Workspace Design and Productivity
It is an undeniable fact that workplace design trend is constantly evolving and companies now value humanised spaces to facilitate productivity and efficiency in work. In the past, offices are always designed to be bland, dissociated and lethargic till the apprehension that offices are stages for people to perform their best. Imagine being assigned at a workspace where you feel welcoming and belonged, fully comfortable and appropriate, as opposed to a space where you are even reluctant to cross your legs, it enhances a positive aura that encourages quality of life at work and hence, productivity.
How can we achieve the goals?
A Twist to the Traditional Open Concept
Open offices have become and is still the norm for many as it is a proven way to increase collaboration and enhance the sense of team belonging. As time passes, people began to realise the drawbacks of such idea and the most noticeable flaw is the distractions caused by the communal setting.
Open offices can get overly crowded, which causes lack of privacy and tendency to lose concentration on job. However, the conventional isolated office space is definitely off the table while planning for an office space. Therefore, how can we meet a balance between the conventional office design and the open concept?
The solution is to create collaboration spaces. The basic idea is to have an agile work environment that meets the demand of every employee, by providing a space best suited according to different personalities. Some employees prefer working in a group and has great tolerance against distractions, but some find that their workspace is too noisy. Therefore, there can be a designated area where the latter can retreat to, such as a hot desk, a booth or a pod. We want to have this kind of flexibility to allow employees to move around, either to isolate themselves or to work as a team, to prevent sedentary tendencies.
Biophilic Design Element
It may sound complicated, but the concept is simple- by inviting outdoor elements into the workspace. Researches have proven that human beings have an inherent attachment towards natural environment, and this could be ascertained by the fact that children are always drawn to it. Be it design front, windows, natural lightings, greeneries or even running water, these inclusions can effectively reduce the sense of unwelcoming and office cold.
The most common way to achieve such an office goal is by utilising our visual elements, such as the incorporation of flowers and potted plants into the floor plan, living green walls and moss walls. It may sound costly to execute and maintain, but it is always simple and rewarding to start with replacing desk partitions by using ferns and potted plants to invite the sense of rejuvenation.
It is also a good idea to utilise human beings’ auditory elements. Nature is always associated with the soothing sound of birds chirping, waves, winds and water. Nature sounds relax human beings as these are perceived as non-threatening noises by human brains, resulting in lowered stress level in work.
The benefits of being surrounded by biophilic elements contribute to the growth of employees’ performance and day-to-day functioning. Employees are able to offer a higher output and productivity if they are satisfied with their jobs, which in turn creates a healthy working culture and strong connection between the employees and the workspaces.
The Relationship Between Workspace Design and Productivity is Clear
The next generation of employees expect themselves to be happy and these millennials place a high value of work-life balance and perceive their jobs as an experience, rather than a mere paycheck. Therefore, it is high time that the companies maximise their huge potential on presenting their workspaces human-centered. By ensuring employees’ welfares are well taken care of while designing a workspace, companies will benefit from the appreciative employees who are bound to work efficiently.
Let’s start planning and calculate an estimate of the amount of space you need to comfortably fit your team and workspace requirements with office space calculator
