Why an activity-based workplace design is a concept you should be giving some serious thought to.
Activity-based workplace design has been around a little while now, so it is good to see the evidence that supports it. We look in a little more depth on why you might consider incorporating this trend into your next office design project.
Higher levels of satisfaction and productivity.
After six months of embracing the activity-based workplace trend, GLG reported that 80% of their staff felt more satisfied at work and 92% found work more engaging and fun. If this wasn’t enough of a reason to make the switch, it turns out happy employees make for better workers too. A study from BrightHR reveals that incorporating a sense of fun into the working day results in more productivity and fewer sick days.
Cost-savings and greener working.
Although redesigning an office can seem costly, activity-based designs have actually been shown to reduce costs in the long run. Because they’re spaces that encourage movement, there is an increased use of laptops and cloud storage, as well as a focus on portability. Thus, desktop computers and paper are used much less, which lead Macquarie Group’s Sydney office to producing 8,000 fewer tonnes of carbon emissions. Printing fell by just over half and paper usage was down by 73%, resulting in a positive impact on the environment.
So, what’s the best way to implement an activity-based workplace into design?
Activity-based workspaces may sound like a fool-proof way to working more and having fun at the same time, but this isn’t always the case. It’s true you can have too much of a good thing, so it pays for design professionals to understand which types of activity-based workspace have proven to be the most successful.
It turns out that three is the magic number and that balancing workstations across these core categories will allow employees to make the most out of their new setup. Centring the design around an open-plan home base is ideal, as this gives staff a place of grounding and community. This should be surrounded by plenty of communication spaces that are lively and engaging to work in with a team of people. High concentration areas should be spaced a short distance away and need to be closed off and more secluded for optimal focus.
Get in touch.
To build the perfect activity-based workplace for your clients, you’ll need the right office furniture, often a bespoke piece can be developed to fit perfectly with the organisation’s specific needs. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you realise something that will fully engage employees and make the maximum use of the space available.