The New Office Space Red Thread and the future of the office

BY JUSTIN MCGOWN jmcgown@westfairinc.com

Flexibility is the watchword for the design of future offices. Just as workers want more flexibility regarding the ability to work from home or the time they are physically in the office, the demands of the modern workplace require a space that can serve multiple purposes and can be easily reconfigured to fit changing needs, according to Jason Chapman, vice president in charge of sales for Red Thread.

Red Thread is an office design and furnishing provider founded 10 years ago by the merger of several companies including Connecticut-based BKM. Their Stamford offices double as a showroom of the latest designs and furnishing options, including an expanding array of audio-visual solutions for the increasingly online workspace.

“It really comes together and becomes quite powerful because we can leverage each other’s knowledge, resources and research from our different partners to help our clients get the best result for their space,” Chapman said of the value added by having a “one-stop-shop” for office solutions that also conducts extensive research with industry partners. “It means a lot of differ- ent things for different companies, and the one consistent thing we see is that ‘hybrid’ is unique to everybody.”

According to Chapman, the key to coaxing hybrid workers to readily come to the office is ensuring that the office feels as good, if not better, for productivity.

“Technology is one of the top three drivers, when we’re trying to get people back into the office, whether it’s one day, three days or five days a week they need to have an at least equitable experience when they’re in the office,” he said.

Spaces that can be reconfigured without hiring a contractor or installing drywall have been in increasing demand, Chapman