How
Design Enhances Work Life
Design
is imperative for the next generation to innovate and synergise within the
offices of the future, wherever or whatever form they take
The office worker today demands a work environment that is efficient in terms of getting tasks done and providing a safe haven. It is no longer acceptable to work within four blank walls on a random work surface throughout the day with people feverishly tapping away at their keyboards surrounded by chatter and telephone rings. Today’s offices are places that generate a buzz, are crucibles of creativity and social hubs. They are meant to be a place where productivity increases and the desire to stay focused is enhanced due to the new surroundings. Why office design is important and how it can enhance your work life is simple:
Gives You Identity
Design promotes a sense of belonging for the individual and creates an identity specific to a company, thereby helping indoctrinate the brand and culture within the employees and visitors alike. The appropriate use of colours, textures and lighting along with other basic design principles facilitates this. One needs to work closely with the client’s brand image as well as company philosophy to be able to do justice to the space. A work environment for Cisco versus MTV or Rolls-Royce would be very different. Companies like Google have an academic campus-like feel to them whereas Hewlett-Packard is more corporate in its approach, even though both belong to the same industrial fraternity.
Design promotes a sense of belonging for the individual and creates an identity specific to a company, thereby helping indoctrinate the brand and culture within the employees and visitors alike. The appropriate use of colours, textures and lighting along with other basic design principles facilitates this. One needs to work closely with the client’s brand image as well as company philosophy to be able to do justice to the space. A work environment for Cisco versus MTV or Rolls-Royce would be very different. Companies like Google have an academic campus-like feel to them whereas Hewlett-Packard is more corporate in its approach, even though both belong to the same industrial fraternity.
Flexible Workspace
New workplaces help with effective use of real estate for large corporations, especially in consolidation projects. Remote working, mobile working through use of current technology together with movable, modular furniture and demountable partitions are concepts that are now more often used. This gives the employee flexibility to plan and execute life and work tasks according to his/ her individual needs. Today, customised furniture solutions for office desks, conference tables and cabinets are available. Partitions can be demountable and changes can be made to an office space overnight with a little bit of pre-planning and integration by the real estate and specialist teams.
New workplaces help with effective use of real estate for large corporations, especially in consolidation projects. Remote working, mobile working through use of current technology together with movable, modular furniture and demountable partitions are concepts that are now more often used. This gives the employee flexibility to plan and execute life and work tasks according to his/ her individual needs. Today, customised furniture solutions for office desks, conference tables and cabinets are available. Partitions can be demountable and changes can be made to an office space overnight with a little bit of pre-planning and integration by the real estate and specialist teams.
Community Feeling
In today’s competitive world, companies need to attract and retain talent not only by salary benefits but through enabled workplaces. Areas like cafeterias, break-outs and informal meeting spaces are instrumental in engaging staff during lunch and coffee breaks as well as doubling up as incidental meeting spaces for a quick discussion. Collaboration spaces must also have technology integrated into them with WiFi cafes as well as writing and pin-up surfaces. Innovative ways to integrate these are what makes an office space exciting and captivates the interest of its users.
In today’s competitive world, companies need to attract and retain talent not only by salary benefits but through enabled workplaces. Areas like cafeterias, break-outs and informal meeting spaces are instrumental in engaging staff during lunch and coffee breaks as well as doubling up as incidental meeting spaces for a quick discussion. Collaboration spaces must also have technology integrated into them with WiFi cafes as well as writing and pin-up surfaces. Innovative ways to integrate these are what makes an office space exciting and captivates the interest of its users.
Keeps You Happy
The function of simplifying dayto-day task is done through the marriage of appropriate spaces, furniture and technology. Office design is heavily influenced by ergonomics. Aspects like desk size, cable management systems, height of partitions, and lumbar support in chairs are important for the long hours people put in at work. A comfortable employee is a happy employee, and therefore, a productive employee. External sightlines and views from windows, sound barriers, pin-up surfaces and spaces that cater to an individual’s privacy are factors that enhance the work experience while still providing separate spaces for social interaction.
The function of simplifying dayto-day task is done through the marriage of appropriate spaces, furniture and technology. Office design is heavily influenced by ergonomics. Aspects like desk size, cable management systems, height of partitions, and lumbar support in chairs are important for the long hours people put in at work. A comfortable employee is a happy employee, and therefore, a productive employee. External sightlines and views from windows, sound barriers, pin-up surfaces and spaces that cater to an individual’s privacy are factors that enhance the work experience while still providing separate spaces for social interaction.
Provides Safety
Occupational health and safety issues are important, and need to be integrated into office design as well. Fire egress routes, CCTVs, placement of sprinkler systems, minimising level variations within the office space as well as smoke-free environments must be created. When we speak of the office as “a safe haven”, it is not only security in terms of the intangible elements. A safe haven is an environment where the air quality is monitored and refreshed continuously, and temperature control and lighting can be maintained on an individual level to accentuate the overall experience as well as help minimise energy wastage. Sustainability is the path on which tomorrow’s “green office” is anchored and should be strictly adhered to.
Occupational health and safety issues are important, and need to be integrated into office design as well. Fire egress routes, CCTVs, placement of sprinkler systems, minimising level variations within the office space as well as smoke-free environments must be created. When we speak of the office as “a safe haven”, it is not only security in terms of the intangible elements. A safe haven is an environment where the air quality is monitored and refreshed continuously, and temperature control and lighting can be maintained on an individual level to accentuate the overall experience as well as help minimise energy wastage. Sustainability is the path on which tomorrow’s “green office” is anchored and should be strictly adhered to.
Shagufta Anurag FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, SPACE MATRIX
DESIGN CONSULTANTS ET130313
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