4 Office Design Trends of 2018
Office design trends have changed massively over the last decade. Where offices once required a number of desks with a desktop computer, advances in technology have allowed workers to be more portable in their workplace. This has had a big impact on office trends in recent years.
Collaborative space
Teamwork is an important factor to the success to a business, so a workplace that encourages it can only be a good thing. Many offices are introducing spaces where colleagues can gather and share ideas. To get the most out of collaborative spaces, ensuring they have the tools to encourage productivity, such as interactive whiteboards, tablets and an inviting atmosphere, is important.
Biophilic designs
Biophilia focuses on incorporating elements of the natural environment into buildings in an attempt to improve health and well-being and is a popular trend for offices this year. With the use of natural materials and colours, as well as improved natural and artificial lighting and many other elements, it is thought that biophilic designs in an office can increase productivity, well-being and creativity.
Large open spaces
Many offices are now designed with big open spaces to encourage a culture of openness and transparency in the workplace. Enclosed meeting rooms and cubicle walls are out in favour of open, collaborative and social spaces.
Recharge space
A common trend for office design is a space where employees can recharge. Giving employees a place where they can get away from their work is a great way to reduce stress and encourage health and well-being in the workplace. Many companies have pool or ping pong tables in their offices as a place to recharge and build relationships between colleagues. Google also have sleep pods installed in their offices so employees can recharge and take a nap if they wish to. If employees are tired or mentally drained, they are far less productive, so a place to recharge encourages them to be more productive when they are back at their desk.
Many thanks for your comment! Biophilic offices are definitely growing in popularity.
I think traditional offices still work well for a number of businesses, but its refreshing to see businesses stepping away from the traditional, also. Ultimately I think there will be a variety of types of offices, some traditional and some more modern.
Biophilic spaces can be incredibly relaxing. I’ve seen more and more of these popping up around London and I can’t recommend them enough.
Do you think the old way of designing offices will eventually die out, or will there just be a larger variety of office types moving forwards?