By Pompey | 23 January 2022 | 0 Comments

Contemporary Office Design Trends in 2022 and Beyond

Office spaces have been slowly evolving over the years. The office of 20 years ago no longer suits the needs of contemporary office life.

Creativity and efficiency are revered, working from home has become more widely accepted, advanced technology is now a vital part of our everyday work life, and collaboration is encouraged among different teams.

These new ideals must be translated into the design and layout of modern offices in order to accommodate the new generation of workers. Closed cubicles and dingy boardrooms are a thing of the past—open and more comfortable spaces that keep employees happy are what it’s all about.

This article covers contemporary office design trends that will boost efficiency and that will cater to today’s workforce.

1, Flexible Spaces

Flexible spaces make all the difference in an office. They are less restrictive, allowing
furniture to be moved around, adjusted, and used for different purposes.

Instead of being stuck at their desks all day, employees can use a flexible space to perform different tasks throughout the day. For example, should an employee need some quiet time to focus on a project, they can move to a quiet corner or soundproofed meeting room to get their work done.

You can also design a call room where employees can take calls without disrupting the
rest of the team. This helps them to relax and be more productive during the call instead
of worrying about how loud or distracting they are being. A call room works well for employees who are in sales or for those who often have meetings with people working
remotely.

Having different spaces to migrate to throughout the day is a great way to keep employees motivated and to ensure they are not restricted to their desks. Flexible spaces promote a healthier and more productive work environment.

2, Collaborative Furniture

Collaboration is a key factor in a company’s success. Teamwork allows employees to brainstorm more productively and to come up with the most effective solutions to a given problem. As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work.

But in order to encourage collaboration in the workplace, there are a few changes that need to be made. That is where collaborative furniture comes in—designing a workspace with collaborative furniture will help employees work better together.

There are several collaborative furniture items to choose from, including freestanding media units where employees can meet quickly and project their work onto a screen.
A freestanding media unit can be placed pretty much anywhere in an office. It’s ideal for small-sized meetings and presentations, and it allows everyone involved to easily hear and see what is being presented.

Acoustic pods are another great way to encourage collaboration. They provide privacy for quick meetings, don’t take up much space in the office, and they’re made with high-level insulation to eliminate outside noise. Acoustic pods are normally built within an existing room and can be easily accessed for uninterrupted focus sessions.

Finally, what better way to offer employees a place to work together than a large meeting desk? But a plain desk won’t suffice; we’re talking about worktables that are fully equipped with power outlets, task lighting, adjustable height, and data sockets. There are even some worktables that are split in two to allow for different heights to accommodate employees of varying sizes.

3, Biophilic Design

If you’ve never heard of biophilic design before, now’s your chance to get acquainted. Biophilic design is a design trend that focuses on the natural world. It’s becoming more and more popular both in the home and in office spaces.

Studies have shown that biophilic design can reduce overall stress levels, increase attention and focus, have a positive impact on mood, and increase overall productivity. In order to achieve biophilic design, you must incorporate natural elements into the workspace so employees can be surrounded by nature even when they are indoors for most of the day.

Here are five ways you can achieve biophilic design in an office space:

Plants: One of the easiest ways to introduce nature into an office space is by adding plants wherever possible. Plants have many benefits and are a great source of oxygen, which in turn helps improve concentration and general mental state.

Windows: Natural light is the life source of any space. Including large windows that let in ample sunlight and that give employees a view of the outdoors will impact overall well-being and energy levels.

Natural materials: Designing a workspace with materials such as wood and stone is a great way to mimic the outdoors. Wood and stone are everywhere in nature and using these materials will give employees the feeling of being closer to nature.

Warm Colors:
Using natural and warm colors in your office design is a great way to incorporate biophilic design principles. Dull colors can have a negative impact on mood and performance, whereas vibrant colors, even if just used for an accent wall or decor items, can make all the difference.

Outdoor areas: If the company you’re designing for has available outdoor space,
you can include seating or even outdoor work areas to encourage employees to spend a little more time outside. The fresh air will help re-energize workers and greatly impact their mood.

4, Technology in the Office

A contemporary office design wouldn’t be contemporary without the integration of technology. The latter plays an integral role in today’s offices; everything is done electronically, and offices need the proper equipment to keep up with technological advancements.

An office that is properly set up will help employees work faster, smarter and more efficiently. There shouldn’t be any time wasted trying to figure out how to work a projector, how to connect to employees working remotely, or how to cast to a screen. Contemporary offices should have a seamless workflow to avoid wasting time and to improve productivity.

Many offices are now opting for laptops instead of desktop, giving employees the freedom to work from anywhere. Since work has become portable, office spaces need to adjust accordingly.

As an office designer, you need to make sure the following technology is readily available:
Abundance of power outlets
Built-in video conferencing technology
Screens for presentations
Wireless charging stations
Data ports
Smartboards

5, Comfortable Work Areas

Humans aren’t meant to sit all day long. It isn’t good for our health, and it doesn’t stimulate us to be as creative as we can be. What does that have to do with contemporary office design?

Everything.

Forcing employees to sit on uncomfortable office chairs and desks all day long is not a recipe for success. You want to create a space that fosters creativity and increases overall employee satisfaction, which is why designing a more comfortable and homey space is the way to go.

Different employees have different styles of working – some might thrive in an open work environment, some in private pods, and others in cafe-style booths. You can incorporate comfortable seating areas where employees can lounge on a sofa and get work done on their laptops; just don’t forget to include plenty of power outlets, USB ports and small work surfaces.

If there is no space in the office for designated “comfort” areas, an easy way to incorporate comfort is to invest in ergonomic chairs and desks. Depending on your employer’s budget, you can push for comfortable office chairs that give ample back support as well as adjustable desks that can be converted to standing desks.

Offering people different office workstation options is a great way to encourage them to move around throughout the day and get those creative juices going. Today’s office spaces are more progressive, taking into consideration studies that prove the benefits of certain ways of working along with catering to the needs and wants of the new generation of workers.

6, The Office of the Future

The workplace is slowly evolving, and it’s exciting to think about the office of the future. What will it look like? How different will it be from today’s workplace?

It’s safe to say that versatility will be at the core of the office of the future. Buildings will not be designed based on one individual user in mind. Spaces will be modular and will accommodate all types of employees, including employees who work best in teams, who work best solo (introverts), or who work best in an environment that encourages a combination of both.

There will also be a merge of outdoor and indoor spaces. As mentioned in this article, we are currently moving toward bringing the outdoors in. This will be a dominant part of the office space of the future and it includes providing more opportunities for employees to see outdoor spaces from the inside (large windows that let sunlight and a view of nature in) as well as incorporating biophilic elements.

The office of the future will also make it easier for employees to make full use of outdoor spaces. Naturally, this all depends on climate. After all, investing in large outdoor workspaces is not ideal if the weather will not permit outdoor work for a large portion of the year.

In brief, offices will continue to evolve and will center around the well-being of staff to improve overall morale, thus boosting productivity.

Conclusion

As you begin designing a contemporary office space, keep in mind these five key takeaways from this article.

Key takeaways:

1，Offering employees flexible spaces that allow them to move around promotes a healthier and more productive work environment.

2，Collaboration is a key factor in a company’s success. Collaborative furniture such as acoustic pods, freestanding media units, and well-equipped meeting desks allow for easy teamwork.

3，Biophilic design is a design trend that focuses on bringing natural elements indoors. You can achieve this by including warm colors, wood and stone materials, large windows, and more.

4，Contemporary offices should have a seamless workflow to avoid wasting time and to improve productivity. That is achieved by installing the latest “smart” technologies around the office.

5，Different employees have different styles of working. It’s important to offer staff comfortable seating areas where they can migrate to throughout the day to get their work done.