Revolutionizing Office SpaceRedesigning Offices for Better and Workable Space

ABSTRACTThese days, majority of people works in offices and therefore, great portion of their time is actually spent in office environments. For them, work is a significant part of their life and therefore, it is important to ensure that they have a good working environment as environment is crucial in determining the stress level of the society. The lesser the stress level and the happier the users are, the more productive they will be. The right working environment will translate into users wanting to come and feel good about where they work. Research has shown that stressful working environment can lead up to various health problems. How can we improve the working environment to make it more “livable” and fun for the users? The answer is to make office space feels like a place where they can work and “breathe” at the same time.

TABLE OF CONTENT1. Theme and Scope2. Target market3. Type of office designs4. In the near future – Technology & design5. Case studies – Creative & fun offices6. Proposed solution7. Conclusion8. References

ABOUT MEAngeline is an aspiring interior designer who is currently a 3rd year’s Interior Design & Architecture student at Temasek Polytechnic. She is an independent and self-motivated person who takes genuine interest in design. Besides that she also strives for continuous personal growth.

In the past, life used to be more slow-paced and people spend more of their time socializing and bonding with others. It is not so much about work but living their life to their fullest. Therefore, there are lesser health-related problems occurring back then. What dominates human’s life nowadays? It is not family nor fun activities. Instead, work prevails over everything else and our lives are more work-centered and hectic in the present.

In the last six months, a survey of 3,051 people reveals that almost 50% have been significantly stressed and their stress was work-related. The survey by Robertson Cooper showed that people who are stressed are more likely to experience health problems. The stress will cause them to be less productive in their jobs. Managing stress in the workplace can be challenging for both employees and employers. Taking steps to tackle stress in the workplace will definitely benefit the health, well-being and morale of an employer’s workforce.

Work-related stress affects not only the health and well-being of employees, but also the productivity of organisations and it is a growing problem around the world. health and well-being of employees, but also the productivity of organisations. It normally occurs when demands from work exceed the person’s capacity to cope. I can be caused by other events as well such as conflict with co-workers or bosses, constant change and threats to job security i.e. high turnover.

How bad the stress level depends on each person’s characteristics and psychological make-up, for example what one person may perceive as challenging, another may view as stressful simply because of the difference in capability.

Recognizing the impact of occupational stress on work performance, research is carried out to determine whether office design plays a part in inducing stress. As an employer, it is important to ensure that the employees have conducive working environment. Bad working environment will lead employers to record loss in productivity to stress through absenteeism, reduced work output, and increased disability claims. Employer can play their part through investing in better office design to make office space feels like the employees’ second home where they will feel comfortable working at.

1. THEME AND SCOPE

The main target market for the proposed office design solution is office worker who works in creative or service industries. What are creative industries? Creative industries can also be called cultural industries. They include:• Advertising• Architecture• Broadcast media• Design – Fashion design, graphic design, interior design, product design• Gaming software, new media• Film• The “finer “arts – literary, visual and performance arts• Libraries, museums, heritage• Music• Photography• Print media• Object d’art – Glass, ceramics, cutlery, crafts, jewelry

These are the people who constantly needs creative juices to flow in their minds and they spend most of their time in the offices. They need a conducive and relaxing environment to enable them to be inspired and come up with new fresh ideas. Moreover, the creative and cultural industries are a sector of the economy that has exhibited strong long-term growth and nowadays, more industries are linked to design in a certain ways and the prospect of having design infused with other industries enhanced the working experience. For example, according to Daily Sundial (2011), creative industry is expected to grow over the next five years. Direct employment in the creative industries is expected to increase by more than 4 percent, or 13,100 jobs, by 2015.

2. TARGET MARKET

3. TYPE OF OFFICE DESIGNS

The different type of office design might have different impact on stress level. Human being is now the focus of office planning and soft factors (non-measurable for example, feelings etc.) is increasingly considered to measure employee productivity and is no longer measured in terms of number. Interpersonal contact amongst peer is promoted. There are both positive and negative consequences when interpersonal contact occurred at work. Positive contact, such as peer friendships, can be a channel for the employees to distress and can be one of the factor that makes employees want to keep working at the company. On the other hand, negative contact, such as bullying (outcaste), can badly affect the work performance. However, peer and organisational support can protect the employee from some of the mental and emotional harm associated with negative contact.

For the individual, one of the most important aspects of the workplace is the workstation. One of the factors that determine whether one feels if the workplace is suitable for him/her is the feeling towards the immediate workplace. There is also a connection between the permanence of the workplace design and pride in the workplace among employees. Adjustable and customizable workstation will contribute to the feeling of having a “private” space than having an actual workspace enclosure and therefore increase the satisfaction with their work environment.

Traditionally, there are 2 methods of categorizing office space, either by work or spatial organization. However there are other factors to be taken into consideration, namely the architectural and functional features since one factor affects the other. The most dominant architectural feature is the spatial organization because spatial organization is important in determining the type of office. There are several types of office design, they are:1. Cellular Office

Shared Hallway as circulation

Individual Workspace

Employees have their own individual workspace and it is more for autonomous, focused work and confidential meetings. Each space can be accessed via a shared hallway. However, the hallway just exists as a circulation space, there is no activity going on and no visual connectivity between all the spaces across the hallway

This combination is more for focused work and interaction happen at the center. The hallway walls are transparent to provide the central area with natural light and to help with visual contact across the room.

2. Combination Office

3. TYPE OF OFFICE DESIGNS

Multi-functional shared area

Visual connection across the room

3. Team Office

- There are different office types within the space, hence it is more flexible and have more varieties. For example, in this case, there are 3 different office types here, 1 is a shared office, where it is enclosed within a room, 2 is support spaces which are mostly used for secondary activities such as taking a break and 3 is a team space.

- The space is designed to be partially transparent and the advantage is that it can be modified at short notice for special events. This type of office layout also improve communications as it is more open and there are interaction between the spaces

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3. Open Plan Office

There is a flexibility in open-plan offices as it makes exchange of knowledge easier and interaction become the focus. The spaces are efficient and it is non-territorial. It makes use of open, large spaces and minimizes the usage of small and enclosed rooms

From the diagram, it can be concluded that most of the employees choose to work in a team office. This is perhaps due to the existence of certain degree of privacy and no strict spatial definition. Instead, the space is defined by teamwork and the sharing of common facilities. There is good access to back-up spaces for teamwork, meetings, etc. The work is characterized by both independence and interactivity in teamwork.

In the modern day, a lot of offices seem to have an open plan design as it is more cost-effective and improves communication. Why is it more cost effective? This is because open plan eliminates the needs of building any extra office space, less lighting will need to be installed due to the connected space. It can also adapts more quickly, particularly if the business expands. Communication with fellow colleagues will be much more efficient and open plan will increase accessibility to each others’ workspace. Since all the employees are in the same room, it encourages personal relationship between colleagues and to work together as a team as opposed to working individually in an isolated room. It helps business to run smoother and jobs will be done quicker than if everyone was in separate offices. This increase in communication and relationship will make workspace more bearable.

However, is open plan office really the answer to improve the productivity of the employees? Research has shown that open plan office has a lot of disadvantages such as lack of privacy and it can be a noisy environment to work at. The increase in connectivity can be a double-edged sword where employees can get distracted by what their neighbors are doing or saying and therefore make them unfocused and more prone to making mistakes in their work. Overhearing conversations in the office can be very intrusive and distracting for the workers.

It’s not just an acoustical thing. The employees need to feel that they have their own space and not be distracted continually by something that’s happening 200 feet away in the office. So sightlines and acoustics need to be addressed. There is a need to create different zones, for example, one space is for team work, another one is for sharing and so on. Much more factors need to be taken into consideration rather than just letting everyone sit at tables in the open.

3.1 ANALYSIS OF THE OFFICE DESIGNS

(Bene, 2013)

In this section, there will be more information about what are being done to office to keep it more up to date. Companies are becoming more mobile and interconnected. There are more freedom for the employees to choose where choose where, when and how they work. Therefore, the constraining nature of the traditional office is just not suitable for current working style. Individual workstations are being replaced by larger, more communal spaces. Such arrangements allow workers to maximize the hours they do spend in the office. Therefore, here are some of the current and future characteristics of offices

4. IN THE NEAR FUTURE – TECHNOLOGY & DESIGN

Today’s offices have cafes, break rooms and/or restaurant with Wi-Fi capability, and employees can work wherever and whenever they want. It is estimated that a quarter of modern offices have non-traditional workspaces, and it is done to provide a work setting that foster creativity. Offices are starting to be replaced with individual workstations being replaced by larger, more communal spaces.

The Increase in Mobility

To achieve a common goal, future office will encourage employees to work together. Therefore, there will be communal worktables provided and employees will be able to sit around one of those communal worktables to share ideas or information with the entire group. Many of today’s companies are converting the old conference room in favor of an open-air lounge to be used as shared room.

Meetings and conferences will be held in a variety of settings, and although video and audio conferencing equipment needs to be set up to be functional now, in the near future, people will be able to hold conferences from anywhere on any device. A tablet or other handheld device can be used as a conferencing tool and teleconferencing will be easier then than ever.

Cross Collaboration with Different Departments

4. IN THE NEAR FUTURE – TECHNOLOGY & DESIGN

Catching Up with Technologies

Touch screens devices are becoming more of an essential in human’s lives nowadays. It is an invaluable tool for getting work done. Interactive display technology will be installed on walls and tables in the office. These technologies will enable employees to sit together as a group and brainstorm ideas while they are still fresh in mind.

Instilling the Element of Fun in the Space

Small little features like swing, ping pong or pool table can be placed in the office to boost the happiness of the employees in the office. If the employees do not feel comfortable working behind a desk, they can try to work at the swing or sat on a picnic bench because the fact is that people can do their work everywhere. When they are taking their break, they can use these features as a channel to distress themselves to improve their productivity.

These are all the elements that are expected to be incorporated into the design of future office and they have and will change the working environment for the better.

5. CASE STUDIES – CREATIVE AND FUN OFFICES

ThinkGarden – Milan, Italy

The one thing that is mostly absent in office is nature. ThinkGarden understand that to do work, we have to spend most of our time indoors, but there’s no reason why we can’t bring the outdoor to indoor. Their whole office is designed with nature as their concept in mind, with stone shaped bean bags, large plants, flowers and trees, and unusual desk positioning. The walls are even designed to make it look and feel like as if you are working in the middle of the woods. The bright white furniture stand out amongst the plants

Selgas Cano - Madrid

This is the office of one of the biggest companies in the world, but when it comes to making awesome offices, size doesn’t matter. This office must be one of the most relaxing offices to work in, it is designed to sink in the ground, half underground and half above ground and is even provided with the view of the woods. This is Selgas Cano Office, designed by Iwan Baan and is situated in a forest, near Madrid, in Spain. This office for architects is light and airy, with clean lines and colorful details, making it a very conducive and relaxing environment to work at. In this office design, it’s less about fun slides, great food and gaming areas, and more about a relaxed environment, away from harsh lighting and big empty rooms

5. CASE STUDIES – CREATIVE AND FUN OFFICES

Parliament - Portland

Resembling a log cabin, Parliament has a hand-constructed look and floods its office with a rustic charm. With hardwood lining the floors and campfire logs covering the walls, the space is too comfortable and it's hard to not think of the creative agency as a second home. Attention is paid to every detail in the office, right down to the wooden worktables and band posters.

One thing that all these offices have in common is that they all have mixture of different type of offices. Hence, the employees have a say and choice to work at either the open space or a more enclosed space when they need to do some deep thinking.

6. PROPOSED SOLUTION

As mentioned in point 3, employees feel more comfortable working in a space which have mixture of office types. Hence, the employees have choice to select the space in which they want to work at. Most of the offices have the inclination to have open-plan office even though it have been proved that having an open plan office actually increase the stress level of the employees and decrease their productivity level. The problem with an open plan office is that everybody can all see each other and hear each other and there are times when employees need to collaborate and there are times when they want to do their work in private. So, the proposed solution to solve the issue of reducing the stress level of the employees through redesigning the office is to place alcove sofas with high, padded sides to provide acoustical insulation and privacy for workers who want to sit and have meetings where they can feel more removed from the hustle and bustle of the open office around them. The sofas are high enough that there is no visual distraction because of the high sight line.

Large sofa to provide for when there is a need for group or team meeting

Individual workstation where there are more privacy due to the high sides

High sides to lessen visual distraction – provide more privacy

Padded to provide acoustical insulation

6. PROPOSED SOLUTION

These sofas are also ergonomically designed and they make it much more comfortable for people to work at compared to sitting all day on a stiff chair. The output of employees may not be as brilliant as expected if they experience discomfort all day with their stiff office chair. This way, the staff can enjoy using the daily furnishings with improved comfort, encouraging them to be more productive more than ever.

They also eliminate the needs of building structural elements to create separate zones for the employees and hence this solves one of the problem that many company is trying to reduce nowadays : cost. Building walls to separate and zone the space will cost more than investing in furniture, hence having alcove sofas in the office will be more cost-effective. Furthermore, they are movable and not permanent, so when the company have any events that requires larger space, these furniture can be moved to clear some space.

7. CONCLUSION

The design problem identified is that there is a rise in stress level amongst the office worker and one of the reason causing it is the design of the office. A lot of modern offices have open plan office designed without really understanding the needs of the employees for different type of spaces. These different spaces are needed in order for employees to be more productive and less distracted. Open plan office is not just about placing rows and rows of tables in a vast open space where we expect people to collaborate and be more effective in their work just because they can see and hear each other. A lot more planning is required in order for an open plan office to work. Several successful examples of such offices have been shown at section 5. Therefore, with the suggestion of having acoustical high sides sofa in the office, the problem of the lack of privacy and noise distraction in the office will be reduced and office environment will be a much more comfortable space to work at.

7. REFERENCES

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Essay

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