George Brown College executives unveiled a new hybrid workspace downtown on Monday as staff returned to the office after the Covid-19 shutdown.

They toured their staff offices at 230 Richmond Street East, which now include large rooms with desks, collaborative spaces, and tech-equipped meeting rooms.

The $1.9 million pilot project has been underway for nearly two years as the college discovered through a survey that 80 percent of its employees want to work from home.

The college said the new space is a way to support staff and demonstrate flexibility wherever they work.

Juanita Watam Samman oversees the Academic Quality Unit. She missed the office and enjoys seeing her colleagues again, while being able to work with people not in the office.

"Today I had an in-person meeting, two online meetings, one there, the other here, so I love that," she said.

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

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

Privacy remains an option in the mixed office, as it is equipped with many soundproof booths for phone and video calls.

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

Graeme Kondros, the College's Workplace Planning Director, said, "One of our key functions as a post-secondary institution is maintaining the sense of campus culture for our students, so we wanted staff to come back for some time."

President Jervan Ferron said bringing staff back downtown is part of the city's financial recovery.

He said, "Not only will this help us, but it will revitalize and refresh the communities and neighborhoods around us."

Toronto Mayor John Tory was invited to see the space. He says some businesses are adopting this model too.

Tory said, "This is really important work for the city's welfare and economy and the people who work here and those who work elsewhere."                                          Editor: Yousra Bamtarf