“Collaboration” and “Communication” are words that have been used more and more in association with Office planning, furniture and employee satisfaction. As more businesses adopt and incorporate the concept of improving the flow of people and information in an office space, there is an increase demand for designers to create more ways for employees to meet, and more links and overlaps between departments integrating all people and aspects of a business into an interactive, inter-dependent team.
How does this impact on office furniture design is a topic we have been exploring for some time and thought we would share with you some of the adaptations we have began to incorporate.
THE IMPROMPTU MEETING
More team work means more impromptu meetings – that take place at an individual’s desk – to make sure everyone’s work is cohesive, to check on progress or changes.
To accommodate and make impromptu meetings comfortable we have introduces soft seating on top of mobile pedestals (drawers) to double up as both storage and additional seating for a guest.
THE STAND-UP MEETING
Often meeting rooms are booked up and they tend to take longer when people are seated and switch off. While meetings could be happening faster, be more engaging and reduce the necessity of scheduling and re-scheduling meetings around a meeting room time table.
The solution is a stand-up meeting table, that is narrow, has it’s own plug point (for laptops), (preferable has some sound proofing) is semi private. Our Evolution Spine system already incorporates a ideal height surface between 4 desks, and we are working on developing a stand-up, narrow boardroom table in the near future.
PRINTER STATION
We got this idea from one of the students at the Boston School of Design with who we did a student project with in 2014. He placed the Printer-hub in a high trafiic area between 2 departments/office spaces. The space incorporated minimal soft seating which made it an ideal spot for meet-and-greet (improving employee interaction) making otherwise dead space both functional (printer hub) and social.
THE SEMI-PRIVATE BOARDROOM
Space is expensive, and so is changing existing spaces with fixed dry-walls to create private boardrooms.
The idea is to place a boardroom in a open plan office, and by using sound absortion curtains, lighting and a mobile projector screen/white board you can make – and un-make – a semi private board room as needed, that is both sound proof, private (no distractions) with adjustable lighting for the use of a projector.
CLOUD, WIFI AND SHARED CALENDARS
With less reliance on office infrastructure – that has come with the digital era – being able to access info instantaneously and on the road is very important. Co-ordinating movements and calendars between team members is essential to keeping track of business. Offices need a digital realm where files and folders and contacts are as organized as in the physical office. This requires some house-keeping rules and monitoring.
We are excited to meet all the challenges that come with a new year, new clients, new developments and new office layouts.
The Entrawood Team
