1. Creating Team Zones.

Blocks of existing work stations can easily be converted into collaborative team zones. Simply removing acoustic panels creates a more open and communal vibe.

Sometimes clients set matching table heights then remove the tables’ adjustability – an instant team zone ready for workers to use. With a little investment, work stations can also be replaced with some purpose built team furniture. Many furniture producers have fun products that encourage team work and add some design flair to the space, such as the example from Narbutas pictured. Adding team furniture is a great signal to employees – recognizing that coming to the office today is more about collaboration than having the perfect individual work desk.

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2. Adding Phone Box Furniture

There's no such thing as too many spots for quiet calls or focused work. Adding phone box furniture offers excellent sound insulation and flexibility without the need for construction work or complex alterations to your office building's air-conditioning systems. Stand-alone phone boxes are often customisable, allowing us to order pieces which suit the design vibe of your office. We'll help you find the perfect furniture pieces that align with your needs and amplify performance.

3. Cosy Kitchens

Just as with the home, the kitchen is often the heart of the office. A place for employees (and sometimes guests) to come together, share, collaborate, socialise, work, eat and congregate. This is only possible with the right space and right furniture. We often convert dull cafe spaces into warm cozy kitchen spaces that promote collaboration and provide a wide variety for spots for all activities. Materials, colours, lighting, plants and equipment all play a role in forming the ideal kitchen as the heart of a space. Does your office kitchen need some love?

4. Focus Corners

During a office design project we focus our energy and your budget on key areas. So sometimes certain corners might need a little extra love later. Adding a cozy reading corner with a stylish armchair, a bookshelf and reading lamp can transform an unused corner of your office into a source of inspiration for your team. Having interesting working corners in your office is a great way to encourage employees to be active in the office – grabbing their laptop and spending time in a reading corner is the perfect way to get focused task complete. More choice for employees can contribute to higher attendance rates too.

5. Remote Meeting Backgrounds

Do your meeting rooms have design elements clustered around the video screen? Traditionally the video screen has been the visual focal point of the meeting room, with decorative surfaces or wall paper graphics on the video screen wall. Hiding cables and integrating the screen looks great – a tidy coherent design to welcome the visitor. But today the visitor often isn't present in the room! They attend online, and their perspective of the meeting room is the view of the camera, often facing dull blank walls. Our clients often ask us to give some attention to these areas of the meeting room. Adding colour, fabric, curtains, acoustic panels, planting, shelving, designer notice boards... all excellent ways to boost your company's image in the eye of the online visitor.

Next steps

Any of these five changes is a great way to give your office space a boost. Through them you can show your employees that you're investing in the physical changes that modern ways of working require. Are you ready to make some changes? If you need help figuring our the best way forward we're happy to help. Just book an appointment through the link below and we can talk through the process with you..

About the Author

I'm Robin Wycherley, Interior Architect and founder of Itu Design. I've lead a small team of expert designers here in Helsinki for over ten years. I'm responsible for creative design, coordination and communication, and I'm present in all our projects from beginning to end.

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