Only 1 in 4 workers say they have a good balance of focus and collaboration spaces.
The lines between privacy and collaboration are becoming increasingly blurred. As more studies and surveys are conducted around the country, we are getting a better understanding of how office design influences productivity. Combined with advances in technology and the exponential rise of distractions — auditory, visual or virtual — office spaces have to adjust to meet employee needs.
A new approach to office design has been born out of the concept of activity based work. Activity based work embraces the idea that employees know what they need to get done in the office and why it’s important. They also understand how they’re going to do it. This style of office design empowers the employee, giving them the choice to work in a space conducive to his or her work; whether that be in an area that is designed for individual focus or group collaboration. The rise in hot desking (also known as free addressing) and the trend away from assigned-seating reflects the adoption of the activity based work.
At LOFTwall, we believe the movement toward activity based work is the new standard. We are taking this concept a step further and creating a mix of the spaces needed to increase productivity, limit distraction and focus on getting the job done. Meet the LOFTwall Collection — a family of space defining solutions designed to strike a much-needed balance between privacy and collaboration.
The Collection is broken down into four unique categories:
Divide
53 percent of workers say they are disturbed by others when trying to focus.
When designing the Collection, we recognized that businesses often lack adequate privacy for focused, individual work. The Divide space gives employees a small haven away from auditory and visual distraction so they can focus on accomplishing what they do best. Through the application of agile, portable walls or a subtle desk divider, privacy is within reach for those that need to focus.
Dialog
42 percent of workers use makeshift solutions to block out distractions in the workplace.
Personal phone calls, conference calls, webinars and small-group presentations are all realities of working in an office, but all of those activities can be a distraction to those not directly involved. Dialog spaces give businesses the space they need for these activities without disturbing other workers in the process.
Gather
Innovative companies are 5 times more likely to have workplaces that prioritize both individual and group work.
Traditional conference rooms have always been a staple of businesses, but Gather spaces can and should be more varied. Sure, there’s an opportunity to recreate the traditional conference room, but often businesses will need multiple kinds of gather spaces to create an ideal collaborative environment. Portable walls that are writable and tack-able can add a new dimension to presentations and meetings.
Zone
In any office, especially where innovation is valued, play can be as important as focus. The value of having a high-traffic area where you can interact and decompress with coworkers can’t be underestimated. Having larger areas designated for a diverse range of activities— lounging, eating or gaming — can serve as the foundation of a healthy work culture.
This blog post is a part of Design Blogger Competition organized by CGTrader