How designers can create office spaces that encourage employee wellbeing – Workplace | Design

With the new hybrid model now having to accommodate for solitary spaces, either for moments of privacy or video calling, private booths are increasingly becoming something companies will look to adopt once again. Spaces that served as merely functional in the past now have the potential to be transformed, to encourage sociability and a more dynamic interaction between colleagues.

Beauty and functionality will remain important design considerations, of course, but they are now secondary to how supportive a space is to the changing needs of the users, and their experience in using them. We speculated in the series how offices of the future must provide a variety of meeting and working spaces, for those who prefer working in company, and those who perform best in solitude.

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Now, more than ever, we are seeing how the flexibility and enjoyability of a work environment can have an impact on creativity, productivity and building positive relationships. As we look back at the conversations that were taking place before the pandemic, at Assael and across the industry, it is evident that workplace design was already undergoing a transformation, and the pandemic was merely a catalyst to speed up that change.

As designers, we must recognise our power and privilege in being able to facilitate this positive change, and be ambassadors for happy and healthy workplace culture. Offices of the future will be more than simply sleek design and contemporary furniture, they will be a tool that, if harnessed correctly, can be a conduit to collaboration and productivity. Despite continued predictions of its demise, the office continues to be a place that evolves and endures.