Ivy Liu by Tony Case Outdoor workspaces have long been standard at creative and tech firms, from Microsoft’s tricked-out treehouses to Shutterstock’s birds-eye perch atop the Empire State Building. In the thick of the pandemic, fears about working in close quarters had plenty of companies emphasizing their fresh-air digs. With the pandemic ebbing and the return to the office now underway, companies continue to promote the great outdoors — if a glam, WiFi-enabled one — as a must-have feature of the post-COVID workplace, one that’s got employees’ feelings around safety, comfort and creative inspiration top of mind. At its massive new mixed-use development on Manhattan’s westside, the global real estate giant Related Companies has teamed with the coworking firm Industrious on a project called Yard Work at Hudson Yards, a 7-acre outdoor meeting and workspace providing custom accommodations for up to 28 people. Features include swing set-style seating and sound-buffered work pods that seat four apiece. The area is also equipped with high-speed internet, tech-charging stations, free access to The New York Times, food delivery and an onsite attendant.