Home from home – office design and spacing trends
Posted on 12th August 2022
What are we seeing so far in 2022?
As we have spoken about before with regards to popular trends and office designs, plants and bringing the outdoors in, more spacing out and spreading out, more homely in look and feel and more social spacing/soft furniture and sofas is the way forward.
Many articles are suggesting that the need for making people feel comfortable, physically and mentally for a return to the office is key. Perhaps this is why we are seeing a trend for more homely style offices and workspaces as mentioned above.
For employers and management, you are surely aiming to get your staff and teams back, happy and settled, and therefore creating productivity for the business and a sense of wellbeing for them. And if the office furniture fitted is flexible, for example sit to stand or pods or bench desking and so on, then whether your team is in the office full time or working in a hybrid way, your office space will accommodate such changes.
According to Facilitate magazine, meeting rooms, breakout areas and outdoor spaces are the most in-demand office workspace features. And according to the poll, three in five (60%) said having meeting rooms on-site was either “very important” or “somewhat important”. This was followed by breakout areas (59%) and outdoor spaces, such as a terrace, garden or balcony (58%).
Making the workplace a more homely environment
The reason for this trend is reported as being if offices are designed to look more like a home instead of a work environment, the employees who prefer to work from home will be more likely to come in.
The Posture People recommend considering these five categories and thinking about how you can split up your office to include them all:
Work - Personal space for day-to-day activities that entail individual or small group working. Designed for tasks that require moderate to high levels of concentration.
Share - Informal meeting space where ideas can be exchanged and developed. They offer both formal and informal settings to connect with colleagues in planned, spontaneous or remote ways.
Show - Formal spaces for presentations and important meetings. Spaces that enable non-disruptively access for visitors and associates, as well as areas to participate in learning, events and social activities.
Source - Spaces for shared resources and storage.
Refresh - Creative spaces that inspire and encourage lateral thinking. Spaces that allow people to step away from work, relax and disconnect. They are designed to further support employee well-being and create a sense of community.
Including areas that fit these categories all around the office means that employees can easily move around the office and use the space how they need it.
Privacy in the workplace
Privacy are key to boosting office productivity according to this article
Not every employee will want to work in an open-plan office when they are in an important phone call, creating private areas in the office is an amazing way of making people feel more relaxed in the office. Ways to add privacy:
How can the office be softer?
We are seeing a trend from our client enquiries and projects as well as reading pieces from the office interiors world about how employees are wanting and asking for a friendlier office space or working environment. It is all about being inclusive and accommodating. So, what can you do:
• Sofas and softer seating
• Pods for focussed individual working or for small group working and collaboration
• Breakout areas for more informal meetings and working
• Using sit to stand desks to encourage flexibility and movement
• Introducing plants and greenery to the space
• Open spaces for giving space as well as flexibility in its usage
• Washrooms and sanitising stations to offer a sense of security and hygiene
For ideas and examples of this type of office furniture, go to our site
And for brochures and further inspiration, go to our site
2023 trends
According to this piece these are potential trends, a lot of which we are seeing in 2022 so it looks like they are set to continue
Industrial style interiors/open floored
Sustainable design – eco-friendly/responsible
Bringing in nature – installations including wall ones. Natural elements and connect with nature
Dynamic and flexible workspaces – to cover all needs
Movable furniture – items on wheels from chairs to storage and desks
Comfortable and ergonomic furniture
Community spaces
Entertainment and leisure zones
Create home like atmospheres
Pop up/private booths
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