A quality workspace design leads to a less stressful and more productive atmosphere, and now, more than ever, it’s essential that employers take the physical work environment of their employees into consideration. Employees need to feel comfortable and calm in their physical work settings to produce their best work, and creating a spacious workplace, without overcrowding, makes us feel safer in a culture where getting too close to people is now, our norm.
An overcrowded office can lead to poorer performance but relocating can, at times, be far too much work and far too expensive. Another option would be to renovate your existing space to open it up and create a more spacious workplaces, which can still accommodate plenty of staff. Things to consider would be….
Adding light
While fluorescent overhead lights are very common in office environments, they can actually have the opposite effects as natural daylight, and lead to a decrease in productivity. To combat this, you can boost brightness with soft and subtle lighting that can be adjusted to complement existing natural light from windows.
Ensuring your staff have maximum access to natural light, and outdoor views where possible, can have a hugely beneficial effect on your workforce, from increasing productivity to increasing overall work-health, and is well worth investing in.
Introduce modular furniture
If you don’t have a lot of space in the office, you may need to use one area for multiple purposes. Design these areas for the greatest utility, or also use modular spaces to move things around and become more flexible. Create different workspaces in one area: Use folding walls and demountable modules to create tailored spaces that can be stacked and moved around to adapt different environments in one single area and increase innovation and collaboration at the same time.
Implement colour
Deciding what colour scheme to use when designing the interior of your workspace could be as equally as important as hiring the right employees. The aim of design is to create an ambiance within the workplace that keeps your employees stimulated and motivated, but also relaxed and calm. Brighter colours, such as reds and oranges, help incorporate dynamism into the office that will raise the overall energy of the team. Whereas, cool colours such as blues and greens, are recognised as relaxing colours that will help keep employees composed.
Create collaboration spaces
Collaboration is vital to business success, so it’s important to designate a space within your office environment specifically for this activity. If you only use the collaboration section periodically or for team meetings, it can make an excellent buffer between the quiet areas and the rest of your office.
Otherwise, position the collaboration section in another area of the office space so that activity there doesn’t interrupt work in the quiet area. Either way, design an open space with a large table and plenty of seating that you can use to bring everyone together.
For further information on how to create a spacious workplace and details on any office furniture requirements please contact us here.