Designing An Agile Workspace For A Flexible Workforce

Bear in mind that the more ways people can use a single space, the more often it will be used. It۪s therefore in your best interests to create several spaces that offer versatility to provide more options and avoid booking pile-ups.

Think about which tools people need to perform specific tasks, which technologies can you install to make workspaces more flexible and which currently under utilised spaces you can make more accessible.

Numerous studies reveal that the environment in influences how effectively the brain works. Cognitive function defines performance. It۪s therefore critical to design an environment that reflects your company culture and inspires individuals.

Open-plan layouts with integrated spaces for common use and private nooks, foster a connection between people, inspire individuals, promote creativity and enhance cognitive function.

According to some reports, 15% of millennials want an on-site gym in the workplace. Evidently, this is an extravagance many SME۪s cannot entertain. However, with agile office design, there are other ways to encourage movement around the office.

Encouraging employees to use stairs instead of the lift, sit/stand chairs, social areas for physical activities, a walkable garden, bicycle stalls and bridges all contribute to physical exercise.

Chair sensors break this information down to the minutest detail. Employees can monitor how long they have been sitting and when they might need a break.

You may even want to take a hint from Google and install sleep deprivation pods. Meditation rooms and yoga studios in the office are also becoming the latest workplace perk.

And don۪t forget the minute details. Even the colour you use and the artwork you hang can have a positive or negative effect on cognitive function. Cool pastel colours are ideal to help people relax in high-pressured environments whilst splashes of colour stimulate the senses.

Natural elements around the office also enhance wellbeing which ultimately improves performance. Adding features such as water, plants, wood and stone have been shown to improve mood whilst adding eye-catching aesthetics to the office.

In particular, significant improvements are needed in the construction or renovation details regarding insulation levels, airtightness, lighting and air-quality.

Building owners that rent commercial office space should consider installing energy-efficient systems and interior designs that promote sustainability. Although typically considered a bottom-line expense which is often postponed, it becomes clear that energy-efficiency yields a better return on investment when you take a closer look.

As global projects get underway to build high-performance sustainable buildings, green offices are being fitted with advanced technologies including a variety of solar panels on the roof and facades, geothermal energy, ethernet-powered LED lighting, systems that reuse collected rainwater and aquifer thermal energy systems that effectively heat and cool the building.

Sensor tracking and motion devices are a cost-effective solution that turns off lights and heating in areas of the office that are not being used.

Interior office designs that are planned to improve the functionality of your office space helps to save energy consumption, significantly reduce related costs and appease millennials and younger generations that are joining the workforce.

With more employees choosing to work remotely, organising meetings can be complicated. Designing office space that accommodates virtual conferences, presentations and collaboration make modern working practices possible.

It is estimated that half the UK workforce will work remotely by 2020. Consequently, more businesses are investing in smaller meeting spaces and huddle rooms that are optimised for virtual video calls rather than face-to-face meetings.

What۪s more, a survey conducted by research firm Frost & Sullivan reveals that C-suite executives prefer video calls over audio-only. Video boosts productivity accelerates decision-making and improves customer experience.

Changing working practices calls for a change in office environments. Designs that tender to the ideals and mindsets of the modern workforce is paramount to the future growth of companies.

Millennials will form roughly 50% of the workforce next year, and it won۪t be long before University-educated Generation Zers also enter the workplace.

Innovative office designs catch the eye and are something the younger generation of workers consider when deciding whether or not to accept a job.

For business owners and commercial building owners, planning for the future has to incorporate the work environment. If the modern workforce want flexible working, they need an office environment that enables them to be agile and perform to the best of their ability.

Read our in-depth blog about agile office design and flexible working.