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Because of COVID-19, a large part of America’s workforce has spent most of 2020 working from home.

And despite all sorts of disruptions, these workers have shown that work can be done effectively and efficiently in remote locations. In short, they’re still being productive. Given that, do we still need an office?

Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is yes and it involves all of the things workers have been missing as they work from home, beginning with collaboration and communication. The office not only allows for, but encourages spontaneous interaction and collaboration. It’s the reason why so many organizations have been making the switch to an open office space for years.

In no uncertain terms, communication is clearer in person. Reading someone’s body language and picking up on other visual cues is easier when we’re in the same room as another person. And while Zoom calls have helped immensely, cameras only give us a small glimpse of someone and make it nearly impossible to make eye contact.

But communication is only the tip of the iceberg. Some workers need the buzz of an office to feel motivated and maximize their productivity. They crave moving from space to space for meetings, and feel more energized and inspired when they’re surrounded by like-minded colleagues who are also working toward a common goal. Bottom Line: Some people are simply more productive in the workplace. We all need different resources and tools to help us work our best, and that includes an office space.

Many workers also feel more connected to their company’s culture when they are in an office that was designed to reflect the organization’s mission and ideas. When employees look around, they can see how their role fits into the whole of the larger organization, and are reminded that their work is meaningful and valuable.

Recognizing this dynamic, many employers have worked to give their employees an experience when they are in the office. They have incorporated relaxation rooms, game rooms, gyms, cafeterias, and more to turn offices into “sticky campuses” in which employees feel more connected not only to their space, but also to their work. When everything they need is on hand, employees can worry less and focus more.

Similarly, many offices now offer a wide range of spaces – from private offices and huddle rooms to personal workstations and lounge areas – to provide employees choice and control over where and how they work best. Office spaces also have invested in the furniture and tools to help employees be most productive. Purchasing items like height-adjustable desks, task chairs, printers, whiteboards, and resource libraries may not be feasible for all employees, while access to faster WiFi or video conferencing systems simply may not be available.

The variety of spaces also plays into another benefit of the office. In an office, meetings aren’t taken from our desks. We get up and move, walk down the hall, or up and down the stairs when we need to attend a meeting. Even a short 30-second walk provides us with health benefits as we stand up, stretch our legs, and clear out minds. When we need to ask colleagues a question, we have the opportunity to stand up and go over to their desks rather than staying seated and calling them.

As human beings, many of us crave this social interaction. We want meaningful relationships, and when we’re in the workplace, casual conversations and interactions happen on a regular basis anytime and everywhere. This simply doesn’t happen when we’re behind a screen. It takes more of an effort to catch up with colleagues and learn about each other’s lives.

We’re also more likely to interact with people outside of our own departments when we’re in the office. You’re just not going to randomly bump into people on messaging or video chat platforms. These unplanned interactions can spark new ideas and solutions for problems we’re trying to solve as we gain new perspectives from people who are working on other projects.

Finally, having a physical office helps to delineate between work and personal time. When we arrive at the office, our brains recognize that we’re at work and it’s time to focus on accomplishing tasks for the day. Leaving the office can send a signal that it’s the end of the workday and time to focus on personal things that we might want or need to accomplish. When we don’t shut down for the day and continue working late into the night or on the weekends to make up for lost time, those longer hours can lead to higher levels of stress and eventually burnout.

The office might look different when we all go back to work, but one thing is certain: It isn’t going away.

Yes, coming together in an office setting may be more infrequent, but when we need to meet in order to address important situations or simply get the kind of creative input that comes from team dynamics, the office will be there.

Steven Lang is president and CEO of dancker, an interior solutions firm working with clients to create spaces that maximize the flow between people and ideas by integrating architecture, furniture, technology and logistics.