Cubicle farms had their day and then they were replaced by open plan. Now some open plan critics would like to see a return to closed offices—but that seems unlikely to happen. Instead, industrial designers are focused on rolling out new products to maximize comfort, privacy and productivity in the largely open floorplans that currently dominate the workplace.
After years of dealing with acoustical complaints by encouraging employees to work at home when they needed a quiet place for “heads down” work or because they unable to book a conference room, many organizations are now doing their utmost to bring everyone back to the mother ship. They want all the talent together under one roof, because that’s were the magic happens.
THE RACE TO ‘RESI-MERCIAL’
One way to encourage people to spend more time at the office is to make the office as comfortable as home—and even nicer. When executed correctly, employees will want to spend as much time as possible in the “resi-mercial” workspace. One of many furniture collections designed with this goal is mind is Recharge, a new collection of modular lounge soft seating and tables from Allsteel Inc. created in partnership with Encinitas, California–based designer Chris Adamick.
The Recharge portfolio comprises upholstered benches, seats, poufs, privacy screens and tables—a versatile kit-of-parts that can be configured to provide semi-enclosed areas in a variety of open environments. “Recharge’s modularity and flexibility allow the end user—be it an individual, a group or an organization—to determine where and how it functions,”according to Adamick. “In that sense, it reflects the influence of residential design in the contemporary workplace—office solutions that offer the same physical comfort and ready adaptability we expect from our furniture at home.”
BIOPHILIA REDUCES ANXIETY
In 1964, psychologist, Erich Fromm used the term biophilia to describe “the passionate love of life and all that is alive.” Today the term is frequently associated with interior design. One of the most direct ways to derive the positive effects of biophilic design (improved productivity, mood and health along with reduced feelings of tension and anxiety) is by introducing natural and light to the workplace.