Gone are the times when offices were boxy and cubic-led. Given that the average professional spends a third of their time in office, the space ought to be one that can inspire ideas as well as a space where fun and creativity can co-exist with business and productivity. Here’s how companies are challenging traditional work ideas and breathing fresh air into their work hours:
Sweeping traditional cubicles and partitions away
If there is one thing that changed ever since the start-up culture took hold of the economy, it is this – no cubicles. The concepts of privacy, hierarchy and cabin-culture have slowly grown outdated with the new influx of millennials in the workforce. Open, airy spaces, unconventional seating setups such as bean-bags and couches, DIY pantries, fresh pastel colours are the new waves of change slowly taking root.
Open, democratic places with lesser barriers
Democracy-based merit seems to be replacing archaic hierarchies, thereby encouraging employees to get innovative and think out of the box. The workplace has now evolved from being a place of toil to one which is an extension of the employees’ lives, a place to bond with colleagues and create wealth together.
Unconventional meeting spaces
Offices today are designed flexibly so as to enable employees to move about from personal workspace to meeting area and to test rooms and phone pods. Here too, indoor spaces are making way for balconies, terraces or open lawns and comfort seating setups.
More in tune with employee needs
As the workforce gets younger, offices are incorporating exercise rooms, shower areas and bike parks. Pets are not forgotten either. Another interesting idea is a floor-to-ceiling movable glass barrier that allows employees to work al fresco during nice weather.
Some vestiges of tradition remain
While some firms may retain their traditional layouts for their top executives for privacy reasons, others are increasingly choosing large open floor plans. Phone pods/booths still linger on for acoustics or privacy.
On the whole, architects spend more time creating spaces where people can mingle and actively collaborate. Hints of letting nature in at office, whether a rooftop respite or a small cactus/vertical garden, is a space that makes employees feel refreshed and recharged. After all, if we work to live, we must work well and in spaces we love.
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