A pod system for offices under Covid19 lockdown

Winner of DNA Paris 2020 Design Award, in the Responsible Design category, and Bronze A’ Design Award 2021, Qwork Pods or Qworkntine, is an air tight pod system, that can provide safety and protection within the physical work place, while maintaining the same number of employees per square meter as a traditional office system. Qwork Pods design received great media attention in 2020, and was featured in Business Insider, Daily Mail (UK), Yanko Design magazine, and Designboom; and a huge number of international and local media and press outlets.

With the world under lock-down for an extended period of time, some essential businesses still has to keep at least the bare minimum of its workforce, working physically on site to provide necessary and vital supplies for the health supply chain. And the longer the quarantine continues, more companies may be forced to do the same, as shortages will hit the global market.

Qworkntine envisions a solution for these essential businesses and production lines, by providing safe isolated pods for workers who has to be physically located at their workplaces, where they can work while avoiding the risk of infection.

The Q.workntine Concept was submitted to, and shared with #DubaiIDEATHON, an initiative inviting proposals that respond to the challenges in the creative and cultural sectors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was launched by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and the Art Dubai Group.

Qworkntine Pods concept went on to win the DNA Paris Design Award, and was featured in a Yanko Design article about covid19 office solutions.

Concept

The Qwork-pod has a Hexagonal hive like shape, which offers flexibly to suit any office layout. It can also be customized to fit in 90 degrees angles, and can be elongated to accommodate for top executives and management.

It features an automatic handless airtight acrylic door, controlled by facial recognition, and ventilation fans with built-in air purifiers. The pod is envisioned as made of hygiene friendly non-porous materials that can be easily cleaned and disinfected to avoid contamination.

Disclaimer: This was not developed as a tool for bringing back employees into unsafe working environments, this was developed with the safety of those working in the field of essential supplies in mind, those whom the nature of their work necessitates them being physically at work even in these dangerous conditions. The Designer acknowledges that the safest way to work under Covid-19 is to work from home, and if this system is ever implemented, the designer hopes that it would be used for providing safety and protection for those employees now at risk.