Office Design Trends In A COVID-safe office
More comfortable 'homely' design.
An advantage that homeworking has over the
traditional workplace is that it offers the ultimate in comfortable surroundings. As
comfort evokes feelings of relaxation, it's better suited to meet any incidences of
stress that are part-and-parcel of working life. This is why the post-COVID
office design should be a comfortable environment with more homely,
non-corporate styles, to create the stress-free effect.
Considerations should also be given to small,
aesthetic touches, such as plants, natural light and access to open spaces.
Biophilic
design, thanks to its positive effects
on mental and physical health, has already been a growing trend in workplace design
in recent years – and there has never been a more appropriate time to introduce it
than now.
Despite concerns about things like social
distancing, hygiene and anxiety, businesses cannot ignore design basics. Employees
need all the support they can get (especially at a time such as this), so thinking
of them as individuals rather than as a collective, will further help to place
comfort at the heart of the office's design.
Helping employees back to work.
Many offices will look quite different from how they
were pre-March 2020 – it may take some time for people to get used to them as they
ease themselves back into that environment. Being able to communicate any major
adaptations to employees is the first step; a virtual tour of their design with any
updates via photos or a video call is perfect to use to remove any anxiety they may
have.
The use of floor coverings also play an important
role in helping people adapt to new workspaces too – a mix of comfort and
practicality always being popular. This can be seen within the rise of resimercial
office design – this is a design method that sees elements from the
home and works mixed together to create a 'home from home'.
Rethinking collaborative spaces.
A massive factor in the productive and enjoyable
atmosphere of a work environment is the ability for people to communicate and
collaborate within close quarters. Obviously, this will need are think for the
foreseeable future; influencing the experience of the workplace from a practical and
psychological perspective. Those small collaborative spaces that have been vital in
bringing people together will be out of bounds, thanks to social distancing – rooms
that have been equipped to host 10 people will be hosting half that number, for
example.
The upside to this is that the design slate has been
effectively wiped clean. A business will be able to redefine all of its spaces to
better suit its people, as well as COVID-safe measures. So if you're in need of some
office spacing planning, why not take this as an opportunity to update your
interiors for the future?
Choose Active For Innovative Office Design Solutions
For the last 20 years, the expert office the design
team here at Active have been designing and building workplaces for a wide variety
of businesses. No matter their industry or personal requirements, we have built up a
strong portfolio of office design, relocation, furniture procurement and storage
solutions – why not take a look for
yourself to see how they align with
your own ambitions?
To learn more about how our team
can create your idealCOVID-safe office design, feel free to get in touch with us today.
Give us acall on 0845 130 9066 or send ane-mail to info@activeworkplacesolutions.co.uk and we'll be in touch as soon as we can.
