The average worker spends much more of their waking hours at the office than at home. This is why office interior design matters – it affects the health, the mental wellbeing and the productivity of professionals.
The workstation is the personal space everyone gets to enjoy in a common room or an office. The right layout takes into account privacy, optimal working conditions and even a chance for personalisation and so it is an integral part of designing the interior of an office space.
Here are a few different layouts that our interior design team has worked on and the reasons why each of the respective layouts work.
The open office layout is starting to dominate the professionals scene. It brings many benefits to the table but in some instances, the shortcomings are also way too many.
An interior design company can adopt a hybrid approach when it comes to workstation layouts, taking the best of the open office and the cubicle designs.
This hybrid approach comes in the form of a low-walled cubicle. The low-walled cubicle is a modification of its traditional counterpart that gives workers a bit of privacy without making them feel entirely partitioned and isolated from the rest of the team.
Such a layout is a great choice for a particularly noisy part of the office or a team that has to focus on a specific task every once in a while in seclusion.
The use of privacy dividers is a good alternative to the low-walled cubicle that can accomplish the same result without being permanent.
Sleek and open, shared desk space layouts are the perfect choice for offices where collaboration and fast exchange of ideas and information is key to success..
In this case, the workstation doesn’t belong to just one person. It is shared by several professionals who have the same job and who need to collaborate with each other.
Shared desk space layouts encourage open and honest communication. In addition, the layout is a great choice for team building and encouraging people to get to know each other better.
Obviously, the shared space is divided through the use of partitions, giving everyone a bit of privacy and a chance to concentrate on the task at hand. At the same time, it’s very easy to peek over the separator in order to discuss something with a desk-mate.
The Three-Way Enclosed Workstation Layout
Hard thinkers, those handling financials and people who need to do their job without interruptions will benefit from this office workstation layout idea.
Once again, the concept is a modification of the traditional cubicle. Privacy screens or dividers are utilised on three sides. This configuration provides the seclusion that the respective employee needs without making them feel completely separated from the rest of the team.
The absence of one of the walls and a door sub-consciously projects openness and agility. There’s really no need to create a completely enclosed space in a contemporary office in Singapore. People will know the purpose of that respective area. The knowledge will contribute to a more mindful approach towards communication and a reduction in disturbances.
Freely Accessible Work Stations
Long tables lined with office chairs – imagine this kind of workstation setup.
Whether you love it or hate it, this concept is gaining popularity.
The concept here is easy to understand – people arrive, they sit at an available spot and start doing their work – very much like hot-desking or co-working spaces.
There is no dedicated workspace, rather, the entire office is shared.
The aim of this layout is to get rid of the inherent hierarchy within the office. It encourages a manager to sit next to a junior assistant. People feel more at ease in such an environment and it also brings them closer together. If you are looking for the best possible layout to encourage team building, this one would be it.
Freely accessible workstations that aren’t designated could be somewhat problematic in more traditional office environments. Do think carefully whether this particular approach will make your workers happy or if they’d prefer to have a bit of personal space that others can’t access effortlessly.
Sharing the same desk isn’t right for your office space? In this instance, you should opt for grouped workstations that are clustered together and separate for the rest of the office.
There are many modern, cool and funky ways to create a grouped workstation layout.
Opt for adjustable desks and adjustable partitions. There are desks on the market that can be modified in terms of height and that are also mobile for effortless repositioning. Thus, you will be leaving it up to the team to determine how the grouping is going to work and who’s going to sit next to somebody else for collaborative purposes.
This is one of the ways to create a genuinely agile workspace environment that can be modified in accordance with the respective team’s needs.
These are just five of the things you can do to make your employees feel right at home in the office.
It’s best to avoid fixed workstation layout concepts. Flexibility, modern furniture and mobile partitions can help you accomplish a lot in terms of an adaptive workspace.
Home Guide has long been introducing such office layout solutions in our projects. We believe in versatility and functional design that addresses ever-changing needs. Check out our office design portfolio to get a better idea about the projects we’ve worked on. If you have questions or you’re ready to get started on your workspace remodelling, get in touch with us today.
