Effective, attractive and sustainable

The key theme to the modern office can be summarized in one word: efficiency. Business space costs averaging 14 to 15 percent. Meanwhile the cost of furnishings only corresponds to around one to two percent. What these statistics suggest is that by spending on and utilising clever design, business can help reduce their costs overall.

As an example, a reduction of only 10 percent of total space – in relation to a total space value of around 36 sqm per workplace – can produce a saving of around £550 per year. As such businesses, can make large savings through innovative use of  available space.

Particularly in open-plan office landscapes, high space efficiency can be realised through more compact workplaces. To achieve this, modular furnishings and multi-functional furniture should be a considered. Items such as cabinets and containers offer individual storage spaces, but also give structure to the main office area.

Modular furniture with uniform dimensions also offer flexibility for any subsequent restructuring measures. If required, it can easily be repositioned or complemented. This also helps reduces removal costs – a factor not to be underestimated when you consider that on average one in three employees moves within a company once a year, with average costs of £150 to move their work space.

Space optimisation should not however be achieved at the expense of room quality. Thus office layout must be planned well, taking into account an allocation of space, functions and communication routes. Well thought-out traffic management (in terms of people and electrical infrastructure) along with sensible allocation and screening of workplaces reduces disruption and distractions for staff. Ultimately, professional room structuring is based on such planning.

Good planning of open office landscapes should also take into account functionality. An office is not a uniform workspace and as such careful consideration should go into what happens in each area. This may include the consideration of withdrawal areas for concentrated working – so called thinkers’ cells. The aim of such spaces is to increase the quality of the time spent in the office through attractive social areas, which create an inspirational working environment. They are therefore frequently furnished with items intended to promote thinking and relaxation such as attractive fixture and fittings and relaxed furniture. Yet they also promote a structure to working that can increase productivity as the activities of workers is shaped by their surroundings.

As an example, at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics award winning office employees have the choice between work areas with varying atmospheres – be it a fireside room, Think Tank, rest and relaxation zone or library. The Google Centre in Zurich also makes use of a zoned workspace layout but with a twist. Smaller meetings are held in ski gondolas and social zones invite employees to play pool or computer games in their breaks, while they can get to the canteen via a slide.

Incorporating social areas into an office can help achieve space efficiency, as frequently they can be used as multi-function zones that offer scope for different requirements. Open meeting places can be utilised for relaxation or concentrated work for example. A reception and waiting area can be transformed into a simple conference facility and outside of meal times, a canteen becomes a meeting room or temporary workplace for colleagues who only work in the office from time to time.

To achieve efficient, multi-functional zones that can facilitate both work and relaxation, there must be unrestricted access to the necessary computer network. Wireless internet and email are a must-have, while video messaging is desirable where applicable. These technologies are increasingly being integrated into furniture, walls are doubling as screens and other media structures concealed in partitions promoting digitally-supported group work. Meanwhile, an increasing number of lobby easy chairs and sofas offer storage space and docking stations for laptops. Businesses can also make use of cloud software to ensure that staff have access to useful company software and information, while secure material can be kept on pass code protected wireless servers or similarly protected storage devices.

Many of the requirements for efficiency, smart design and improved work space quality are also compatible with improving a business’ environmental impact. The future belongs to a nature-based environment, sustainability and sensuality and the desire for a more natural environment in the workplace goes hand-in-hand with the expectation that stress levels will increase further for workers in the future as a result of more flexible working pracice and increased need for self-organisation.

Resource-friendly behaviour in everyday office routine is on the rise as environmental concerns become increasingly important and each year increases in scope. Now not only is it office consumables, such as paper or printer ink, that are being considered in a more environmentally-friendly way. Appliances and furniture – long-life products – are also increasingly being considered for their environmental credentials across their life as well as in their eventual disposal.
Suppliers, therefore, are endeavouring to ensure that the raw timber used in their products comes from responsibly managed forests or that items are made from composite materials such as recycled wood. In this way, an increasing number of manufacturers are succeeding in combining the diverse requirements placed on office furniture with the environmental concerns that businesses increasingly have. In this context therefore, office furniture should be modern, smart and stylish, technically perfect and ergonomic, but should also be durable and resource-friendly.

Design and environmentally-friendliness do not have to be a contradictions, but can definitely complement each other.

The exciting idea here is reconsidering the connections between the individual furniture components. Products that are easy to dismantle and repair – not glued, welded or riveted together but assembled with detachable connections – can be altered to fit with changing work environments and help achieve efficient office design. Equally, their lifespan is increased through the availability of spare parts for those that have become worn or damaged, or can be modified if they simply require a facelift in terms of design.

Modular and recyclable designs are thus becoming the status quo that all businesses should aim for if they are to meet the increasing demands for ergonomic, convenient, high-quality and sustainable work spaces.

With no significant extra outlay and improved product lifespan, furnishing wisely will therefore help a business reduce overheads , as well as enhance its  environmental credentials.

Orgatec is a leading international trade fair for modern office facilities running from 26 to 30 October in Cologne Visit: orgatec.com