Commercial and office spaces have undergone major changes in recent years. There are design trends that have gone out of vogue and you’ll notice that most commercial and office spaces are nowhere near what they used to look like decades ago. Today’s workspace is more about the employee and how they are able to interact with different areas of the space. It is also important to note that since offices now are focused on the employees, there is importance given to their overall well-being and experience. Here are the current design trends for commercial and office spaces.
Unconventional workspace
You can see a number of companies that have already moved towards this trend. Unconventional workspaces make use of areas such as corridors and small nooks and crannies to create open spaces where employees can do their jobs. This trend is primarily driven by technology since most employees are equipped with laptops that they can bring with them while working.
Open collaborative workspace
A commercial design service can create open collaborative spaces in the workplace where employees can freely hold meetings. More often than not, these spaces have soft, comfortable seating as well as whiteboards so that employees can share their ideas with each other. Open collaborative spaces have also slowly replaced closed meeting rooms.
Alternative partitions
In relation to the open space trend in offices, architects and designers have also started considering the use of alternative materials as partitions between rooms. Some examples of alternative partitions include acoustic panels, natural bamboo walls, shrubbery, and metallic display cabinets. This trend is meant to promote further the culture of transparency and openness.
A space for recharging your batteries
This is not literally for charging batteries but more of a personal space to relax, unwind or take a nap. It is a step-up from the common office space kitchen where you can enjoy a cup of coffee. These breakout spaces have become popular in many large companies. Here you can find bean bags and couches where employees can take a few minutes off to relieve stress. Some companies have even stepped up the game and included yoga and meditation spaces, as well as saunas.
The premise behind this is to help employees recharge their creative juices. When employees feel less constrained in their work, they have better output. Recharging spaces are still considered to be a luxury, but more and more organisations are starting to buy into the trend.
A variety of textures and finishes
The current trend is to make the workspace look more akin to nature. Designers have started to incorporate natural materials and outdoor design elements into interior workspaces. You will now see a lot of office spaces using a combination of natural materials such as wood and metals. Even unusual combinations are common which creates a more organic feel to offices.
These are only a few of the things dictating trends in office spaces. Forward-thinking organisations have already adopted these changes, which are likely to continue in the next few years or decades.
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