The office is a dynamic space that is constantly evolving to reflect the changing perspectives of the times. To understand the office in the context of the new millennium, let’s take a quick look at a few trends in décor and furniture that are shaping the modern workplace. Not just for aesthetic reasons, these trends are essentially changing the way the modern employee works as well as the role of the office in daily life and how it functions as a fluid and adaptive space.
1. Open spaces race ahead of cubicles
With the second tech boom in the new millennium, firms slowly woke up to the need for open spaces in the office. These spaces promoted collaboration while also incubating a culture that was built on a foundation of innovation, creativity and conversation.
A direct result of this shift is that more organizations are moving away from cubicles in the work place are opting instead for desks with low partitions in more organic clusters or structures to facilitate dialogue.
Most offices also opt for wide open spaces at the work place that give employee’s literal and figurative “room to grow”.
2. Acoustics is a growing priority for large firms
With the shift toward open plan offices, noise in the work place has definitely become a point of concern. After all you can’t really expect an office designed for collaboration to be relatively silent right?
Consequently, acoustics has become a necessary consideration with designing modern day offices. From padded walls, to conference room furniture that is made of the correct raw materials, almost all offices implement subtle techniques in design and décor to dampen noise in the office.
3. Individuality and personality are the new décor buzz words
While consistency and uniformity were the hall marks of office furniture and design in the last few decades, the past couple of years have witnessed a slow yet consistent shift towards encouraging individuality at the work place. From adjustable desks that let you stand or sit, to a mish-mash of workstation styles in the same office, modern offices are designed to facilitate and expression of individual style. In this prevalent ethos, standing out is easier than fitting in.
4. Literal and figurative flexibility
With organizational structures growing flatter, it is no surprise that modular or reconfigurable furniture is growing in popularity. This allows different teams to work together on a project basis and furniture to cater to different situations differently, based on the needs of the hour.
From conference room furniture designs that can expand to accommodate more people based on the requirement to movable rooms, this level of customisation makes the workplace a dynamic structure that is constantly adapting and growing instead of staying static and rigid in the face of progress and development.
5. The economics of ergonomics
It would be a little unfair to consider comfort and ergonomics a trend but you cannot deny that these two concepts are taking over the modern work space. From small touches such as couches and bean bags to investing in ergonomically optimized furniture; companies are waking up to the fact that comfortable employees are productive employees.
As a result, companies are willing to invest a lot more in purchasing ergonomic furniture. With working hours growing longer and longer, this style of furniture makes it easier for employees to work longer hours with minimal discomfort. This indirectly also affects the ethos and work philosophies of a company.
1. Open spaces race ahead of cubicles
With the second tech boom in the new millennium, firms slowly woke up to the need for open spaces in the office. These spaces promoted collaboration while also incubating a culture that was built on a foundation of innovation, creativity and conversation.
A direct result of this shift is that more organizations are moving away from cubicles in the work place are opting instead for desks with low partitions in more organic clusters or structures to facilitate dialogue.
Most offices also opt for wide open spaces at the work place that give employee’s literal and figurative “room to grow”.
2. Acoustics is a growing priority for large firms
With the shift toward open plan offices, noise in the work place has definitely become a point of concern. After all you can’t really expect an office designed for collaboration to be relatively silent right?
Consequently, acoustics has become a necessary consideration with designing modern day offices. From padded walls, to conference room furniture that is made of the correct raw materials, almost all offices implement subtle techniques in design and décor to dampen noise in the office.
3. Individuality and personality are the new décor buzz words
While consistency and uniformity were the hall marks of office furniture and design in the last few decades, the past couple of years have witnessed a slow yet consistent shift towards encouraging individuality at the work place. From adjustable desks that let you stand or sit, to a mish-mash of workstation styles in the same office, modern offices are designed to facilitate and expression of individual style. In this prevalent ethos, standing out is easier than fitting in.
4. Literal and figurative flexibility
With organizational structures growing flatter, it is no surprise that modular or reconfigurable furniture is growing in popularity. This allows different teams to work together on a project basis and furniture to cater to different situations differently, based on the needs of the hour.
From conference room furniture designs that can expand to accommodate more people based on the requirement to movable rooms, this level of customisation makes the workplace a dynamic structure that is constantly adapting and growing instead of staying static and rigid in the face of progress and development.
5. The economics of ergonomics
It would be a little unfair to consider comfort and ergonomics a trend but you cannot deny that these two concepts are taking over the modern work space. From small touches such as couches and bean bags to investing in ergonomically optimized furniture; companies are waking up to the fact that comfortable employees are productive employees.
As a result, companies are willing to invest a lot more in purchasing ergonomic furniture. With working hours growing longer and longer, this style of furniture makes it easier for employees to work longer hours with minimal discomfort. This indirectly also affects the ethos and work philosophies of a company.
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