WPE: City Square

Work(place) Evolution: Doing Hybrid Well is a project to introduce a shared workspace model at select Faculty of Medicine worksites. It involves transitioning Faculty of Medicine units from individually assigned offices and workstations to shared spaces.

Through recent strategic planning, the Faculty has identified some short- and long-term space challenges that need to be addressed. Hybrid working has fundamentally changed how people work onsite and the types of workspaces they need.

There is increasing pressure from the health authority for space at clinical sites and the Faculty of Medicine is now in the process of releasing the City Square North suite.

Given these challenges, this project is an opportunity to review how our workplaces are organized and used to support individuals and teams to better connect, collaborate, and do their best work in a hybrid environment. By providing shared access to various types of workspaces and amenity spaces, different types of work will better be supported within the same workplace. Teams will:

• be able to connect onsite in ways they may not have envisioned in the past
• have visibility into where colleagues are working
• have built-in capacity and flexibility to grow
• have access to workstations with standardized desktop technology

This model will enable the Faculty to responsibly, effectively, and sustainably use existing space.

This project is a joint initiative between the Faculty of Medicine’s Space Planning & Facilities Management and Digital Solutions units. It is being sponsored by the Faculty’s Facilities & Capital Planning Committee.

For questions about the project, please contact:

Simona Dziaugyte, Work(place) Evolution Project Coordinator, Space Planning & Facilities Management Faculty of Medicine

Phone: 604.218.4444 I Email: simona.dziaugyte@ubc.ca

A number of factors contributed to the Faculty of Medicine’s decision to introduce a shared space model. This includes UBC’s formal adoption of a hybrid work arrangement and subsequent workplace surveys.
Through recent strategic planning, the Faculty of Medicine has identified some short- and long-term space challenges that need to be addressed, including overall lack of space across the Faculty, aging infrastructure, vacant and/or underutilized space due to hybrid working, and workplaces not being optimally configured to fully support hybrid teams. Hybrid working has fundamentally changed how people work onsite and the types of workspaces they need.
The Faculty’s 2021-2022 work with Gensler Architecture and Design informed planning for the Work(place) Evolution: Doing Hybrid Well initiative, as well as an environmental scan, which included looking at other post-secondary institutions who had adopted a hybrid working model.

Not at this time. This project involves rolling out the shared workspace model over multiple phases with SELECT Faculty of Medicine units. Once Phase 2 has been completed and evaluated, the Faculty will look at opportunities to broaden the initiative at other worksites.

Dean’s Office units were chosen to lead the way by implementing, reviewing, refining, and evaluating how shared space can better support hybrid teams from a place of personal experience before rolling it out at other Faculty of Medicine locations in future phases.

Absolutely. The project team will regularly seek input from leaders and staff from participating units to shape the rollout and ensure the new shared workspaces and related guidelines meet the needs and circumstances of each unit. Based on their success, the engagement approaches used in Phase 1 & 2 will be replicated in Phase 3.
Each project phase will involve early engagement with participating units to understand their experiences with hybrid working and to gather their onsite needs and requirements for working in shared space. Unit representatives will be identified to relay unit requirements and other input to the project team and disseminate key project information to their colleagues. Staff will be able to share feedback through surveys, anonymous feedback forms, emails, and through their unit representatives.

The project is being rolled out iteratively over multiple phases and location by location. The phased timeline will allow the project team time to adapt to the feedback and learning of each site and make adjustments before the next site transitions to shared space.
During Phase 1 (Mar-Dec 2023), 11 Dean’s Office units successfully piloted the new model at two UBC Vancouver campus locations – IRC (3rd Floor) and DMCBH.
Phase 2 is wrapping up (early 2024-late 2024) and involved rolling out the new shared workspace model with Vancouver Fraser Medical Program (VFMP), Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) and Teaching Tracking and Payment System (TTPS) teams at space at another UBC Vancouver Campus site (Life Sciences Centre) and piloting the initiative at a clinical site (Gordon and Leslie Diamond Healthcare Centre 11th and 2nd floors).
Phase 3 is starting and involves rolling out the new shared workspace model with Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME), Faculty Development and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) teams at City Square site. Once Phase 2 has been completed and evaluated, the Faculty will look at opportunities to broaden the initiative at other worksites. See the timeline above for more details.

As of now, the timelines for Phase 3 implementation at City Square South suite are as follows. The project team will reiterate key implementation details via a broadcast email to all participating staff and in future communiques as needed. We ask unit representatives to ensure these are also shared in team meetings.

Please note these timelines are subject to change. The project team will notify unit representatives as soon as possible if any changes are anticipated for their unit’s transition. 

Once the roll out concludes there will be a period of evaluation, and refinements to shared space, tools, systems, and the shared space guidelines will be made as necessary. We anticipate shared space to be a permanent change.

A shared space model is where staff can flexibly access a variety of workspaces at their workplace based on their individual or team needs in a given day.

In a shared space model, desks or offices are not assigned to an individual and instead teams share a broader variety of spaces that can be equitably accessed across units. This includes being able to access individual desks, single occupancy and shared offices, meeting and collaboration spaces, meeting spaces, quiet spaces, and informal gathering spaces to meet, connect, or socialize with colleagues.

By providing access to various types of workspaces and amenity spaces, different types of work will be better supported within the same workplace. Teams will:

• be able to connect onsite in ways they may not have envisioned in the past
• have visibility into where colleagues are working
• have built-in flexibility and capacity to grow
• have access to workstations with standardized desktop technology

Expectations regarding when and how frequently staff need to work onsite are determined by Faculty of Medicine unit directors.

In general, staff will need to book individual workspaces on the Condeco platform and can do so up to four weeks in advance. If their schedules change, they can edit/change their bookings in the platform. When staff arrive onsite, they must check-in by 9:30 a.m. on the Condeco app to confirm the individual workspace they reserved. If they don’t check-in by 9:30, the space will be released for others to book. The check-in process ensures that workspaces are confirmed or cancelled early enough to allow others to book or plan their day around the spaces that are available. This is covered in the Condeco training.

There is currently no functionality in Condeco for automated booking. Bookable workspaces can be booked up to 4-weeks in advance.

Yes, a set of guidelines for Shared Space outline what is expected of teams and individuals when using shared spaces. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring the best use and a positive experience in our shared workspaces by following these. These guidelines lay out expectations and best practices for booking and checking in/out of individual workspaces, noise, workspace sanitization and cleanliness, workspace furniture/equipment, individual and team storage, information security and handling of printed files/materials, and technical support.
The guidelines will be reviewed for each group being onboarded and updated to their circumstances, as best as possible.

Units who have already transitioned to shared workspace can find guidelines that apply to them on the Hybrid Work – Sharing Space Mednet resource site:

• Shared Workspace Guidelines Desk Signage at LSC, IRC & DMCBH
• Shared Workspace Guidelines Desk Signage at DHCC
• Storage Guidelines DHCC 11th floor
• Storage Guidelines DHCC 2nd floor
• Storage Guidelines LSC

Yes. You will be able to book individual workspaces up to four weeks in advance and will be able to select a work desk through the online booking tool that allows you to see who will be sitting at nearby desks. This will allow teams to continue to work in the same area on days when they are on site together.

Booking meeting spaces will continue to be done through RoomFinder and Advance Booking Manager, which allow teams to book the same space on a recurring basis up to six months in advance. The transition to shared space will not impact this process.

No additional enclosed spaces are being created as part of this project.

The project team will work with each unit to gather requirements and understand any unique needs. Decisions regarding dedicated workspaces will be made within that context and on a case-by-case basis.

Each workstation will include two monitors, a universal docking station, a mouse, a keyboard, and a web cam.

Each unit will participate in  training on Condeco (the booking tool for shared workspaces) in the lead up to the transition.  During a ~30-minute session on Zoom, participants will get a demonstration of how the platform works; and learn how to book, release, and check into a workspace; and find where colleagues in their team and other units are working. Training on MS Teams, RoomFinder, Zoom functionality in meeting rooms is available through the Digital Solutions Collaboration team. For more information and to request training, visit: https://mednet.med.ubc.ca/resources/facilities/hybrid-work-sharing-space/technology-tools-training-in-shared-workspaces/.

Everyone will have access to some form of personal storage in shared workspaces – the type and where it is situated will depend on the location. Some shared workplaces may have day-use lockers and/or storage to secure personal items at workstations (pedestal under-desk filing cabinets).
Staff are encouraged to keep their personal items, such as family photos and spare shoes, at home even if they individuals plan to frequently use the same shared workspace. Individuals are expected to leave workspaces clean and clear and to take all personal items with them at the end of a booking.

There will be small, dedicated spaces in shared workspace environments for units or programs to store equipment and important materials required for onsite work. The amount, type, and location of storage will depend on the needs of the unit and what is possible space-wise in each location/facility.

Teams will need to confirm storage requirements and review current storage items to find efficiencies. Because team storage is limited, units need to prioritize items being stored and are encouraged to digitize files wherever possible. To ensure information security, printed documents or Post-It notes must not be left anywhere on desks, walls, or meeting rooms, especially confidential or sensitive information.

Everyone using shared workspaces is expected to leave them clean and clear after each booking. Each person is responsible for removing all garbage/recycling, dishes, personal items, paper files/Post-It notes, and equipment even if they intend to use the same workspace the next day and/or for repeated bookings. Adhering to this clean desk policy ensures each workspace is ready for the next person to use.

Staff are encouraged to use digital files instead of printed hard copies whenever possible. Units must comply with UBC Records Management Office policies and procedures, including for paper records security. To ensure information security, printed documents or Post-It notes containing confidential or sensitive information must not be left on desks, walls, or in meeting rooms. All printed materials must be safely stored or disposed of at the end of the workday.

Ensuring that staff feel safe and secure in shared spaces is a priority. The project team is considering safety and security needs when it comes to personal safety as well as keeping personal items safe when staff are working on site.
All UBC employees are required to meet WorkSafeBC and UBC requirements, including mandatory health & safety training. This training is complemented by having relevant information being posted in visible locations throughout our offices. As each of our sites is unique, staff using shared spaces are strongly encouraged/required to familiarize themselves with the posted information about emergency procedures & contact details at that location.