With the majority of our working life spent mostly within the office, the settings we use most have inherent influences on us as human beings and how we generate our best work.

How does the furniture contribute to our productivity? Is there enough natural light to follow our circadian rhythms? Is the office layout supporting us to feel seamlessly connected to our colleagues? The ‘senses’ of the individual play a key part and can be a helpful measure when planning or revitalising environments.

“From inducing warmth and safety, defining well-being, or creating a positive and efficient working environment, space can have a whole lot of impact on how we act or on what we feel; therefore, design and creative measures should be considered according to the social and psychological needs of the occupants.” – ArchDaily

As we look to the future, our aim should be to co-create environments that prioritise the individual and how they are affected positively as a result. Encouraging not only productivity, but also independent work, collaboration, team bonding, leadership and idea exchange. Within this Insight blog, we delve into four dynamic spaces within workplaces and how they can drive innovation and fresh thought.

1.Training environments

Flex, move, sit, discuss. The training room is a space where ideas are shared in a collaborative and open environment. A place of rapid change, training or creative huddle environments are where ideas and decisions are made through brainstorming and lively discussion. For the workers within these rooms, it is important for them to feel equal and that they’re within a democratic space embracing ‘lightbulb’ moments.

Supporting these ideas through furniture is about providing durable and highly flexible pieces to create a space where the teams activities can change rapidly. Bringing in transformable products, such as the Woodstock Flip Top Table, helps to invigorate discussion by offering work zones that can be moved and altered for the activity or goal of the discussion.

2.The Auditorium  

When you arrive for a lecture or company-wide announcement, how do you feel? Are you ready to learn and discover? Be inspired? Or is it about aspiration? While the auditorium is a place for collective learning on mass, the room is also designed for the individual at heart. Single chairs are lined up for each person to sit, listen, absorb information, and collectively discuss.

Large numbers of chairs that are either foldable, stackable, or clipped together provide solutions to fill in space and seat large volumes of people. Our Sky chair family offers solutions to address seating at scale. The metal base options on either a 4 leg or sled base sit neatly side by side, and then can be stacked onto a specifically designed Sky trolley for when the room needs to be cleared.

Alternatively for a softer, more agile feel, the Sky Wood is stackable as its main feature. Once it is no longer needed in the auditorium, their stacking profile takes up the same footprint as one chair so it can be stored simply and efficiently.

3.Independent focus

Areas to focus and process thoughts are important areas within the modern office. It provides employees with a space to relax while they concentrate on their most essential tasks. Booths, high-back sofas or nooks with individual desks can provide headspace and privacy, without cutting the individual off physically from the wider workplace. This responds to the dual needs of inclusion and to have somewhere to occupy when you need to tick off your list.

Our 4T Booth configurations provide privacy without isolation. The comfortable Bank sofa and integrated table within the booths articulate a sense of comfort, functionality and quietness. The frame of the booth can also be integrated with acoustic panels or frosted glass to promote privacy.

4. Surprise zones for creative thinking

Getting creative within the office shouldn’t be limited to training rooms. Settings within the open plan with moveable walls and flexible furniture can be an alternative to encouraging innovation and collaboration within the workplace. These are much more spontaneous places within the office and lend themselves to people’s ideas, and the possibilities that come from casual zones or through chance encounters.

The 4T Mobile Units are one of our solutions for idea-generating spaces in the office. With various options for workboards such as writable or pinnable surfaces and magnetic panels, the 4T Mobile Units seamlessly move around to help encourage creativity.