Tips For Designing Flex Office Spaces
If you've been keeping up with industry news, chances are you've heard about "flex spaces." What are they, and how can you make them work for your office?
What is a flex office space?
With more employees working from home, businesses have had to reimagine how they use their office spaces. Enter the flex space. Put simply, a flex space is an area without a set function. Since more and more offices are introducing hotdesking or desk hoteling, there isn't a need for a lot of dedicated floorspace for desks as there used to be. After removing extraneous desks and moving things around for more efficiency, there's often space left over. This space can become anything you desire. If it's well-designed, it can even transform into what you need at a moment's notice.
Tips for Designing the Perfect Flex Space
1. Create or keep some dedicated workspace.
Flex space is great, but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater -- it can still help to maintain some boundaries within the flex space. Either keep some as a dedicated workspace or designate some. Make this a calming area where people can get their work done without distractions -- you may wish to invest in some soundproofing to help audially and visually separate this area from the remainder of the flex space.
2. Select versatile furnishings.
Part of the charm of many flex spaces is that they don't resemble traditional offices. Choose comfortable furnishings, like armchairs and sofas, designed to be moved and rearranged easily. That lets your flex space go from a conference room to an intimate gathering for small groups to brainstorm. It's also a good idea to invest in adjustable standing desks and other furniture that can adapt to the varying needs of its users.
3. Forget the panopticon.
Many traditional office spaces use rows of desks or even long tables that allows managers to keep a close eye on employees. While it used to be conventional wisdom that packing more employees into an area was a more efficient use of space, this is often untrue -- these types of seating arrangements lead to distractions, loss of focus, and irritation. When you're designing a space, forget what you know about efficiently packing a traditional office. While you might be able to fit a greater quantity of workers in a traditional seating arrangement, that doesn't automatically mean that they'll be putting out more or better-quality work.
4. Establish an area for calls.
Piggybacking on the topic of distraction, few things are as annoying as having to overhear someone else's loud phone call. With this in mind, it's a good idea to set up designated call areas with soundproofing to absorb the worst of the noise. Employees who need to take calls will be able to do so, and neither they nor their co-workers will have to worry about distracting noises.
5. Explore your natural lighting options.
Using as much natural light as possible will help your facility save power, which means saving money. Natural light is also better for employee productivity positively contributes to mood, and is less likely to cause headaches and eye strain than fluorescent lighting. Open the shades in the morning and at sunset, and opt for light-filtering curtains when the sunlight is at its strongest.
6. Don't forget the green.
The color green is important for humans. Research has shown that people who suffer from chronic pain (including migraineurs) can benefit from exposure to green light. This includes the light bouncing off of green objects. Plants also help filter the air, improve mood, and absorb some sound. Choose low-maintenance plants that will thrive in the lighting and humidity conditions that already exist in your flex space.
7. Provide indicators.
Flex spaces allow employees to work comfortably, collaborate easily, and get their work done without distraction. One big way to help this is to incorporate status indicators into your flex space design. These can be simple -- a little flippable sign or desktop flag that says "Do Not Disturb" can go a long way toward letting workers work without interruption.
8. Incorporate some outdoor space.
During the height of the pandemic, many facility managers who were able to do so moved some of their facility operations outside. The outdoors has all of the benefits of the best office spaces: It's beautiful, mood-boosting, full of plants, full of fresh air, and naturally lit, all without costing any money to power. Set yours up with attractive, comfortable outdoor furniture and a rug. It can end up increasing productivity in the long run by giving workers a physical and mental refresh. A flex space is a space that's free from traditional rules of what an office should look like. Instead, it's able to adapt to the needs of the people who use it, allowing them to put out their best work. With these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating a flexible, efficient, enjoyable space for your office.
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