The Latest Trends in Commercial Office Space Design
Take a look at your office space. Is it stuck in traditional and outdated style and functionality? Maybe it’s time for a refresh, or maybe it’s time to look for a new space altogether. In any case, updating your commercial office design to today’s standards and trends is a worthwhile measure.
5 Key Elements to Functional and Appealing Commercial Office Design
When it comes to designing modern commercial office space, there are a few key elements you’ll want to keep in mind.
1.) Sustainable characteristics. Your space will reflect who you are as a company and as a brand. With sustainability taking up such a large part of today’s conversation, it’s important for you to represent your support in the effort. With natural elements weaved into your office design such as plant life and windows to let in natural light, or fireplaces and water fountains, offer ways to break down the barrier between work and nature that your employees may feel being stuck inside each day. This is also a huge part of being able to resell the space down the road.
2.) A sense of community. You can use your commercial office space as an opportunity for your employees to collaborate productively and in an open-concept environment. A traditional office design holds 40 percent of the operations privately, and behind walls. Today’s trends call for a design that includes less than 17 percent of operations occurring behind closed doors. This design includes more open cubicles and less private offices; enhancing collaboration efforts and reducing the money and labor needed for more drywall. Instead, those efforts could be put to use to make community rooms designed for team sessions, brainstorming meetings, and more.
3.) Wood: The new norm. For similar reasons as with the sustainability movement, wood is a highly desired style and element to add to today’s office spaces. With Millennials and Generation Z becoming the largest parts of today’s workforce, they’re looking to work in places that match company values that are important to them. Wood represents a natural environment, as we mentioned before, but also adds character, warmth, and depth to an office space that is missing when white drywall and black metal make up the overall feel of the space.
4.) Dynamic, flexible abilities. Another major trend in modern commercial office design is creating opportunities for employees to work in ways aside from sitting in front of their computers in the same chair, in the same space every day. People are looking for ways to be flexible. Today’s world comes with an increase in awareness of the unhealthy side effects of desk jobs when it comes to ergonomics, so many people are looking for places to work that offers ergonomic features such as stand-up desks.
At ProxyClick, using stand-up meeting stations not only gave their employees more options for ways to spend their time at required meetings, but also cut down on unproductive meeting time by 34 percent.
Going further, what’s known as the Dynamic Flexibility design trend offers moveable elements in an office space, such as walls, furniture, screens, etc. that can be easily moved around in the area to fit the multidisciplinary needs of a business’ daily schedule. Rooms can be changed in just a few minutes to be used for various projects; from meeting rooms to quiet workspaces, to video production studios, and more, when the space doesn’t allow for all of those places to exist independently.
5.) Technology-based spaces. The modern workspace can’t exist without support for its technological needs and activities. Including power outlets and screens in several places throughout the commercial office space is now a standard requirement. This allows your employees to be able to use advanced tools in several spaces throughout the office and easily share with others.
Whether you’re looking to start a project for a new commercial office space, or just have a few questions about how you can update where you work now, we can help you find the right answers. Schedule a free consultation today!
Vice President/Owner,
Galbraith Pre-Design
As co-owner of Galbraith/Pre-Design, Inc., Mark Galbraith is responsible for the construction of commercial facilities in nine states. Continuing his family’s tradition of commercial and industrial construction in south central Pennsylvania and beyond, Mark’s experience includes site analysis and selection, pre-construction services, field engineering and project management.
