If your company’s experiencing some growth, or simply looking to make a move, chances are you’ve been eyeing some new office spaces in your area. It’s always an exciting prospect, but it does come with its fair share of apprehension as well! Moving your whole workforce is never an easy feat, but you should consider this as a chance to start afresh with a more modern and effective office layout.
The question that needs answering, however, is how do you go about planning this new office space? Read on for a little insight into how you can best progress with this exciting process.
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Source office amenities
First and foremost, you’ll want to consider what amenities and fixtures you’ll most likely be needing in your office space. Try to think beyond simply securing adequately-sized desks and comfortable chairs. Think about the workplace amenities that your staff are likely to use to enrich their workdays, such as kitchen appliances.
An increasing number of modern offices are looking into coffee machine hire or purchase plans, to ensure that staff members can have access to coffee in-house without having to grab their coats and physically leave the office. Having high-value amenities like coffee machines, drinking fountains or water coolers, and comfy lounge facilities available in-house, can actually boost overall productivity of your workspace, as it normalizes your staff using office space for multiple purposes throughout the day. These in-house amenities can also foster increased teamwork between staff, as people will feel more inclined to communicate with coworkers in-house in their downtime, rather than physically leaving the building.
Design with productivity in mind
With the impact that the working from home model has held on the nature of modern industry, there are growing theories that urban office spaces are likely to experience a rapid evolution over the next decade or so. This means that modern office set-ups are likely to be less fixed and more modular, with increased flexibility for staff to work however they see fit. Alongside this, it’s likely that multi-storey offices will feel encouraged to use their available space with increased creativity, thinking outside the box with respect to overall functionality, accessibility, and inclusivity of the office space.
As there will be a growing focus on how office spaces can inspire collaboration over wholly independent workers, it’s likely that the idea of traditional ‘cubicles’ will fade away, to be replaced with work zones that are able to be shared and adjusted for specific types of work.
You can adopt these principles in your new office designs by introducing small work zones amongst traditional desk set-ups, using small ottomans, stools and other flexible furniture alongside whiteboards, corkboards, and other amenities which utilise vertical space, to create areas that encourage workers to tackle tasks together.
Incorporate some greenery
Designing open plan office spaces is no simple endeavour. It can be all too easy to lean way too far into a clean minimalist look, resulting in far too much open space that may make your office feel half-complete, or perpetually as though you’ve just moved in. An office that’s too bare can be quite an unwelcoming or uncomfortable environment, which can in turn hurt your business if you’re looking to invite any clients or investors to your space.
You can easily combat dead space in your office by investing in a little cheery office greenery. From potted succulents and ferns, to hardy spider plants and hanging baskets of ivy, there are a myriad of indoor plants that can thrive in office spaces. Use a mixture of different plants to paint your own urban jungle. It’s even worthwhile encouraging your workforce to personalize their workspaces by bringing in their own happy little pot plants. Not only will these cheery additions brighten up your overall office space, but they can also greatly boost worker satisfaction, as well as inspire increased productivity and creativity amongst your staff.
Creating a beautiful modern office space is no longer simply about finding ergonomic desks and chairs. As more and more professionals across the globe start to discover their own personal optimal work conditions, the best office spaces are guaranteed to be those that allow its workforce to perform at their best, whatever their best may look like to them. The best office spaces are likely to be comfortable, inviting, and inclusive. So long as you design with these principles in mind, chances are you’ll be rewarded with an office space that people look forward to arriving at on their morning commute.
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