If you are planning to refurbish your office and require some inspiration, here you will find the most popular trends currently. Follow the advice provided and regardless of the space you will be working with, you will have ideas for improving your office environment. You should also find companies similar to Curchod and Co to help survey various possible properties. A happy workforce is usually more productive and you can implement certain key elements to ensure that your employees and co-workers are at their happiest.
Create Experience Centred Spaces
Businesses are increasingly looking to create experience centred spaces when designing their offices. Creating a quirky and fun breakout space is an amazing way to boost the morale of employees. No matter the size of your budget or office, it is important to consider incorporating a separate space away from workstations where employees can kick back and relax. Not just that, but smaller informal meetings can actually be held in these spaces, so they are multi-functional. Here are some amazing ideas that can be incorporated into commercial office designs:
- Private Cubicles with Soft Furnishings: From shipping containers with glass walls to low level garden style seating to bean bags, creating personal spaces is a great way to help your staff re-energise
- Gaming Zone: You can decide to go crazy with this by installing ping pong tables, snooker tables, or even retro arcade games
- Library Area: Whether it is books and magazines or screen time, a quiet reading area is great for restoring the senses and getting some peace
- Coffee Station: Instead of focusing on having a sterile kitchen, you should instead provide tea and coffee making facilities with coffee shop style island seating
Understand the Importance of Privacy
Open plan offices became popular in the 1960s and many businesses have stuck to this approach, adding on the odd conference or meeting room. However, in the more mindful society of today, businesses are investing in modular booths or privacy pods to allow employees to work collaboratively in a more focused space. The intelligent use of space makes the construction of privacy booths achievable and straightforward for even small or medium-sized businesses.
Space and Light Maximisation
The days or blue or grey partition walls and dim, artificial lighting are long gone. Offices today are now zoned by glass partition walls, breaking up corporate spaces no matter how small or large. The glazing helps preserve natural light while also providing excellent sound proofing. Also popular are suspended ceilings, which allow for flexible lighting options and work great with glass partition walls.
Promote Wellbeing and Health
The World Health Organisation estimates that by 2020 mental health disorders and cardiovascular disease will be responsible for most non-communicable disease. Forward thinking business owners are thus becoming increasingly mindful of ways they can make the working environment for employees better with an aim to improve wellbeing and health.
Businesses are thus moving toward biophilic design and incorporating soothing elements such as living walls into office designs. The concept acknowledges that in the busy urban world of today, many people are losing the connection to nature. The incorporation of nature elements has been proven to reduce blood pressure and heart rates as well as stress thus significantly improving creativity and productivity.
A vertical or living walls grows plants on substrate or soil and usually has an in-built irrigation system. It is not only aesthetically pleasing but also improves the environment, helping to control both humidity and heat. It is also a much better approach than having the odd potted plant that’s desperate for water and light standing out conspicuously against partition walls.
Ensure the First Impression Counts
The reception area is very important when it comes to setting the right impression to both customers and clients. It is where you set your tone for the business i.e. your culture, ethos, and services.
Instead of plain seating, companies are increasingly including quirky statement pieces, as well as incorporating design features such as digital wall images or living walls. Including charging stations is also growing in popularity and shows visitors that you are a forward-thinking business that prioritises the needs of customers.
