The labour market and the nature of work itself are constantly changing as a result of digitalisation and wider external influences. Work is becoming more creative, more flexible and freer, and hierarchies are becoming increasingly flat. Office buildings must adapt to these changes too. But what actually defines a modern office? The modern office must cater to the ‘digital workstyle’ and thus meet a wide range of needs – from focused work to creative brainstorming and meetings. It must therefore be multifunctional. You’ll need private offices, conference rooms, meeting rooms, quiet spaces and, ideally, business lounges so that you can meet all your company’s needs. Furthermore, modern offices today are equipped with the very latest technology, which simplifies workflows and ensures comfort.
The trend is moving ever further towards free choice of seating or desk sharing. As a result, there are no longer fixed workstations; instead, each person sits at whichever space is free the following morning. A more extreme variant of this is the complete elimination of fixed workstations, which further enhances workplace flexibility. The trend is moving away from desktop computers and towards laptops, which can be taken anywhere. This gives your employees the freedom to sit in lounges, meeting rooms or at a simple table – whichever suits their needs.
On the one hand, the office is the place where your employees spend most of their time; on the other hand, there are also flexible solutions such as working from home. For employees who spend most of their time in the office, you should make the workspace as comfortable and homely as possible, because nothing is more productive than a happy and healthy employee! To achieve this level of satisfaction, you should discuss needs and design ideas with your staff, as they know best which issues the workplace needs to address. Of course, you cannot accommodate every request, but if certain factors are raised by several or even all employees, you’ll realise that this might be a worthwhile idea to incorporate into your design.
Modern offices – key aspects
Many amenities are now standard features of modern offices, as employers strive to offer their staff as many comforts as possible. These have a positive effect on both mental and physical well-being, helping your staff to stay healthy and motivated. Show your staff how much they mean to you, so that they feel valued. Here are a few suggestions you can incorporate into your business to boost motivation and, consequently, productivity:
- Ergonomics, e.g. through adjustable desks
- acoustically insulated quiet spaces and think tanks
- Wellness programmes: yoga classes, massages, fitness rooms, bicycles and a canteen serving healthy food
- Animals
- Garden areas
Design features of modern offices
There are many different features, as many companies incorporate their own specific requirements into the design of a modern office. For example, companies offer so-called ‘walking desks’, which stimulate the mind through physical activity whilst also improving physical fitness.
Would you like to set up an inviting relaxation room for your staff? How about choosing a theme to guide the décor? Cosy deckchairs, beige carpets that resemble sandy beaches, and beautiful walls featuring palm tree and seaside motifs – and suddenly a holiday atmosphere takes hold, allowing your staff to switch off. And if you have the space, why not create company gardens or flowerbeds that your staff can tend to themselves during their breaks? There are no limits to your creativity when it comes to designing a modern office.
Advantages
Having a modern office brings numerous benefits for you, your staff and your business. This article lists the most important factors. Your staff’s overall satisfaction is much higher than in a traditional office, as the modern setup offers many amenities from which your staff can benefit. The risk of burnout can be reduced in a relaxed atmosphere, as a modern office offers many opportunities for stress relief.
Ergonomics also improves health, as ergonomic sitting and standing options allow staff to change their sitting positions. This means there will be fewer absences due to ill health. Furthermore, this concept fosters networking, as it facilitates a variety of communication methods. The numerous meeting points encourage social interaction and thus help to foster networking.
Advantages of desk sharing
Desk sharing is a highly controversial topic, yet it offers advantages for your business. Nowadays, many staff work in the field, in consultancy or in sales; add to this the option of working from home, and your employees are often not in the office at all. Through desk sharing, you can make flexible use of these otherwise fixed workstations and thereby save costs. It is a simple and cost-effective ‘digital workplace’.
Disadvantages/Challenges
There are many points to consider here too, the most important of which are summarised below. A modern office requires a shift in habits, and a cultural change is also necessary. If you are used to the traditional office concept, it can be difficult to adapt to a modern office. It is important to bear in mind that not everyone is suited to such a solution, and it is not beneficial to impose it on an employee.
Risks of desk sharing
Many employees prefer fixed workstations. For many, desk sharing creates a feeling of being uprooted, and it becomes more difficult to form lasting relationships as the people sitting next to them change every day.
Office partitions – the smart solution
The large, open-plan layout of many modern offices often makes them very noisy, which disrupts both privacy and concentration. However, open-plan offices today do not always mean that the design lacks partition walls. A smart solution to this is the use of movable partition walls in the office, which can be adapted to suit the situation. This allows you to divide a large space into several smaller ones with minimal effort. As a result, you can create smaller, quieter workspaces at your employees’ request whenever a high level of concentration is required.
Design
But how do you design a modern office? There are technical guidelines for workplaces (ASR) which outline the requirements your office should meet. Since 2004, these have no longer been statutory requirements, but rather recommendations that you may wish to take into account. Open-plan offices remain the dominant trend, but there is a gradual shift towards open-plan office solutions featuring partition walls. Employers have realised that their staff are dissatisfied with open-plan layouts and want more peace and privacy. That is why office spaces with partition walls are once again being built in increasing numbers.
Do you want your staff to feel comfortable and, as a result, work more productively? Then you should avoid choosing dark, grey building complexes for your business. After all, nothing stands in the way of a sense of well-being, a pleasant working environment, and productive and creative conversations quite like a poor environment. So make sure you provide cosy and creative workspaces.
Planning
An important aspect is the layout of the windows. Every workstation should have a window (or at least part of a window). Spaces without windows should be used for photocopiers, servers and the like. You should also take your business objectives into account right from the planning stage. Do you want to strengthen communication within your team? If so, the office layout should be designed and structured accordingly. And here, too, it is important to involve your staff in the planning process.
Concepts
Before you begin implementing your office layout, you should find out which concepts are best suited to you, your staff and your company. There are a wide variety of concepts for a modern office. You should be aware that you can certainly choose several different concepts. Different solutions are often appropriate if you have a large number of staff or if your staff work in a wide variety of fields.
Cubicle office – single or two-person office
This is the classic office layout, in which either one or two employees have their own permanent workstation. This type of office is suitable as an executive’s office or as a workspace for staff who require a great deal of peace and quiet to carry out their work. It allows for the individual needs of your employees to be catered for. As this type of office takes up a great deal of space and is very expensive due to its bespoke, modern furnishings, it is not usually favoured or, if used, is designed to be as small as possible. In a modern office, this solution works very well as a quiet retreat for concentrated work or for small working groups.
Open-plan office
The open-plan office is one of the most commonly used solutions. It promotes the flow of communication, which is, on the one hand, the greatest advantage but also the greatest disadvantage of such a concept. Partition walls can be used in the office to shield individual workstations from excessive noise. Despite its many drawbacks, the open-plan office works very well as a solution for a modern office. It can form the main space within your company’s office premises.
Group office
The group office is a solution that lies between a cubicle-based office and an open-plan office. It is usually home to work groups who are either working on the same project or, at the very least, carrying out similar tasks. Similar to the open-plan office, this layout encourages communication, whilst reducing noise disturbance for your staff. However, as this is only reduced to a minimum, care should be taken to allow as much space as possible between workstations; here too, office partitions can help to reduce noise levels even further. The group office is particularly well suited to setting up separate spaces for working groups within the modern office.
Combined office – the ideal solution for your business
The combined office is a concept that brings together several solutions. This allows you to combine different office layouts into one large, modern office to achieve the solution that offers your business the greatest added value. This single concept incorporates individual offices, team offices and group offices, as well as meeting and conference rooms, a kitchen and a break area. It is particularly important here – in consultation with your staff – to plan the layout of your office so that the space can be used as efficiently as possible.
The reversible office
A reversible office is a modern office that offers a high degree of flexibility. It can accommodate group offices, combination offices or individual offices. This flexibility is ensured by mobile partition walls within the office, which can be rearranged with relatively little effort. This concept is suitable for your business if, for example, you operate on a seasonal basis. This means that any business, regardless of its sector, can implement its own tailored concept within such an office.
However, you should consider whether this solution offers you added value, as the cost is significantly higher due to the adaptable interior design. That said, the price is worth it if you really make the most of the flexibility.
The modern office – supporting staff
There is no clear definition of a modern office, as there are no limits to creative freedom and design. Generally speaking, a modern office is highly flexible and must be able to adapt to the specific needs of the company in question – such as agility. A modern office represents a major step towards supporting your staff, as it aims to assist and relieve them as much as possible. The basic concept is to create a pleasant working environment so that they feel comfortable and motivated, and are therefore more productive. You should discuss with your staff beforehand whether to introduce desk-sharing. This will help you avoid any deterioration in the working environment caused by the use of desk-sharing.
If you are looking for luxurious and modern premises for your business, COLLECTION Business Centres offer suitable, furnished office spaces for you to rent. The contract terms are flexible, ensuring you get exactly what you need. In addition, a wide range of services is available to assist with your administrative tasks.
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Images: © Shutterstock/design.at.krooogle, © Shutterstock/Del Boy
