Trends in Office Design

At Scotwood, we are always interested in keeping pace with the latest trends in office design and we thought we’d share some of our findings.

Employees are No 1

There is nothing new in the fact that organisations want their work environments to be an extension of their brand – reflecting its ethos and culture – but increasingly the work environment is also about attracting and keeping talented employees. Research shows that the impression an office environment makes is a significant factor in a candidate’s decision to take a job and will also affect retention. That’s why companies are investing in office fit-outs to meet the needs of employees first and foremost.

Think Tech

10 years ago, technology costs represented only 7% of a company’s interior construction budget. Now ensuring that everything in your workspace is tech enabled and configured for mobile devices will cost 25% of that budget. Trends include: app controlled facilities, furniture with integrated power distribution and wireless charging, smart connectivity and cloud-based solutions.

Millennial Mind Appeal

While there is no universally accepted definition, the term “millennial” is typically applied to those born between 1980 and 1999, the largest age group to emerge since the baby boom generation, and a group that accountancy firm Deloitte predicts will make up 75% of the global workforce by 2025.

Millennials are disrupting the workforce for the better but the workplace has to be designed to facilitate the way they work.

They favour a relaxed office environment where they feel as comfortable as they do at home and where collaboration is spontaneous and informal. They like to share ideas and they like flexibility in the way they work.

 

Relax

To facilitate spontaneous collaboration and idea sharing work spaces, today’s office worker needs a choice of environment for maximum productivity. As a result, we are seeing many more informal snug and break out areas with relaxing soft furnishings and bright colours.

 

 

 

 

Outside In

Having some greenery around the office has long been seen as making the environment pleasant but new research suggests it has a serious impact on well-being and productivity.

Plants in the work environment have been proven to result in a 6% increase in productivity, and a 15% increase in both well-being and creativity.

As a result, biophilia, which is defined as a love of life and the living world, is driving a trend for serious horticulture in work places including green walls and living vertical gardens