Gone are the days when the phrase “office space” brings about images of lined up cubicles with fluorescent lights and bare white walls. Today, businesses are turning to an unconventional workspace that stimulates minds, inspires innovation, and makes team members feel at home. Unique working environments are popping up across the country.
When it came time to design the space for one of our commercial properties – a 100,000 square foot office building, we turned to one of the top nationally recognized architecture firms, located right here in Columbus, Ohio. M + A Architects “combines expertise with experience, insight, and inspiration.” The end result is an “environment that’s sustainable and sophisticated, efficient and exciting, creatively inspired and tailored to your needs.” Here are Director of Interior Design Carrie Boyd’s top five office design trends.
1. BRAND INTEGRATION – Giving the office purpose beyond work
Similar to how consumers are purchasing products based upon their personal alignment and beliefs, modern employees are working for employers with aligned goals and values who are accepting of variety and opportunity in the workplace. This is where architecture and design play a role in employee retention, client sales, and defining a company’s purpose.
It is important to find key areas of employee common space and areas of client experience to highlight the mission, vision, and staff involved in the office environment. These areas serve as visual impacts further emphasizing the culture and pride the company stands for!
2. DESIGNING TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT THE BEST PEOPLE
The average stay in a company for many Millennials is projected at less than five years. Companies and designers are most commonly trying to account for the intangibles that would retain these highly talented young employees as well as recruit more. Many leaders believe the quality of their people define their company’s success.
Design needs to go beyond just the brand focus. Trends in the modern workplace begin to incorporate organized areas of social interaction, room to breath, and transparency in lieu of hierarchy. This is achieved in many ways, including some of the following:
- Informal collaborative space
- Interaction with the outdoors
- Wellness focused offices (exercise or furniture based solutions)
- Escape from hierarchical organization
- Technology that allows for mobility
- Hoteling stations
3. “ME” VS “WE’” SPACES- There must be a blend
Individual office ‘real estate’ is important to different generations and departments in many ways. The key is to achieve a balance of both the “me” and the “we” spaces to be successful.
Five years ago the push was to open up offices, shrink individual office space and lower the cubical height. The outcome of that may not have been what was expected. The older generations felt alienated and the environment was not catering to every generation and work type. Today’s movement is to be more thoughtful of every type of worker and have more customized solutions based on departments. The blend of the “we” collaborative space and the “me” private/focus space is an important balance.
4. PRODUCTIVITY, HEALTH AND AMENITY
Sustainable, day-lit, and comfortable environments aren’t just great for employee culture, but also for productivity and health. There is a modern trend in employee health benefits to allow better rates to those companies that are engaged in health and wellness programs as well as to those companies that have less health issues. Today’s building materials assist in lessening the amount of volatile organic compounds and germ retention than those in older buildings. Furthermore, open avenues to daylight are proven to increase employee productivity by up to 15 percent. A happy, healthy employee is a benefit to their employer in a multitude of ways!
Amenities are more commonly being designed into office buildings. From what was an institutional cafeteria to that of a cafe where business is done throughout the day to outdoor spaces set up with wireless to fitness centers that allow for anytime usage and showers – this is what people are buying on these days. Your clients are buying the right to work in these environments by working for you, and it is factoring into their decisions as to where to work.
5. TECHNOLOGY AND FLEXIBILITY
While no ‘new’ technologies have overrun the corporate office world, the integration of technology into construction materials, furniture, and open spaces have transformed the utilization of architectural space.
The integration of technologies in demountable wall systems, furniture, and glazing have allowed for the immediate transformation of a collaborative space to an office and further to a conference center. Screens worked into walls, smart panels acting as dividers and glass that can frost with a click of a button allow for spaces to be transformed. Wireless technology interacting with ones desktop, music, space, and security and occupancy controls are becoming more and more widespread. The emergence of ‘the paperless business’ has contributed to a better utilization of space within existing offices, as well as enhanced collaborative space without the need of expansion. The future of technology further focuses on being able to interact with space making renovation into existing facilities and reorganization of those facilities to become more practical and a better long-term investment.