Good office design really does make for a good day at the office. We reveal the latest office design trends and how to make your office work!
The days of the dark and drab cubicle offices have gone. Studies have shown it’s an important investment for any business looking to increase productivity, retain employees, reduce stress and attract new talent.
You really can design in happiness when undertaking an office design or refurbishment by carefully considering some key design drivers from the outset. So how do you design an office?
1. Flexibility
The best office design layouts create a sense of collaboration and creativity by designing in large, open plan spaces. No-one likes to be left out in the cold and this kind of space encourages cosy interaction. Desks placed side by side create no physical barriers for workplace communication.
Everyone is unique and works differently, so its important to design an office that allows multiple working styles. In our work for LUSH, we stepped away from dark corridors and cellular offices, to an open office environment with large communal spaces.
Yet we also provided quiet phone booths to allow for 1 to 1 chats or private phone calls.
We also considered circulation as part of the space, where people can bump into each other to encourage informal meetings & spontaneous interactions.
2. Let There Be Light
Slogging it out day after day in a drab, artificially lit room without natural ventilation or a window to even glance out of might just send you sprinting to the nearest recruitment agency. We need natural light, it just makes us feel good and research shows that offices with large areas of glazing have lower sickness levels with everyone feeling more laid back and more motivated to power through their workload.
Natural ventilation is also key when it comes to boosting productivity.
3. Design in Colour
Colour is such an easy and inexpensive way to transform a space during an office fit-out and the effect it has on our productivity shouldn’t be underestimated in workplace design. Yellow makes us feel optimistic and is a great choice for high energy, creative spaces although too much can make you feel angry. Red boosts heart rate and can keep night workers alert whereas green promotes harmony whilst boosting creativity. Blue is calming and encourages a sense of trust, communication and efficiency.
4. Dynamic Spaces
The best designed spaces take an approach that’s layered and creative. We’ve seen an increasing trend in modern office designs incorporating a ‘neighbourhood’ approach. This transforms a traditional office building into a corporate playground that seemingly blurs the lines between work and leisure. With civic and private spaces, cafes, co-working areas, gyms, gaming or chill out areas and more, you really have got the opportunity to create something truly aspirational.
5. Healthy Habits
Offices have a tendency to foster sedentary behaviour, adding bike sheds and showers or even a gym can encourage more activity and healthier choices which in turn reduces sickness and has a positive impact on mental health.
Ergonomic furniture, that allows employees the choice to sit or stand, can foster a healthy and more comfortable office environment.
6. Plants
House plants have been a big interior trend of late and that trend is finding its way back into interior office design as well. Bringing the outside in not only improves air quality but plants have the power to reduce stress, anxiety and fatigue.
7. Branding Opportunity
Modern office design shows that branding isn’t just for customers. Making your workplace a place of pride for everyone means you’ll have a team who are fully engaged with the company’s mission and more committed to their jobs.
Be sure to have a look at the featured project above, the LUSH Office Refurbishment.
If you’re thinking about a change in your office contact us for an informal chat about how Footprint Architects could help you.
We engage with all levels of an organisation. Involving multiple stakeholders within a project, be that the client, the office staff and even the maintenance team. At the Tank Museum in Dorset we developed an Augmented Reality walkthrough, produced in house to allow the client, the museum director, the staff and even the contractor the chance to understand what the spaces would feel like. Watch the video below to check out our walkthrough.
If you are interested in learning more about how to make the most of your workspace, discover our Office Design Guide here. If you're looking to start a project of your own, be it an office renovation or new build, we would love to be involved! Feel free to say Hello. If you are interested in discovering more about how to make the most out of your office, explore our Workspace projects here or our Office Design Guide below.
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