What is important when arranging office space: Top 10 tips

You probably know about the concept of the “pyramid of needs”. But do you know about the pyramid of needs in the office? How do you create a place where you want to come back every day, which is conducive to great work just through design?

In this article, we share the secrets of arranging just such a place.

SAFETY IS AT THE TOP OF OUR PYRAMID ON NEEDS

This is the base of the pyramid of needs, basic for every person. Our task is to create a safe space, because it is important for employees to feel safe and know that they are taken care of.

When considering physical protection, it is necessary to install a ventilation system, automatic air filtration and air conditioning. Be sure to determine the location of the equipment before selecting it. An outdoor unit on the wall from the street or indoors radically changes the look of your office. And once you’ve made your choice, you can plan your design. 

A safe space also includes space for fire protection equipment. An automatic fire alarm system, fire extinguishing system, and emergency exits with doors that open away from you are important so as not to impede quick evacuation. Corridors should not be cluttered with furniture or other items that will get in the way in case of emergency. The evacuation plan should be posted in a visible place.

In the event of a natural disaster, threat of terrorist attack or military conflict, a shelter should be set up. It should have places for water, non-perishable food, personal protective equipment such as respirators and radiation suits. Shelters can be arranged simply on the principle of two walls, when any interior room separated from the outside environment by at least two walls is suitable for staying during a threat, as well as more technologically sophisticated rooms, such as bomb shelters, radiation bunkers, etc. The higher the level of protection, the lower the level of background stress for employees.

Physical danger is a significant, but statistically not so frequent threat. Problems related to viruses, acute and chronic diseases, and health in general seem to be much more insidious. Therefore, your office should take care of places for permanent antiseptics, a “health corner” with a first aid kit, defibrillator and other medical equipment, as well as a break room for those who suddenly feel unwell.

INCLUSION

It is important that your office is comfortable for people with all kinds of needs and characteristics. This can be achieved thanks to the principles developed by architect Ronald Mays. Due to his illness, he had to move around in a wheelchair all his life. Faced with numerous obstacles in places that people without special needs would not even pay attention to, the architect invented “universal design”. 

Using the concept of “universal design”, the office layout provides plenty of free space for the wheelchair to fit and move around, as well as wide corridors and additionally equipped common areas. Due to the absence of thresholds between rooms, people with special needs will be able to move freely without assistance.

Let’s take the example of the Access Living office building in Chicago to see what universal design looks like. 

By the way, future users were involved in its design. Their opinion formed the basis of all design and architectural decisions. For example, this office decided to automate all routine processes as much as possible: sliding doors, taps, water drains, and even soap dispensers are controlled by touch buttons. Chairs and tables are adjustable to different heights. All furniture is modular and easy to transform. Shelves and drawers are within reach of people of different heights. The area around the building was also taken care of: thanks to heated sidewalks, office visitors do not get injured on the ice.

THE NEXT STEP IN OUR PYRAMID OF NEEDS IS LIGHTING

After all, when you’ve taken care of safety, it’s time to think about comfort. And here, office lighting can be an indispensable assistant, if used correctly, or, on the contrary, lead to undesirable consequences: overstrain, fatigue, loss of concentration, mood and interest. 

First of all, it is important to provide the workspace with daylight. Panoramic windows will help to do this, but they are not always provided in the building design. Therefore, you can visually increase the space, and with it the lighting areas, by using mirror surfaces. They will reflect and distribute light to the most remote corners of the office.

In places where there is a lack of light, we equip lamps and sconces. Remember that each zone needs its own brightness and temperature.

Warm light color (from 2700 to 3000 K) creates an atmosphere of home comfort and relaxation, reminiscent of sunrise or sunset. It is ideal for recreation and informal communication areas: lounges, cafeterias and non-working areas.

Neutral color (about 4000 K) is the most conducive to work, as it resembles daylight, which the brain perceives as a signal for thought processes.

Cold light (5000-6000 K) is very bright. Combine it with natural light in the work area.

By the way, automatic light control will help you save energy. This will be facilitated by the installation of motion sensors and other smart systems.

ACOUSTIC COMFORT IS NEXT ON OUR PYRAMID OF NEEDS

To create a comfortable environment, you need to take care of more than just the layout and lighting. An important, though not obvious, factor here is the sound design of your office. What will improve the sound picture by minimizing office noise?

First of all, the distance between employees’ workspaces and partitions that create a sense of privacy. These partitions can be made of soundproof materials and artistically decorated.

Every office now has meeting rooms. The walls are often made of glass to visually expand the space, but this does not help soundproofing. So during important negotiations, such glass partitions can be closed with special soundproof curtains. 

Carpets are also an original and decorative option. And thanks to artfully decorated acoustic panels and foam rubber, you can significantly minimize interior noise. 

Let’s talk about music. Your office should be equipped with a good sound system. The placement of speakers is a separate discipline of sound design, but the most important principle here is that you should have more music in recreation areas, less in work areas, and no music in meeting rooms.

FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY ARE THE NEXT ELEMENTS OF OUR PYRAMID OF NEEDS

After all, these principles allow us to develop without sacrificing the aforementioned comfort. 

It often happens that you really need to set up your office fast. After all, this is a rented space for which you are already being charged. In this case, the task of designers will be to plan everything so that employees start working in the office as soon as possible. 

First of all, we draw up a plan of the most necessary areas, namely workplaces. Next, we produce work on their equipment and commissioning. After that, we start decorating, arranging additional and secondary areas, aesthetic solutions, etc. The main thing is to plan everything so that it does not interfere with office workers.  

That’s why all the components in such an interior are mobile and multifunctional, and the process is divided into clear independent stages/fragments. 

In fact, continuous and endless renovation can become a feature of your office. After all, the space must constantly adapt to the company’s immediate needs, the current number of people, and current visual trends. In addition, this way the design will not get boring.  Progress and constant change should become not only the principles of your office, but also of your business. 

AREAS FOR LIVING

Continuing with the theme of comfort on the one hand and continuous improvement on the other, it is worth noting the following. Modern businesses are rapidly globalizing, and their offices are open 24 hours a day, as they deal with clients from all over the world. In such conditions, the famous work-life balance system stops working and work smoothly flows into life, and life becomes a continuous work. Therefore, a modern office should be a place not only for work but also for other aspects of life.

It would be appropriate to equip the office with a zone not only for relaxation but also for sleep. Especially if you run an international business. It can be either separate sleep boxes or full-fledged rest rooms, like hotel rooms, with good noise insulation. It’s not just the Spaniards who need a siesta, this practice is now spreading in the offices of Japanese and Scandinavian companies and soon has a chance to become a global trend.

Speaking of sleep, it’s worth mentioning sports. Thus, a small fitness area with basic equipment is now a necessity for a cool office. Tennis tables and other lightweight activities will do. Employees love this, especially when they have a sedentary job.

Children are a crucial part of life, and work shouldn’t get in the way of parent-child relationships, so why not bring your kids to the office? A children’s play area will be a great “playground” to keep your child busy while you work. Think about activities for different age groups.

A pet-friendly zone will allow employees to bring their pets to work. In addition to a place to eat, take care of a toilet, toys, and various activities for your furry friends.

You should also think about psychological relief zones. This can be a meditation room with live plants and a splashing mini-waterfall, or even a soundproofed anti-stress zone with soft walls and a punching bag that can be beaten to release emotions. 

All these zones will cover many of the psychological needs of employees. After all, you can now even live in your office.

MOVING TOWARDS ERGONOMIC AND PRACTICAL MATERIALS

The above-mentioned need for comfort leads to the next one – to live a quality life. This is not just about convenience, but about dignity and self-respect.

Your office is a crowded place. And where there are a lot of people, there will be dirt and malfunctions, it’s a life axiom. Therefore, you should choose furniture and decor for your office based on the principles of endurance and sustainability. Let it be wood, tile, or polypropylene. Odorless paints and fabrics will reduce the need for air purification and provide comfort for people who are sensitive to chemicals. 

The ergonomics of the workplace also depends on the practicality of the materials. If you think about the details in advance, you can avoid repairs, and cleaning will not require much effort.

AUTHENTICITY — MOVING TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF OUR PYRAMID

Having satisfied basic needs, people need self-identification. The same goes for companies. Let the idea of your business be reflected not only in the product and marketing, but also in its home – the office itself.

Let’s imagine that you create floating houses on canals, so your office should also be a kind of floating headquarters or an office ship converted from an old barge. This idea has already been implemented by WaterSpace and looks impressive.

Whatever your company’s product is, it can be integrated into the design. 

Car parts? The highlight of your office will be a desk standing on a huge engine. Is your business related to the sea? Style your office walls as waves and place models of ships there. If you are engaged in woodworking – great, exclusively wooden design is your thing. 

The MAKHNO studio office looks like a museum, because it was created according to the principles of a studio with products created by our craftsmen. We like to surround ourselves with things that we have created with our own hands. Because art is born in art.

CREATIVITY IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE OFFICE NEEDS PYRAMID

When all the previous needs have been met, the last one remains — to live in an interesting and fun way. Therefore, the designer’s task is to create an unusual space, to interest employees and guests in something they won’t find at home or in the spaces of other companies.

What can be so extraordinary? Let’s visit the Ticketmaster office – they have a giant slide and slot machines in the middle of the open space. The American company Zappos holds conferences in a space shuttle model. And HomeAway employees can lie in hammocks right in the middle of the office. It makes you smile and feel excited, doesn’t it? 

Such features should evoke positive emotions in visitors so that they remember this vivid image and associate the emotions with the company.

This tip is ideal for reception areas, lounges, and general non-working spaces, but in the work area, on the contrary, it is better to be careful with the decor so as not to distract employees.

CORPORATE FRAGRANCE COMPLETES OUR PYRAMID OF NEEDS

This is about another level of design, invisible but very effective. 

Smell creates an atmosphere. It is the signal that reaches the brain the fastest, without barriers and analysis. Thanks to it, you can build your brand awareness among visitors on a subconscious level. This will also help employees to tune in to work, as they will begin to associate it with the place where they work. 

There are special scent spraying devices built into the air conditioning system. But you can also use ordinary scented sticks or oils. The main thing is to choose the scent that evokes the maximum association with your company.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT NAVIGATION

Navigation is a road map of your office. It should be placed in visible places in common areas: at the reception, near elevators, in large halls, corridors, etc. It can be in the form of maps, inscriptions, graphic symbols, digitalized pointers on screens. This is an important part of the space that everyone will pay attention to. So think about it in the overall corporate identity of the company and integrate it into the design of your office. Be sure to duplicate it in Braille for people who see with their hands.

Well, now, thanks to the principles of our architectural and design pyramid of needs, you will create the best office. Which, at the very least, will receive the national award “Office of the Year”. We know what we’re talking about, because the office of MAKHNO studio has already won two of them.