Do you need a place to relax? The office might be the answer.
Hear us out… We’re not talking about putting your feet up, but rather as a space for deserved breaks or peace to focus on work. Whilst the home was previously a place for escapism, the pandemic has reshaped this environment to house work, schools, gyms and everything in between. For this reason, workers have found themselves seeking refuge in our empty offices as they grant many with the opportunity to get some headspace.
But, the office can’t hand all the credit over to the pandemic. It was already becoming increasingly informal, seeing transitions such as the requirement to wear a uniform or smart suit, to a place where casual workwear is now largely accepted. Part of the relaxation employees feel at work also stems from more and more businesses placing an imperative value in staff wellbeing and using interior design to facilitate this. If you are looking to improve the wellbeing of your workplace interiors, check out our handy blog on implementing wellness into your office design.
Finding A Work/Life Balance
Most offices are designed to accommodate the typical routine of 9-5 cognitive working. The workplace was therefore built around the work rather than the employee, using design plans of a standard desk area and basic washroom facilities. More recently, businesses have realised this is an inefficient method of working that will mostly see burnouts and low productivity levels. This, coupled with the pandemic that merged both work and home together, led to the evolution of a new office design.
This new workplace has adapted to better facilitate a dynamic style of working, functioning for the employee’s needs, rather than their workload. It incorporates an ideal work/life balance that uses flexible interior designs to enable staff to work comfortably and in a way most suited to their usual lifestyle. It means that if an employee works better independently, they have a focus zone to get their head down, or alternatively if they prefer collaborative or activity based styles of working, the workplace provides this. A design for the individual rather than the workload will ultimately see a huge improvement to staff performance, as well as their general wellbeing.
The Informal Office Design
This interior trend has led to the introduction of the informal office. The design harnesses the bits staff love most about working from home and implements it into a work environment. Businesses may favour this office style as it has many advantages including reduced stress levels, better bonds and trust between colleagues and optimised mental stimulation. For staff, the office design has become favourable as it grants them with the autonomy to choose their own style of working. So then what exactly does the informal office look like?
- Breakout Rooms – Perhaps at the heart of the informal office are the breakout zones. These areas are flexible zones that are vital to provide a space for staff to relax and unwind, away from their desks. This is important to restore motivation when they return and avoid work burnouts. However, these spaces aren’t just great for comfortable breaks, they can also build trust between colleagues and strengthen a team, facilitate informal meetings and we can even help install the perfect kitchen for staff to enjoy lunch.
- Office Wellness – There are many simple interior design techniques that can ensure the wellbeing of staff is supported and the work/life balance is correct. Biophilic design, for example, can bring an element of the outside into the previously corporate work environment, grounding staff with nature, improving oxygen levels and stimulating the brain. Other important design features to consider is your office lighting and office furniture to support not just the mentality of staff, but their physical health too.
- Flexible Workspaces – The informal office boasts comfort and ease. The design can adapt to a diverse range of work styles to quickly facilitate the lifestyle most suited to the employee, meaning it’s easier for them to get their job done. This office trend has seen meeting rooms with enhanced acoustic performances to accommodate collaborative meetings and activity based work, as well as more focused, individual methods of working. At Gravity, we have been helping offices become more dynamic using efficient space planning to create an ideal balance between alone/together working styles.
From Form to Function
Using biophilic designs to relax staff and reduce stress levels, ergonomic furniture to support posture and agile workspaces to accommodate a diverse range of working, a better office design has emerged. The trend of the informal office has accelerated as businesses discover ways to cater for the physical and mental welfare of their employees, enabling them to work at their optimum. This workspace is built on dynamics to ensure staff are comfortable whatever their method of working may be, finding ways to incorporate a health work/life balance, from individual focused work to informal meetings.
At Gravity, we have over 40 years of experience fitting a diverse range of workplaces. It’s our belief that creating an inspiring place to work is one of the best ways to empower employees to become the best they can be. From full fit out designs to smaller interior installations, get in touch for help with your office interiors project.
