An ideal office space design fosters creativity and hard work while helping create an inclusive company culture.
Previous office space allocation paradigms allotted rooms according to titles; thus the president was granted larger offices while junior sales staff received smaller ones. Unfortunately, this approach proved ineffective for companies that depended on teamwork and collaboration for success.
Green Walls and Plants
Green walls are an emerging design trend that bring natural elements into an office space, adding visual interest while simultaneously offering several practical benefits, including improving air quality, mitigating Urban Heat Island effect and offering acoustic benefits.
Green walls are an effective way to bring plants into any room without taking up floor space. There are many varieties, from modular systems with panels/modular systems and felt pockets holding plants on them to traditional hanging gardens with felt pockets holding plants on.
Green walls can be designed in various ways: either structured with uniform plant placement, or more organic with random placement of plants arranged randomly across its surface. A natural green wall mimics nature for an organic feel while structured green walls convey more structured aesthetic.
Old and New Design Elements
Modern office spaces should combine old and new elements into its design, such as using natural flora patterns in artwork, wooden dividers and aesthetic plants. This style of interior design has become increasingly popular and is even being employed by startups.
Traditional walls are becoming a thing of the past as offices eliminate hard divisions to create more open and transparent work environments. Designers are exploring alternative materials as dividers, such as crate shelving units, wooden panels or metal display cabinets to define separate areas in an office.
Open office design offers multiple uses, from providing two coworkers the space they need to collaborate efficiently to informal department meetings or making it easier to navigate your way through an office without long hallways separating rooms.
Bold Colors
As an office space is an extension of their brand and identity, many choose color as a tool to convey this information and set an atmosphere.
Deep blue hues are an influential hue in any workplace environment, offering comforting peace in an open office and complementing natural materials like reclaimed wood desks and flooring beautifully. Furthermore, they pair wonderfully with different light tones for maximum effect.
Yellow can spark creativity and be used in open office environments as well as smaller work cubicle spaces, but excessive usage may cause eye fatigue. A rich golden yellow hue offers both versatility and soothing qualities – an ideal option for accent walls or small work cubicles.
Modern Nostalgia
Integrating modern nods to the past into an office space can add personality. By adding some textured materials and bolder colors, one way of accomplishing this trend. A feature wall in one color throughout your office may also make an eye-catching statement that brings character.
Danish multidisciplinary firm Aspekt Office transformed an old textile warehouse into an inviting workspace using natural materials, clean lines, Scandinavian design aesthetic and Scandinavian sensibility – creating an open office environment yet comfortable enough for collaboration.
Safe Spaces
No matter what role they fill at your company, both construction workers and marketing designers need emotional safe spaces to flourish in. These should include peace and privacy as well as an environment conducive to concentration.
Rearranging the way your office is laid out may help create safe spaces. For instance, dividing your floor plan into workspaces and common areas will prevent close employee contact and lower meeting attendance numbers. You can use office diagram software to add distancing floor stickers into high traffic pathways and breakout spaces; as well as one-way foot traffic arrows throughout the diagram to encourage one-way foot traffic flow and decrease office roundabout routes; storage units or partitions can enforce such rules to help create these environments.
