Environment

30 Jul

Posted at 00:42h in Blog, Design, Environment, Future Proof, Open office

An open office can help create a more efficient, friendlier and connected workplace.

The way we work has changed, so say goodbye to cubicles and traditional private offices and welcome large open spaces with zones for collaborative work and pods for private conversations.

We can now login, work and check emails from anywhere in the world, so how can we bring everyone together and encourage collaboration through office design? An open office encourages an environment where management is approachable and employees are productive, motivated and feel valued. Great office design can help you get the most out of your staff, make your workplace more desirable and help retention.

Reduce your overheads

An open office plan requires less floor space per person, potentially reducing your real estate or rental costs. Since equipment is more easily shared, your set-up costs may also be lower. Plus, you’ll have more flexibility as your personnel requirements change.

Encourage collaboration

To collaborate is to bring people together and to share ideas. It’s important to understand how your staff work, so make sure to consider:

  • how teams work together
  • what are their individual needs and requirements
  • what do they need in their space to enable them to perform daily tasks
  • what changes are required to support a mobile workforce
  • Doing your research and planning accordingly will ensure a successful transition to an open plan office.

Doing your research and planning accordingly will ensure a successful transition to an open plan office.

Reduce your email inbox

For some of us, our inbox is the bane of our working life. Ditch the traditional way of communicating, get up and connect face to face with your team. In an open plan office, it’s easier for colleagues to communicate, which is faster and more productive than going back and forth via email or messaging.

A sense of community

In a traditional office set up, many staff members come to work, shut their door and keep to themselves or their immediate co-workers. An open plan office changes this dynamic; individuals are aware of what’s happening in other parts of the company and feel more engaged and involved.

Make sure management spends at least some time working in the open space as well. They’ll be more approachable and also have a real sense of what’s going on with their staff.

What about distractions?

The key to a successful open office is to create different spaces or zones:

  • An office zone with desks where staff can collaborate, ask questions and share ideas
  • Quiet zones where people can easily focus or work on time-sensitive tasks
  • An area for small group conversations or brainstorming sessions
  • Private spaces for phone calls or work of a confidential nature
  • Meeting rooms

To create an office that provides the right balance of individual and collaborative workspaces, contact us today.

What about distractions?

The key to a successful open office is to create different spaces or zones:

  • An office zone with desks where staff can collaborate, ask questions and share ideas
  • Quiet zones where people can easily focus or work on time-sensitive tasks
  • An area for small group conversations or brainstorming sessions
  • Private spaces for phone calls or work of a confidential nature
  • Meeting rooms

To create an office that provides the right balance of individual and collaborative workspaces, contact us today.

21 Mar

Posted at 09:00h in Accessories, Blog, Environment

Are you living out your office days in a fluorescent lit cubicle? There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Our lighting tips will help brighten up your workspace for the better.

Find that natural light

Shuffle things around and move closer to that window! Natural light is far less straining on your eyes, and a good view never hurt anyone. Research shows you’ll be significantly happier and more productive at work if you are positioned closer to natural light sources.

Draw in the focus

Increase light levels in your immediate surroundings with task lighting. If your workspace is shadowed by furniture or equipment, then you could benefit from additional direct lighting to illuminate particular working areas.

Avoid the glare

It is recommended that lights are placed parallel to the windows to achieve a balance between natural and artificial light, and also to avoid shadows and glare – which both have a distinctly negative impact on a workspace.

Give your eyes a break

Feeling the eye strain from eight hours at your computer monitor? Clinical optometrists often suggest applying the 20/20/20 rule. For every 20 minutes of computer use, look at something 20 feet (6 metres) away for at least 20 seconds.

21 Feb

Posted at 09:30h in Blog, Environment, Seating

Incorporating elements of texture into your office space can transform it from cold and rigid, to warm and comfortable!

Regardless of whether your workplace encourages customer visits and interactions, having a decent place for people to sit is important.

Soft seating in collaborative spaces can turn a formalised meeting into an environment where everyone feels relaxed and ready to contribute ideas. It is also a fantastic way to add colour into an office or reception area and utilise company colours and branding. Many visitor chair options can accommodate fabric seat pads onto a moulded base.

There is also a range of products that allow you to brighten up a workspace with textural fabric wall features and acoustic panels with multidimensional effects. Bringing a little bit of home comfort into an office environment can do wonders for moral!

Fabric doesn’t have to mean difficult to clean or harbouring bacteria. Crypton is a common choice for the hospitality and healthcare industries. It is 100% recycled polyester and provides a permanent moisture barrier. It also provides stain resistance, odour control and microbial protection.

There are a multitude of options when considering applying soft furnishing elements into your workspace. So make comfort a priority and apply fabric elements as a key part in your next office revamp!

 

22 Nov

Posted at 09:45h in Blog, Environment

Your physical environment can have a big impact on your productivity

A positive workspace is all about balance. Your physical environment impacts your productivity and ability to work collaboratively and cohesively with your colleagues. A variety of factors can come into play:

  • Is there adequate personal space?
  • How are the noise levels?
  • Is there sufficient lighting from windows or overhead?
  • Are you in a corridor with lots of disturbances?
  • Does the quality of air promote a healthy environment?
  • Are you an individual or team worker?

Providing ample balance between individualised workspaces and collaborative zones is vital to ensure colleagues are able to interact and communicate clearly. Divisions of space can be made with permanent walls, acoustic screening or modern accents such as vertical gardens.

However, no one likes to feel chained to their desks, So just as a positive work zone is important, so are the social spaces. One of the simplest ways encourage a positive environment is to eat together. This can be an invitation to a lunch out, bringing a shared plate or eating individual meals together. It all adds to the workplace moral and better relationships between colleagues and employees.