individual workstations
Their warehouse-style space, which accommodates up to 50 people, became a living laboratory complete with operable skylights, garage doors for natural airflow, and flexible zones for rapid prototyping of new layouts.
## Rethinking the Workstation
One of their most intriguing discoveries challenges the traditional desk assignment model. Instead of individual desks or generic hot-desking, OFFICEUNTITLED developed a **"homecoming" approach**—two to three people share a desk with individual storage pedestals.
"We're finding greater value in 'homecoming' over 'hoteling,'" explains Christian Robert, Co-Founder and Principal. "People need a sense of ownership and belonging, but they don't need exclusive territory."
The team also experimented with a star-shaped layout that organizes staff into four distinct quadrants. Each team of 3-4 people claims their own section of the "X," complete with adjacent wall space for project displays and whiteboards. This configuration reduces exposure while maintaining the spontaneous interactions that drive creative work.
## Lessons from a Larger Scale
These concepts aren't just theoretical. OFFICEUNTITLED and their partner Studio Other applied similar principles at BCG Digital Ventures' 55,000-square-foot Manhattan Beach headquarters. The space divides 300 employees into smaller pods, each with dedicated work areas, collaboration zones, and meeting spaces.
"Instead of exposing yourself to 300 people, you're exposing yourself to 10," notes Charlotte Wiederholt, Studio Other President. "It feels much more manageable, controllable and safe."
The design features custom hexagonal conference tables that adapt to the room's geometry—a perfect example of how thoughtful furniture design can support new ways of working.
## The Office's New Job Description
Perhaps the most significant insight from OFFICEUNTITLED's research is how the office's fundamental purpose has shifted. Wiederholt identifies three core functions for the modern workplace:
**Culture:** Building relationships and understanding personalities beyond video calls **Collaboration:** Facilitating the creative exchanges that happen best in person **Training:** Mentoring and knowledge transfer that requires physical presence
"You're no longer in the routine of going into the office every day because you have to," Wiederholt explains. "You go when you know your coworkers will be there because there's a chance to collaborate or catch up on projects."
## Creating Connection Through Design
This shift in purpose demands a complete rethinking of office aesthetics and programming. OFFICEUNTITLED has embraced what they call a hospitality-focused approach, designing their space to feel more like a hotel lobby or restaurant than a traditional office.
Shared meals bookend focused work sessions, and lounge areas support the informal conversations that build team cohesion. The goal is creating an environment that people actively choose to visit, not just tolerate.
"After a year of working from home, you don't want to leave your house to work in a sterile white box," Wiederholt observes.
## The Bigger Picture
OFFICEUNTITED's experiment offers valuable insights for any organization rethinking their physical workspace:
- **Test before you invest:** Use existing space to prototype new concepts - **Focus on connection:** Design for the interactions that can't happen remotely - **Embrace flexibility:** Create spaces that can adapt as work patterns continue evolving - **Prioritize comfort:** Match or exceed the home office experience - **Think smaller:** Break large spaces into intimate, manageable zones
As hybrid work becomes the norm, the most successful offices will be those that earn their employees' presence through thoughtful design and genuine value. OFFICEUNTITLED's ongoing experiment proves that with creativity and commitment to research, the post-pandemic workplace can be better than what came before—not just safer, but more collaborative, more comfortable, and more human.
The firm continues to test and refine their approach, treating their office as an ever-evolving prototype. For design professionals looking to guide clients through their own workplace transitions, this research-driven methodology offers a compelling blueprint for turning uncertainty into opportunity.
