Celebrating the Completion of Bergmann's First-Ever Virtual Panel Event

On Thursday, September 17, national architecture, engineering and planning firm Bergmann and The Urban Land Institute – Western New York (ULI – WNY) hosted Redefining the Future of Workplace and Building Design, a virtual panel discussion about the future of the physical workplace for businesses post-COVID-19.

The largest event in ULI WNY and Bergmann’s combined history, the event drew registration from over 300 design and business professionals. “This level of interest highlights just how imperative it is to shift our thinking in how we design our places of work,” states Kelly Jahn, Senior Interior Architect at Bergmann and event panelist. “As was highlighted in the dialogue and questions from attendees, the pandemic has amplified and expedited previously-identified trends, such as remote work, coworking and a focus on employee wellbeing.”

The discussion among the five-person expert panel touched on a range of topics including:

• Effects of the pandemic, driving a refreshed look at office design
• Collaboration taking center stage, via hub-based design
• The rise of coworking as the "fourth space"
• Evolved design and mindsets around health and illness at work
• Making employee wellness and wellbeing a priority in design and related budgets

The event was moderated by Suzanne Lefebvre, Project Interior Designer at Bergmann, and brought together an impressive group of panelists:

• Michael Frame, Executive Vice President, CBRE
• Andrew Gallina, President, Gallina Development Corp.
• Kelly Jahn, AIA, IIDA, NCARB, LEED, Interior Architect
• Shal Khazanchi, PhD, Associate Editor, Journal of Organizational Behavior and Professor of Management, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Michelle Ossmann, PhD, MSN, Director of Healthcare Knowledge & Insight, Herman Miller