Photo courtesy of Svigals + Partners
Katherine Berger
Associate principal and director of interior design, Svigals + Partners, an FCA Company
Industry experience: 15 years
After studying psychology in college, Katherine Berger pursued architecture as a career but never lost her fascination with human behavior and its implications. As director of interior design at New Haven-based architects Svigals + Partners, Berger is responsible for ensuring that modern-day buildings reflect their occupants’ diverse personalities and work styles. At the New Haven-based firm, Berger has concentrated on corporate interiors, including scientific research facilities, as well as school and higher education sector projects.
Q: How has the recent prevalence of remote work influenced the redesign of office spaces?
A: There is a new allocation of space. Before the pandemic, we were seeing 70 to 80 percent being office space. The new allocation is closer to 50 percent on individual work, 30 percent meeting space and 20 percent amenities. The surge in remote work showcased the inefficiency of offices, and it also changed how the office is used. It needs to draw people in. There’s more face-to-face collaboration.
Q: What does research say about the role of color in corporate interiors?
A: There is a ton of research on color and how it affects occupants. When we’re looking at professional environments, we’re wanting to be aware of a variety of colors. When we’re focused on challenging tasks, we should be surrounded by calming colors: less saturated, maybe a little softer. We see a lot of integrating biophilia, and that is about using natural environments, but we’re also using an increasing amount of nature’s colors.
Q: Amid growing awareness of neurodivergent employees in the workforce, what traditional designs pose problems and how can they be addressed?
A: The approach has changed. We typically design for the average. Just being cognizant of neurodivergence in the workplace, we need to design for all. We’ve changed our designs to empathy and what challenges people might face: limiting the intrusive noises, strong smells. We’ve added a higher focus on air quality post-COVID. It’s not just about the health aspects. We’ve tended to overlight a lot of spaces. Glare reduction is a big thing, using lighting controls and programs that adjust and shift lighting during the day.
Q: Does LED lighting have negative effects?
A: It’s not about LED lighting, it’s about the color temperature. A lot of people associate LED lighting with being really cold. Using a softer temperature really reduces that. A typical LED is 4,000 K. We like to be closer to 3,000 or 3,500.
Q: What are some examples of recent projects you’ve designed in Connecticut that reflect the latest thinking on workplace design?
A: Kreitler Financial had a nice story. They were going back to the office after COVID. They had all the creature comforts of home, and they were thinking about certainly the employees but also the clientele. They wanted them to feel comfortable and invited, so they used softer lighting, to give that residential feel: a lot of textures and varieties that you would see in the home.
Q: What are some requests from neurodivergent employees that you’ve factored into projects?
A: It has changed our approach. How are we planning for everybody? It’s about providing choice and flexibility, so folks have the ability to adjust their work stations, their screens, as they see fit. Allowing quiet spaces, when people are feeling overstimulated, to have an ability to reset and step away. A lot of different space configurations, rather than a large open floor plan. The more user control we can introduce to a space, the better. Even temperature: we’re putting in a few zones for workplaces. The biggest complaint was, “I’m too cold,” or “I’m too hot.”
Q: What’s your approach to optimizing the sound environment?
A: Reducing the sizes of open workspaces so there are fewer people in large area. Having an acoustician on a project is really helpful, so we can identify where noise is maybe a nuisance to folks. Exposed ceilings are very popular, but exposed HVAC equipment can give off a really disturbing sound to some.
Berger’s Five Favorite Interior Spaces in New Haven:
- Yale University Art Gallery
- Yale Center for British Art
- Siena Ristorante Rooftop at the Blake Hotel
- Historic spaces in the Taft Building, including Ordinary, Luke Brasserie, and the old speakeasy in the basement
- Beinecke Rare Book Library
