How office furniture must adapt for the future
Technology has changed the space of the world of work. Agile working offices are becoming the norm in today’s world and our office furniture must adapt to meet the requirements of the offices of both today and tomorrow.
There is an increased demand for furniture that is movable and flexible, providing more than one function and meeting several different demands from those who use them and the tasks they are needed for.
Think of a current problem office space that is much need of a refurbishment. The decoration is outdated and dreary, the staff are always complaining about uncomfortable seating, there is no break out room so staff are eating at their desks and office meetings are forced to take place at the local café. This is the ideal opportunity to completely overhaul the workplace environment to create multifunctional areas to solve all of the above issues.
Furniture often comes bottom of the list when planning a refurbishment and as one of the most expensive aspects of fitting out an office, cheaper options are often chosen and any ideas about futureproofing the office are thrown out the window. However, furniture is one of the most important aspects particularly in terms of employee satisfaction, efficiency and production.
The furniture in the redesigned office must be versatile, flexible and capable of being used in innovative ways that help staff come up with new ideas, increase creativity and in turn, improve productivity.
Not all furniture for the future needs to be made right now. Some classic mid-century designs are still immensely popular today for their clean looks, focus on function and comfort. Take the Eames Office Chair, for example. Try out a replica chair from a site like https://www.pash-classics.com/office/chairs/
Breakout areas should also be multipurpose, for informal and formal use depending on the need. For example, sofas and seating that can be stacked to create a temporary wall for privacy. When stacked, a meeting area is available and when unstacked, a more informal and sociable space is created. Additional features could include super-fast broadband, interactive screens, temperature control and lighting flexibility so a space can be adapted for a variety of uses.
Such an area will become attractive for morning meetings and team catch ups, as well as afternoon strategy planning and team lunches. Soon, staff will be making their coffee in this space instead of leaving the office to buy it if a modern, relaxed and comfortable design is incorporated.
Other furniture that can meet tomorrow’s more flexible working requirements include ergonomic wheeled chairs with pull out laptop tables, so staff can move to a quieter area for focused concentration or wheel across to join a team huddle with ease.
For managers, there will come great peace of mind that the investment in adaptable furniture will lead to staff spending more time inside the office, feeling more valued and comfortable and as a result, more productive by using different spaces to work even more efficiently and creatively.
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