Just about all new home designs are being created to a specification which suits contemporary living, but one often overlooked area is that of the commercial and office space. The needs of the modern office have changed in as many ways (if not more) than the modern home, and thus there needs to be the right kind of design features to suit contemporary working and look after employee wellbeing.

What design features are we talking about? Let’s take a closer look:

1. Versatile Multipurpose Spaces

First of all, offices are far less defined than they used to be with spaces set aside for specific purposes. Offices are now a hub of different activities designed to keep staff happy and productive. To keep as many of these things in-house as possible, every office needs to have some kind of multipurpose space that can serve many functions:

• Extra meeting space
• Company/Staff “Town Hall” meetings
• Corporate event space
• Staff rest and recreation
• Office activities and team building
• Staff training
• And many more…

If you give every room a specific purpose, it’s mostly wasted in this more flexible and diverse office space of 2021-2022.

2. Charging Points

The entire modern world is on charge mode right now, and that goes double for office workers. Let’s think about the kinds of devices people typically have on them at work: a smartphone, laptop, possibly a tablet as well, a kindle to read while commuting on public transport, wireless earphones, a smartwatch or a fitbit…there’s no end to it.

Therefore, modern offices need to be designed with well integrated charging points not just at people’s desks, but in other areas they may be spending any period of time. They’ll need to have a mixture of plug sockets, USB ports, type C charge points, and so on.

3. Collaborative Space

Many offices are now designed to foster communication and collaboration between various team members. The chaotic totally open-plan office is gone and instead there is more order brought to the open plan with additional special seating and gathering spaces where people can get together to discuss and brainstorm ideas, create action plans and more.

4. Natural Light

Raw, white light from fluorescent lights is absolute anathema for a modern and productive office. Large windows that let natural light flood into the room are a must-have, and designs have to do everything possible to maximise natural light in anyoffice space. It’s not to say there can’t be any artificial lights, of course there needs to be those as well.

When investing in electric lights, great office designers favor softer tones than harsh bright white lights. Another good approach is to keep as much of the bulb concealed as possible to create light without any glare from the source, instead reflecting it off white and light-colour surfaces to create a softer, more comfortable effect.

5. Natural Materials and Plants

Bringing nature into the office is another important feature to brighten up the space and make it feel warmer and less clinical. Some do this with wood paneling, integration of natural stone and garden features into the office space, as well as complementing industrial metal features with wooden tops.

Plants are also extremely welcome and important in the modern office space. They help keep pests away, brighten and oxygenate the space, and add elements of colour and beauty that keep the office from looking too sterile. There’s actually a name for this school of office design, and it’s called biophilic design. Operators of very large office spaces have even incorporated large atrium spaces into their workspaces, with indoor gardens, skylight windows and water features to bring the sights and sounds of nature into the workplace.