Office Design Trends For 2016

As markets and businesses have grown, so have the offices that facilitate them. The workplaces of today carry the ethos of a new culture, one that promotes the switch away from cubicle segregation and static work hours.

Advances in technology, rise of the startup culture, and the new generation of workforce known as the millennials have all contributed to the demise of cubicles and designated offices and given birth to flexible office spaces that house standing tables, open workplaces and collaborative areas which create a sense of openness, and transparency.

Workplace design trends have evolved gradually representing a continuous development. Let’s take a deeper look at the office design trends that are becoming popular this year.

Open Work Areas and Lounge

Businesses are increasingly looking at creating office spaces that are innovating the rigid workstations of the past. Keeping the on-the-go generation, and the current work culture in mind, offices are being made more comfortable, equipped with designated lounge and open work areas to help stimulate relaxed collaboration between employees.

InstaOffice Lounge Area

Offices of today have as such transcended from just being places of getting work done to places where work, fun and play meet to create an environment of collaboration and innovation.

Vibrant and Colorful Workplaces

Importance of colors is being increasingly recognized by companies while creating their dream offices. Dull, bland office spaces are being replaced by workplaces with bright and happy colors that infuse energy and supplement the dynamic nature of the work culture.

Findings of multiple reports reveal that usage of colors properly at the workplace increases creativity and productivity by almost 30-40% and as such color palettes are being explored to improve productivity at the workplace.

Standing Desks

This latest fad which has taken the new generation of a workforce by storm is touted as the solution to many of the health problems that grip the office going population today. As reports point out, sitting increases the risk of events associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as chest pain or heart attack by a whopping 125%. Sitting for over 6 hours a day also increases mortality rate by about 50% as compared to people who spend less than 3 hours sitting in a day.

Standing Desks [Source]

Standing desks help by burning more calories and counteract the effects of staying stationary in a position for extended periods of time which is widely believed to be detrimental to human health. Because of these obvious benefits of using standing desks, more and more employers are moving towards equipping their offices with standing desks.

Bringing the Outdoors In

Nature is having a serious comeback in the modern office designs. Reclaimed wood panel installations, natural flora patterns in fabrics and artwork, concrete flooring are all becoming more prominent, along with plant life itself in the form of living walls.

Scientific studies prove that having a natural environment in an office can help reduce employee stress and tension, and help stave off feelings of depression and anger amongst employees. Other advantages of having nature present in your office include increased productivity, reduced sickness and cleaner air to breathe.

Technologically inclined Infrastructure

Technology as expected will take the center stage when it comes to the designing of offices in 2016. The importance of technology in today’s industry cannot be overstated and as such, office designs will place a priority on tech infrastructure to support the technology requirements of its inhabitants.

Facilities focused on better communication and connectivity along with setting up of workstations with smart appliances and machines, which form a part of the greater Internet of Things(IoT), is increasingly becoming a more common fixture.

Which one of these do you to plan to adopt?