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Talkin’ ‘bout my generation

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 09:25:53 GMT

How profiling generations can help with office design

As our population grows older and our social and technological landscape changes we are increasingly seeing the emergence of different and distinct generations, from the Silent Generation to Generation Z. This means that a diverse group of people coming from different cultural backgrounds and influences will be operating in the work force at the same time. From an office design perspective, this means that you might find yourself faced with opposing demands.

When considering an office re-design it’s important to look at your staff demographics to get a feel for what will work best in your workspace to achieve maximum productivity and make everyone feel comfortable.

So what defines each generation?

The Silent Generation, typically born between 1925 and 1942, sometimes called the lucky few, despite being born in the wake of the great depression and Wold War II this generation enjoyed relative prosperity growing up in the 50s and 60s. Although the majority of this generation are now retired, it’s not uncommon to still find them in the work place.

Baby Boomers. This generation, born between 1946 and 1964 were until recently the largest generation worldwide, making up 14.8 mil of the UK’s population. In the office, this cohort usually values quite spaces and privacy.

Generation X. This group were typically born between the mid 1960s and the early 1980s. Sometimes dubbed disaffected this Gen saw a rapid change in societal values and more maternal participation in the workplace, the predecessor of millennials, they became increasingly independent showing great entrepreneurial savviness.

Millennials, the most talked about generation, generally accepted as being born from 1981 to 1996 are up to speed with technology and social media, are goal oriented and desire a flexible work life balance. In the office they generally prefer open plan design and value collaborative spaces.

Gen Z, these are your university grads, apprentices or interns. Born from the mid 90s to the mid 2000s they will be the youngest people you might employ. Never having known a world without the Internet, like millennials they are incredibly tech savvy. Tolerant and accepting this generation is open and fluid with a keen interest in environmental issues. Like Millennials they will look for inclusive, environmentally conscious work places.

The Millennial generation has become the largest generation in the workforce today; the UK has nearly 17m of them, that’s over a quarter of the population. Generation Z largely follows suit with millennial values, this means that as your business grows over time you will be employing more and more people from these younger generations and they will expect their employer to move with the times. Millennials and Gen Z get their work done differently to Baby Boomers or Gen X, they like an agile work environment and don’t need a fixed desk. Keeping your current employees happy is of course important but we’re saying that it’s a good idea to get ahead of the curve of change before it over takes you.

This is not to say that your office space should suddenly become a playground mimicking the offices of Google for example, but moving away from the more corporate rigid structure of office cubicles and towards free moving, fluid open spaces can help engage a younger generation in their work environment which ultimately leads to greater retention, attracting the best employees and of course a happier more productive workforce.

Again this is not to say that you should neglect the wants of earlier generations, it is of course largely people that belong to the Baby Boomer generation that still head up businesses today. It’s important to keep the boss and management happy. Giving senior management their own office is still the norm, vital for privacy and a sense of authority.

Alongside considering what age groups your staff belong to, you should also consider what type of business you are and the type of energy you want your space to have. Sometimes these two aren’t mutually exclusive. Tech or gaming companies (that tend to take on more young employees) will want to have a work space technologically equipped but with attention granted to break out spaces and collaboration rooms. On the other hand businesses that require confidentiality with clients (like medical, finance or law professions) will not want to abandon this need for the millennial trend for open plan office space. There’s a need for balance between your businesses’ demographic and the job it aims to do, keeping both staff and clients happy.

We at Hi Design have found that a blend of distinguishable and disparate work environments can help knit together an office space that works for all of your staff and all of their needs. It is of course true that these generational traits are not applicable to all who fall under their barometers. 20 something employees might prefer a quitter space to work in and a Baby Boomer might like to be in the middle of all the hubbub So as to make everyone happy we suggest providing a blend of work environments for your staff to pick and choose from. This is the ‘home away from home’ concept, whereby giving your employees options they feel most comfortable and shouldn’t be desperate to leave work because they’re made to feel at ease there.

Millennials and Gen Z embrace coffee shop culture, a style of working where you might spend a few hours with your laptop and a couple of cups of coffee in a café, its relaxed and atmospheric. You may want to consider transferring this idea into your office design. This can work by having an area for more relaxed seating (sofas and arm chairs) and benches or undesignated, multi seated tables.

This type of furniture won’t work for everyone and older staff or people with back support problems will need adjustable ergonomic furniture that can cater for all needs.

Millennials used to working like this wont shy away from ‘hot desking’, this is the idea that you don’t have a designated desk, but work in an agile way, generally sitting somewhere different each time you come into work. Generation X, Baby Boomers, and older sometimes can be resistant to this change, uncomfortable with the lack of routine and certainty that comes with an unfixed desk. Don’t forget that Gen Z and young millennials have just left college or university, they are used to picking up their laptop and books and working in a library, which again is a fluid environment. So having a look at your company’s demographic can help when deciding how much space to designate to fixed desks and how much to hot desking. If your staff are at ease with this concept then not only does it save you space but it can also encourage cross generational interaction and therefore a greater sense of staff cohesion. (For more information on this see our article on agile working).

One objection to coffee shop culture and open plan office spaces is noise levels. Baby Boomers like quiet. One solution to this may be including a designated ‘library’ or quiet work room. This is another agile space that employees can use if they need to do concentrated work or if they don’t like being in loud environments.

With a mixed generational workforce you may find that they have differing social values. Generation Z for example is very mindful of equality. They may feel more comfortable with gender-neutral toilets. Equally the importance of an environmentally friendly business weighs heavy on this generation, so a BREEAM excellent certified building could only help in attracting the best and brightest.

Well-being rooms can be good for everyone, but younger generations who look for a good work life balance from their employer will want to see break out rooms, spaces to do yoga, garden rooms and perhaps even the odd ping pong table. Your office space and the attention you give it really reflects how you feel about your staff. Making sure that their well-being is looked after makes for a more positive workforce.

Work place consultancy plays a huge part in finding the right environment for you. Demographic design is part of this process however we also take into consideration the split between male and female employees and any cultural influences together with how your staff profiles could change over the next five to ten years. This ensures that your workspace will always keep pace with your future needs. If you want any further information on demographic design please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

"Show your true colours"

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 14:28:53 GMT

How the clever use of colour can have psychological benefits in the work place

We can sometimes forget just quite how much colour affects our mood and daily life. We constantly associate colours with feelings, whether that’s yellow for happiness or red for anger. The colours we surround ourselves with can affect how we feel so it only makes sense that being aware of the nuances of colour psychology and incorporating them in to your work place design can help achieve the right kind of atmosphere and consequently, level of productivity in your office.

Carl Jung, a pioneer in the psychology of colour developed the basic theory that different colours have specific meanings. They are both learned socially and are a product of biological instinct. Colour is subconsciously processed and our behaviour is affected by it.

This is not to say that it’s exactly the same for everyone. Different colours mean different things to different people; we will all associate distinct experiences with varying colours whether that’s of cultural or of personal influence. But still, we can confidently say that certain tones are generally associated with specific moods.

Colours with warmer undertones like yellow, red and orange foster feelings of both warmth and comfort but also passion and anger, they can be useful for injecting energy into a work environment. Cooler tones such as blue, green and purple are meant to encourage calmer more relaxed emotions, good for decision making and stability, but can also give a feeling of sadness.

So as you can imagine this is an important thing to consider when designing your office space and its worth considering what kind of atmosphere you want to create, whether that be energetic, fast paced and full of vigour, or if it’s more a serious steady and calm environment.

Green ever associated with nature and the outdoors, green helps reduce anxiety and minimises stress on the eyes, especially if you’ve been staring at a screen all day. Inspiring a harmonious working environment, the shade can be great throughout an office space but works particularly well in break out spaces or well-being rooms because the colour gives a feeling of rejuvenation. Varying shades and tones of green can add depth and psychologically replicate an organic outdoor environment. This can be useful in spaces where the outside meets the in (garden rooms for example) because it brings the two together. A green colour pallet doesn’t just have to be limited to environmentally focused businesses, its soothing quality can work well in any business, particularly those which require a calming influence, this can work well in meeting rooms or waiting areas.

Blue reminds us of the sky and the sea, both of which foster a feeling of calmness. Scientifically it has been proven to lower the heart rate and promote concentration. Blue is seen as the colour of intellect and can be especially useful in conference rooms where brainstorming is encouraged. Getting the right tone is important, softer blues can help you focus which is a plus if your employees have to maintain concentration for extended periods of productivity. However, avoid darker blue tones because they have been said to bring out feeling of gloominess, despite this they can work well for feature walls and as colour accents. In terms of brand identity, blue is associated with reliability and trustworthiness, this can be really useful for law firms and businesses in the financial or medical sector.

Sunny Yellow can brighten up your office and inject fun, warmth and optimism. It is also proven to aid digestion, this can be really beneficial in canteen or break out spaces. Yellow also works particularly well in creative industries with bustling, lively offices because its vibrancy stimulates the imagination. Yellow works best in a splash, you don’t want to be too heavy handed with it, because bright tones or too much can strain the eyes and an excess of it tips that creative buzz over the edge and you’re left with a feeling of anxiety. It is possible to strike the right balance with a few yellow accents or feature walls, perfect for bringing positivity and dynamism into your work space without being overwhelming.

Orange similarly oranges can add zest and energy into a space, used sparingly and in bright tones it can relieve sadness and bolster your confidence, too much and it feels oppressive and sluggish. Oranges work best in social care sectors.

Brown wooden floors and furniture can ground an office space. When paired with greens or blues it can help bring the outdoors in. Brown tones generally go unnoticed but they can subtly give the warm impression of sturdiness, reliability and age. This translates into a feeling of trust, perfect for waiting areas for your clients and conference rooms. To be avoided however are creams and magnolia shades that can make an office feel dated.

Red is dramatic, it grabs your attention encouraging feelings of passion and danger. Research has found that the colour red raises your heart rate, blood pressure and actually makes you hungry. (This is why you see it so much in fast food restaurants – often with yellow!) But aside from the increased appetite, the physical effect on the body can help stimulate creativity in a high energy office environment. Avoid red in meeting rooms or the main body of your office space because it can foster confrontation and frustration (and you might see your staff wondering off to the kitchen more than you’d like!) but it can be beneficial in places where you don’t want your staff to dawdle, like corridors or break out spaces. Either way it’s a bold statement and certainly makes an impact.

Be cautions of Pinks. Striking tones like magenta can make a real impact and show that your business is vibrant and energetic. They can work well on feature walls or decorative accents but softer tones like blush or baby pink can seem unprofessional, we associate those colours with comfort and warmth and not necessarily professionalism.

Black finishes can make your office feel slick and sophisticated, we associate it with authority and reliability, however its vital to get the balance right because too much can feel oppressive and can make your space feel smaller. When contrasted with white and softened with grey hues the image of your business is one of authority and professionalism. This can be especially effective in reception and waiting areas, where first impressions really count. A monochromatic base pallet can also allow accent colours such as pops of yellow or magenta to really stand out. If your branding and marketing is vibrant and colourful a neutral black and white base pallet with injections of appropriate colours can tie in your brand identity with your office decor without going over the top.

White conveys professionalism and minimalism, it can open up a space and make it feel bigger. We psychologically connect it with cleanliness and sterility, this can be an advantage if your practice is medical or pharmaceutical and you want to use it in front of house waiting areas or consulting rooms, but be careful as it can verge on the unfriendly and isn’t a very inspiring or energising colour to have in general office space. Despite this it’s a reliable base colour that will allow other focal points to shine.

Don’t underestimate a Grey pallet. We often associate greys with sadness or dullness but used as a base or backdrop it gives a very modern feel to an office space (it’s the new magnolia!). A neutral grey base, varying in shades can add depth whilst allowing other accent colours to come to the fore.

Picking the right colour scheme that works for both your staff and your clients is so important. We at Hi Design always take into consideration the atmosphere and working environment of your office space, the colour pallet of your marketing and brand identity and the goals you want to achieve when consulting on interior office space design and colouring.

Hi Design ‘work spaces that work’

“A bad worker always blames his tools!”

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 14:28:37 GMT

Why, the role of AV and Technology in workplace design has given new meaning to this old saying.

In previous articles we have discussed how companies are striving to improve their employee’s workplace experience through workplace design trends such as Agile working, Biophilia and Sensory Design. While these can improve productivity, creativity and staff retention, if the correct tools and technology are not in place, an employee’s ability to reach their full potential is significantly limited.

Take, Agile Working for instance, (empowering staff to work where, when, and how they choose), without incorporating the correct tools and technology into the different area’s during the design process, i.e. quite zones, huddle areas, creativity spaces etc, they become simply areas with names, not interactive and productive spaces. To truly work, technology and workplace design need to be integrated from the very beginning.

HARDWARE:

The development of laptops , tablets and notebooks has enabled a more flexible way of working. It means you no longer need to be stuck at the same desk with a PC all day. (although a lot of companies are yet to break away from this nineties trend) Those that have fully embraced and invested in the latest mobile technology, have found that it’s had a positive impact on not only productivity, but also staff wellness.

Employees feel motivated by this newfound freedom, allowing them to work from anywhere and at any time, be it at home or in the office. When Mobile technology is paired with an ‘Agile Work’ environment, one that allows employees to work in the area best suited to the task at hand, i.e. a quiet room for concentration, a huddle area for meetings and collaborations, this feeling of freedom extends further and you will also see improved staff retention, increased creativity and production.

The ability to create a fully functional, interactive, and flexible work space is not just limited to laptops and mobile devices.

INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARDS are helping people learn by increasing engagement and collaboration. A study by Microsoft finds that after 3 days most people can only retain 10-20 percent of written or spoken information. However, 65% of visual information is retained. No doubt if you have children, you will already know that they are using them in the classrooms.

They are also a great investment for the workplace. Interactive whiteboards in a conference room setting enable you to combine digital content to create multi sensory experiences that make presentations stand out to clients and employees.

Modern technology means that it now possible to transform any flat surface into an interactive interface for learning and collaboration. Used in huddle and creative zones, team members can visually share information, understand difficult concepts, work through problems, and develop their own ideas and solutions. Think ‘Avengers’ movies! Where you collaborate around a table, swipe, tap, flip and zoom in on projects, rather than just talking about them.

DIGITAL DISPLAY SCREENS and easy to update digital media can be used to zone and create different environments within spaces or to convey information.

For example: ESI Design created an 8-story digital installation for the Wells Fargo Centre in Denver, featuring floor-to-ceiling waterfalls, a grove of trees that sways in the breeze, sunrises and sunsets that appear at the right time of day, and a flock of nearly 4,000 birds that are animated in real-time using an algorithm that prevents flight patterns from repeating. This is a perfect example of merging Biophilia Design ( humans’ innate tendency to seek connections with nature is rooted in our biology) with modern day technology to create an immersive experience.

Displays need not be as extravagant as this though. Carefully placed digital display screens in communal areas can work just as well and can be programmed to display content specific to an area use. Branded images, artwork or company information in a buildings entrance or lobby area. Images of water or trees to instill peace and calm in a quiet or wellness room. Menus, nutritional information, health tips and up coming events in the staff restaurant or breakout area. The possibilities are endless.

SOUND MASKING SYSTEMS can be used in large open office spaces and noisy work environments to counteract noisy distractions in the workplace, that can lead to reductions in productivity.

Sound masking, (often referred to as “white noise”) is an ambient sound, similar to the sound of airflow, that’s specifically engineered to the frequency of human speech. By raising the ambient noise level, a building seems quieter and makes speech noise less intelligible and therefore less distracting.

APPS AND SOFTWARE:

It’s not just hardware, mobile apps and software are leading the way when it comes to aiding productivity and the functionality of a work space design.

San Diego’s Secure Smart Office is at work on an AI-controlled office environment that adapts to an individual’s needs and preferences, automatically adjusting everything from lighting and temperature to chair height and the photos on a desktop screen.

But before getting too futuristic, let’s take a look at apps and software such as Skype, Zoom, join.me, YArooms, Meetio Room and many others that are revolutionising the workplace today!

MEETING ROOM BOOKING SYSTEMS are software that enable all employees to book meeting rooms both in advance and on the spot. Whilst giving you the ability to manage and track usage. You may have read our post earlier in the week, when we touched on some of the issues associated with meeting rooms, such as no shows and the inability to book or have spontaneous meetings.

Booking systems include simple room signage in the form of a tablet mounted outside the room, linked to a mobile app. The app is used to pre-book the room and then you check in on entering the room. A simple traffic light system tells other if the room is occupied or not and for how long, thus avoiding interrupting knocks at the door asking when the room will be free. The tablet also has the capability to display a digital room calendar, allowing for spontaneous meetings. To avoid no shows Just set a time when the meeting should be cancelled if not checked in, and the room becomes available to others.

Another valuable and often free tool when it comes to software apps is VIDEO CONFERENCING.

Skype, Google Hangouts, join.me, and many others allow staff to interact and be productive from anywhere. You can participate in or host video conferencing sessions on your smartphone and mobile device as well as on your computer. There are numerous benefits, including:
No need to travel, (cuts down on both travel time, the expense of accommodation and food)
Connects mobile workers
Meetings can be held more frequently, (as there are no travel constraints, you can easily squeeze in anyone with a tight schedule)
Humanise conversation (the ability to see colleagues or client’s facial expressions, aids connection and communication)
Workplace training & development, (To train or offer access to different learning resources to employees from various locations, saves time, money and allows for collaborations)

At Hi Design, we at believe that the incorporation of AV and technology forms an integral part of the design process. When designing a space, we prioritise the needs of the people who will use and work in it every day, ensuring it’s a ‘work space that works’

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

Not just a pretty picture!

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 14:28:14 GMT

Not just a pretty picture!

We all know that having a few pictures here and there in your work space can liven up the walls, but did you know that artwork in the office can up your productivity? Investing in art doesn’t have to be a daunting or expensive process and the benefits can have a hugely positive impact on your business.

Studies conducted by Exeter university found that people working in what they called ‘enriched’ spaces (that’s to say offices decorated with colour, art, plants etc) were 17% more productive than those working in the more sterile, functional ‘lean’ spaces that the study tested against, and it’s pretty obvious that an aesthetically pleasing and welcoming work space leads to happier employees, this makes for a more engaged work force as well. But the benefits to having art in your office reach a lot deeper.

So, here’s 7 reasons why you should include artwork in your next refurbishment:

1) Connecting the artwork, you choose to put up, with your company’s ethos. History and image can really help create a sense of brand identity. By thoughtfully picking the artwork on your walls you can subtly convey to clients ‘what you’re all about’. A picture paints a thousand words and you want your office to tell both your staff, and your customers what you believe in.

2) Art can connect you with your local community. Images of nearby landscapes, city scenes or local points of interest brings together a sense of local awareness, both making your staff feel at home but also showing that you pay attention to the world around you outside the office.

3) On the flip side just as you can show local knowledge, you can also show off your national or global outreach with images relating to other branches and their locations or even areas of the country or world that your company has business dealings with. It is especially important when considering this type of artwork in a head office. You want to convey a sense of connection with other branches and show the staff working in them that they are just as important to the business. Using art to emphasise the spread of your company is a subtle way to show the extent of your authority and reach.

4) Getting your staff involved in the selection process can forge a greater bond between employer and employee, as it gives a feeling of empowerment to the people that are working for you. In fact, the Exeter study mentioned above found that staff who actually had a say over their working environment worked a whole 30% more productively (than those who had no say and worked in ‘lean’ environments) that’s twice as productive as those who worked in the ‘enriched’ spaces. Letting staff pick the artwork on the walls is a way to help engage them with their own work space without having to compromise on office layout and other areas of design.

5) Artwork can help with client relationships as well, not only can it provide a talking point – art is of course subjective - in those waiting areas, board and meeting rooms, but also shows that your company is culturally engaged. In more conservative sectors (such as finance or law) the line between a corporate image and a welcoming friendly atmosphere is sometimes hard to draw but having engaging pieces of artwork up on the walls helps your business show that it has character. It gives your office space a soul without sacrificing any professionalism.

6) You may be thinking ‘well won’t this be a distraction for my staff?’, well in truth being surrounded by visual stimuli is shown to boost creativity, your employees won’t be day dreaming instead studies show that working in a design aware environment leads to a more inspired output.

7) Distinct pieces of art can help staff and customers navigate your office space. Not only do key pieces of artwork make different areas of your work space more distinguishable and easier to find (“I’ll meet you in the X room, or I’ll see you by the X painting”) but it can also be an aid to agile working. By adding different pieces of art (perhaps varying in media, texture, style etc) to your work environment in notably different areas of the office, you can easily give each space a unique feel and characteristic. If you’ve ever found yourself stuck on a task at work or if you just need a change of scenery to clear your head, bringing artwork into an agile office space (where you can easily switch up the space where you are working) is a simple way to create that refreshing feeling, so needed to get your head back on track.

How does this work for you?

When people talk about ‘buying art’ there is a preconception that you must spend a lot of money, but this is far from what we are suggesting here. You don’t need some extravagant budget to brighten up your office. instead supporting your local community can both promote the bond between a business and it's neighbours but also demonstrates your investment in local culture and supporting the local arts scene.

Likewise, you don’t have to buy a piece outright, you can rent artwork through companies such as ARTIQ, this allows you to dip your toe into the art world without having to commit straight away, a try before you buy idea. But equally renting pieces regularly can keep your office feeling fresh. By changing up your wall spaces you create talking points, provide a creative space for your staff to work in and keep your interior design up to date. This can also encourage employees to move around the office to see what’s new, in large companies where different departments don’t really mingle this encourages interaction and lets your staff get to know each other! Equally if you have already bought pieces, rotating them regularly can also keep things feeling fresh and new.

It’s important to think about the tone you want to set with the art that you put up. For example, large scale contemporary pieces can project a swish, modern high flying ideal or traditional antique pieces can emphasise a company’s heritage and long-standing authority.

As mentioned earlier, it’s a good idea to get your staff involved at some level when deciding what goes on the walls. Whether this is shortlisting pieces and putting out a poll to see what people like and want to work around, or perhaps having a photography competition where the winners get their work hung up. Or even if your business is centred around childcare for example (or has strong family values) framing artwork done by kids can easily show the positive ethos that your company has. Art like this is a subtle way to covey to your clients that your business has strong values and cares about its employees and customers. Engaging with your staff and community like this can really encourage a sense of cohesion within your business and make people more invested in the place that they work. This is the key to retention as well, if your staff feel like they have a say or are include in the look and feel of their office space they’re much more likely to enjoy the working day!

Yes taking the plunge and buying pieces of art can be scary but it should make for a happier, more productive office and we at Hi Design believe that artwork forms an integral part of the design process and many of our clients take advantage of our dressing service to add the finishing touch to their new offices. If you need help picking the right pieces of art to breathe new life into your work space please don’t hesitate to ask.

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

Sounds a bit fishy to me!

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:23:56 GMT

Sounds a bit fishy to me!

We are often asked by clients about how they can achieve a BREEAM Outstanding office building. Many don’t really understand what it is or how to go about getting an accreditation, so in today’s article we shed some light on this ‘fishy’ subject!

Firstly, we should clarify that it does not actually have anything to do with fish.

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), first published by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 1990, is the world's longest established method of assessing, rating, and certifying the sustainability of buildings

BREEAM rated developments are sustainable environments that enhance the well-being of the people who live and work in them, help protect natural resources and make for more attractive property investments.

Accreditation's are not just for new buildings, but also include refurbishments and interior fit outs too. Sustainability is one of the key environmental issues of 21st century life and any business that wishes to be taken seriously in its commitment towards environmental responsibility should consider getting a BREEAM rating. Company’s leading the way in this arena include COCO COLA, IKEA & BLOOMSBERG.

There are 10 categories in which you can score, but we thought we would look at the ‘HEALTH & WELLNESS’ category as it links in with previous articles on topics such as ‘CLEAN AIR’ ‘BIOPHILIA’ and AGILE WORKING’. This category encourages the increased comfort, health and safety of building occupants, visitors and others within the vicinity.

How can we enhance the quality of life in buildings and encourage a healthy environment for occupants?

Visual Comfort considers opportunities for good daylight, artificial lighting and occupant controls. Work space design should look at ways to ensure that as many employees as possible are situated next to an external window. For example, situating offices or agile work spaces around the edge of the building. It may be possible to utilise the light from above by building a central atrium that runs through the heart of the building.

Where artificial lighting is needed, it is possible to look at zoning areas to reflect the work space, use energy efficient LED bulbs and incorporate presence activated controls in areas such as toilets (lights turn on when an employee or visitor enters an area and switch off when they leave).

We discussed Indoor Air Quality in our recent ‘Clean Air’ article and its links to employee wellness. A study by Harvard University involved testing a group of employees over a period of 6 working days. They found that cognitive function improved by 61% when CO2 levels were reduced and fresh air was pumped into the office environment. Breeam accreditation looks for the installation of appropriate ventilation, equipment and finishes.

This can be achieved via the installation of energy efficient ventilation systems. In naturally ventilated buildings/spaces there are sensors that either have the ability to alert the building owner or manager when CO2 levels exceed the recommended set point, or are linked to controls with the ability to adjust the quantity of fresh air, i.e. automatic opening windows/roof vents.

Use materials that give of no or low-level VOC emissions, i.e. floor & wall coverings, paints, furniture etc.

Biophilic Design is a popular and effective tool in incorporating a ‘Green’ policy into the workplace environment. A ‘Clean Air Study’ conducted by NASA, found that common indoor plants can help improve air quality and neutralise the effects of sick building syndrome by removing toxic agents such as VOCs. They also help to reduce stress levels by enabling our innate biological need to connect with nature. Popular Biophilic Designs include living walls, atrium's, roof top gardens, vegetable gardens and tree lined lobbies.

For example: Living walls promote enhanced biodiversity, as well as improving urban temperature regulation, rainwater run-off, and reducing air and noise pollution. Usually featuring lush grasses and natural foliage. Their vertical design means they make great use of limited space both internally and externally.

Other possible design areas to consider when wanting to achieve a high BREEAM rating are waste, thermal comfort, materials and innovation. There are various sustainable materials such as FSC certified timber that can be used in the fit out of an office space. Waste initiatives include rainwater storage for flushing toilets or living walls. Thermal comfort can include solar lighting, radiant ceiling connected to geothermal systems for heating and cooling. Examples of Innovation are AGILE WORK SPACES such as multi-use breakout spaces and Workstations that can be adjusted by the user, offering flexibility and encouraging collaborative working and individual style.

At Hi Design we often get involved in the design process for BREEAM outstanding rated new build schemes, so If you are about to embark on a new build and would like to know more about how simple office design changes can improve your BREEAM score please get in touch.

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

Make Sense of it all?

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:09:45 GMT

Making your office look, smell, sound, feel and even taste good, too!

Good design looks great, yes – but why shouldn’t it also feel great, smell great and sound great? We’ve all heard how the smell of freshly brewed coffee can help sell a house, how spas use lavender to relax you, or how supermarkets lure us in with the smell of freshly baked bread.

Until now, many office designers have focused on functionality or making things look pretty and ignored the other senses. Things are changing, as forward-thinking organisations are waking up to the benefits of Sensory Design.

So, what do we mean by Sensory Design? Well put simply it involves incorporating sight, sound, touch, taste and smell into the workplace environment. The best designs incorporate all or most of the five senses.

Let’s look at each one individually and the ways in which we can appeal to that sense through workplace design.

Upon walking into a work space, SIGHT is undoubtedly the first of our senses to react to our surroundings. Sight takes in everything from colours, shapes, patterns, lighting and the actual size of a space.

All these elements can be used to evoke feelings and to influence different outcomes, depending on what the end goal is. For example, Colours have been scientifically proven to have a physiological influence on us and colour Psychology is a popular design tool for promoting desired behaviours.

Bright colours such as orange, yellow & lime green are stimulating (and yes there is a connection with citrus fruits), these colours used in common rooms or breakout spaces can aid interaction, lively discussions with colleagues and decision making. Whereas if you want to provide a quiet place where employees can concentrate on a project or take time out, the colours blue and purple are associated with calm, promoting mental clarity, and creative thinking. Using these colours in quiet spaces and wellness rooms can help create a sense of tranquility.

Access to natural light also has a profound effect on employee’s well being and productivity at work. Artificial light that is too bright can cause headaches, where as lighting that is too dim can cause lack of focus and drowsiness. A recent study by an American university found that there is “a strong relationship between workplace daylight exposure and office workers’ sleep, activity and quality of life.”

Where possible, it is essential to allow natural light to flow into a room. This is obviously easier to achieve in the early planning stages of a building, however it is still possible in existing buildings too, by using glass or Perspex partitions and mirrors in areas where windows are, thus helping the natural light reach further.

Sight also considers the actual size of a space and the design elements within this space can trigger different emotions. High ceilings and open plan areas can give a sense of freedom and yet for others a large open space can make them feel exposed and vulnerable. You can tackle this by dividing a space up using booths, screens (such as plants), sofa’s and comfy chairs. This gives both the sense of space but also privacy.

Sight leads us smoothly into the next sense and that is TOUCH . Often the sight of something can evoke the sensation of touching them and in turn influence the emotion we associate with that texture.

While visually appealing marble, plastic, glass and metal can be cool and sterile, Wood, stone and plants appeal to our biological need to connect with nature, and fibres such as velvet and wool we associate with being warm, soft and cosy.

The key when designing office spaces is to incorporate a mixture of these textures in order to balance our emotions. For example, a glass top desk, forest effect wallpaper and bright coloured velvet chair, combine efficiency, creativity and a sense of calm.

TASTE is harder to incorporate into design, but taste can affect your overall view and you will associate the space with the experience. Put it this way, you can be sitting in the most opulent of restaurants, but if the meal tastes awful are you going to remember the meal or the décor?

By associating a space with positive experiences, you can influence the emotions. A coffee machine placed among a soft seating area, can encourage breaks and social interaction between employees. A kitchen area or fresh fruit on display can aid healthy eating at work, which in turn increases focus, improves memory, motivation and productivity.

Closely linked to taste is the sense of SMELL and by far one of our strongest senses, as they can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously. This is because olfactory bulb is part of the limbic system, the emotional and memory centre of the brain. smell

A certain smell has the power to instantly transport us to a different time and place, evoking emotions linked to that scent. Such as a certain perfume or flower, may remind you of your grandma and evoke a sense of calm, love and security.

It is no wonder that scent branding has become a huge marketing tool in attracting and retaining customers. By using scent, brands can connect with consumers on a deeper emotional level, resulting in a more memorable experience. Brands that have found the right scent have seen a double increase in sales.

The same can be incorporated into the workplace. Peppermint aids focus, rosemary improves memory, and lemon increases accuracy. These scents can be activated via diffusers, plants and displays of freshly cut flowers. There are also high-tech services provided by scent marketing companies like ScentAir or Air Aroma.

Finally, SOUND can have a significant impact on an employee’s work performance, both from a stimulating and a distracting aspect.

Sound consultant Julian Treasure says that “Sound in a space affects us profoundly. It changes our heart rate, breathing, hormone secretion, brain waves, it affects our emotions and our cognition.”

The acoustics of a work space can often cause distractions and an inability to concentrate on the task at hand. Busy, open plan offices often have issues with sound travel. Plants, green dividers, booths, modular pods are a great way of absorbing sound in a large open space.

Creating quiet rooms enables employees to concentrate and focus when required. It is possible to pipe music into rooms to evoke different emotional responses. For instance, the sound of birds can appeal to our need to connect with nature. Where the sound of waves played in a wellness room, can aid our sense of calm and tranquility.

Conclusion

Our senses can work for us or against us. By using all 5 senses together in design, we have the ability to harness positive emotions and experiences, which in turn lead to a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce.

That is why, at Hi Design we always incorporate sensory design in everything we do, whether that be using simply using different colours and textures, strategically placing coffee machines, controlling sound levels with clever baffling or placing a ‘focus’ scented reed diffuser in a quiet room.

So, why just create an office when you could create experiences!? Touch every emotion, one sense at a time, you can create a space that doesn’t just look good, but functions well and feels amazing too.

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

Recycling in the Workplace

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 13:44:56 GMT

“Oh no, please don’t take away MY bin!”

The week 23-29 September 2019 is 'Recycle Awareness Week' and sees two recycling awareness events. ‘Recycle Awareness Week’ and ‘Recycle Now Week’ So, let’s take a look at recycling in the workplace.

Most of us now recycle at home, but do you recycle at work?

Workplaces are notoriously full of paper, disposable coffee cups, cardboard, printer cartridges and more. All this stuff is recyclable, so it should be disposed of in the correct fashion. However, getting employees to recycle, understand where to dispose of their waste, and to know what items can be recycled can be a challenge.

Though it may seem like a chore, recycling is essential to help protect the environment. Not only are you reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfill, you can also save your company money by spending less on waste disposal. It’s important that you do your part in the workplace to help encourage recycling.

Some Interesting Facts

1 recycled tin can save enough energy to power a television for 3 hours.
1 recycled glass bottle can save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.
1 recycled plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 3 hours.
70% less energy is required to recycle paper compared with making it from raw materials.

How do I encourage staff to use the recycling service? Here are some of our top tips.

Encourage senior management to get involved and lead by example: their buy-in is important. It is also beneficial for key message come from them.

Educate staff. Tell them why you are starting to recycle (why it will save money and what the environmental benefits will be). There is still a lot of confusion about what can be recycled, especially over plastics, so clearly labelled bins will make it easy to remind people to recycle.

Install printers, which need a personalised code to collect printing. This should reduce the amount of redundant paper sitting on machines waiting for collection (some of which ultimately gets put in a bin at the end of the day!) Did you know that 40% of office waste comes from paper?

Speak to cleaning staff to ensure that they recycle correctly. It’s great to separate materials in the office, but pointless if they all end up in the same big bin outside!

Remove individual under-desk bins and install centralised waste and recycling points. This increases the amount of material recycled by removing the temptation for people to easily throw-away. It is important that the rationale for this is clearly communicated in advance, as you are likely to see some initial resistance.

Make the recycling point a design feature, build it into a bespoke housing or invest in some interesting colorful bins.

If your office is not currently recycling, then changing the company’s attitudes towards it may take time. But don’t let this put you off. Use the pointers above to sway your workplace to change to recycling and begin on your Eco-friendly business path.

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

SIZE MATTERS

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 13:30:22 GMT

It’s not how much you’ve got, its what you do with it that counts!

Office space is one of the biggest costs for a business, so over or under-estimating the amount of space needed can end up becoming an expensive exercise.

Leasing too much space puts you at risk of paying for areas which are underutilised. Money spent on rent, utility bills, rates, service charges and fit-out could be better spent on increasing sales or even better, a healthier bottom line!

Many companies occupy larger spaces than they need with the view that they can ‘fill out’ the gaps with desks as they expand. This is a great idea in principle; however having too much empty space doesn’t necessarily create the right impression of a successful thriving business.

Empty spaces or desks can have a negative impact on employee motivation; the atmosphere can feel flat and lacking in energy. Furthermore, if staff are spread around, they can feel isolated from their colleagues, lonely and not part of the wider business. A recent survey by Relate revealed that 42 per cent of us don’t have a single friend at the office - pretty sobering, considering that British people work some of the longest hours in Europe.

Similarly, renting too little space brings its own challenges. It can limit business growth and hinder staff expansion. Building services such as the air-conditioning (which is sized to the building–control approved headcount) can struggle to cope with the increasing number of bodies. Air feels stale and fluctuations in temperature across the building can irritate staff. Queues for toilets or to use a break-out space add to stress levels. Mental Well-being can suffer, personal space is important to productivity and happiness. Not only that, but being packed in can breed tensions in the office. When one worker is trying to get a project done and he or she is sitting near others who are chatting away, resentment is just around the corner.

So, what can you do to determine how much office space you need? The way in which companies use space varies considerably from company to company and industry to industry, so why are so many organisations hung up on ‘how much space do I need per employee?’

Should we really be asking: What tasks do our staff complete in a day? Where is the best place to complete these tasks? And What culture do we want to create?

Four Factors That Influence How Much Office Space You Need

Type of work: The way we spend our workday plays a significant role in the amount of space we require. Staff Profiling by the tasks they perform can be really useful to determine how much space you actually need.

‘Mobile’ staff are typically those who spend most of the day out of the office with clients, working from home or in meetings, may not even need a permanent desk. ‘Fixed’ staff are those who require a fixed space (determined by role, specialist equipment, confidentiality, or teamwork). Then somewhere in the middle there will a large proportion of ‘Agile’ staff, needing some fixed spaces, together with quiet study space, collaborative areas and access to meeting rooms and break-out spaces.

Employee happiness: Personal space is vital to employee well-being, and research points to the fact that workers are happier, more engaged and more alert in environments where they can sit, stand and walk around. Additionally, space can have an effect on the psychology of workers and can play an important role in general happiness.

Company culture: The size of individual office space is often associated with status and hierarchy. We have often heard Directors arguing over ‘who has the largest office and desk’. However company culture is changing and these days, it’s not uncommon for everyone to sit in a shared space, with smaller private rooms for confidential discussions.

Space Restrictions: When deciding on how much space you need, it’s important to remember that square footage is not always a “square”. Some office spaces will have numerous supporting columns, awkwardly shaped floor plans, low ceiling heights, ‘keep-clear’ fire escape routes or raised floor areas. There may also be parts of the office space that are far from windows or natural light and could thus negatively impact team morale. All of which may reduce the actual amount of ‘usable’ space, therefore limiting the number of actual workstations you can fit into the space.

So, once you’ve profiled your staff and know what culture you want to create, what other practical considerations do you also need to look at?

The following questions will assist you in estimating how much space you currently need, as well as how much you will need in the future for the growth of your business.

How many people are currently employed?
How do staff currently work / how could they work differently? (based on staff profiling)?
Which areas are open plan, and which are private?
How likely are staff numbers to increase in the next two years?
How long a lease commitment?
Could staff work remotely and only require limited access to a workstation, or are teams required to be in the office at a dedicated area every day
Does the management culture support a shift to a more flexible working style?
What is the requirement for other areas – meeting rooms, agile benches, communication room, telephone booths, collaboration space, break-out areas, quiet work spaces etc?

So, that’s all interesting but how much office space do I need?

The most commonly accepted rule for a Traditional Office layout is that 100 sq. Ft. per employee is ideal. What this means is that the actual desk space measures about 50 sq. Ft. and the other 50 sq. Ft. makes up the break-out, meeting rooms, and other communal areas.

In high density and expensive rent areas, many companies opt for the more cost-efficient ratio of 70-80 sq. Ft. per person. They can do this is by adopting space-saving solutions like minimising storage facilities and replacing individual desks with smaller benches.

However, as the way we work is changing, so is how we use office space. If you can move towards an Agile Office layout you would typically need 15-20% less space . This not only saves on the rent costs, it also reduces your fit-out costs as well as your ongoing revenue costs (heating etc) by 20%! This can make a massive difference to your bottom line and in many cases delivers the same profit as an increase in revenue of 30-40%.

At Hi Design we often get involved with our clients right at the beginning of their office search journey. We quickly and easily profile the right space for them. This helps to narrow down and speed up the office search. We can accompany you on site viewings, providing a professional eye to advise on suitability, any potential risks, benefits and likely fit-out costs.

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

"QUICK! OPEN THE WINDOW!!"

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 13:09:54 GMT

How The ‘Air’ we breathe at work could be affecting more than our health

‘Clean Air Day’, is on 20th June each year. An event co-ordinated by environmental change charity, Global Action Plan, and will see local schools, workplaces, hospitals and communities across UK cities run events and inspire other residents to act for their own health and the health of local children.

Looking at this from a workplace perspective, what effect does poor air quality have on us as employers and employees? The truth is, half of us probably don’t even realise that we are breathing in polluted air in the workplace, unless there is an obvious issue such as damp or mould. We associate polluted air with outside, an obvious example is traffic fumes.

However, we spend nearly 90% of our time indoors and much of that is in the workplace, often with closed windows and no source of fresh air. There are many contributory factors that can cause poor air quality within the workplace, temperature, chemicals, bacteria, pollen, dust, emissions from office equipment, and unpleasant odours. This coupled with an inadequate ventilation system leads to contaminated air trapped in the space around us and an increase in CO2 levels.

So how does poor 'Air Quality' affect us?

There has been lots of new documented research that has shown poor air quality to have negative effects on thinking, health and productivity. In terms of health, there is a recognised term for it, ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ (SBS), where people in a building suffer from symptoms of illness or feel unwell for no apparent reason. Symptoms include headache, eye, nose, and throat irritation, fatigue, dizziness and nausea. The severity of symptoms is linked to the time people spend in the building and indeed they improve or disappear altogether, the longer people are away from the building.

Poor Air quality has also been proven to significantly lower our productivity levels and impair our cognitive thinking. You know that sluggish feeling you get, when you could quite literally fall asleep at your computer screen? If it happens in the morning, we blame a poor night’s sleep and if it occurs in the afternoon, we normally associate it with eating lunch. However, a recent study conducted by the Harvard Centre for Health and the Global Environment, made headlines when researchers found that higher levels of CO2 and VOCs in the air led to lower cognitive scores.

(VOCs are group of carbon-based chemicals which evaporate easily at room temperature. They can be found in paints, solvents, upholstery fabrics, carpets and adhesives, varnishes, vinyl floors, cleaning chemicals, air fresheners, cosmetics, fuel oil, and moth balls. They can be produced by dry cleaning, cooking, smoking, using some non-electric space heaters, photocopying or printing).

The Harvard study involved testing a group of employees on a period of 6 working days. On different days, they were exposed to varying levels of ventilation, chemicals and carbon dioxide, then tested on their ability to carry out everyday office tasks such as, make decisions, complete goals and strategise etc. (conventional, green and “green+” offices.)

The results found that on ‘green days’ (where ventilation was improved & fresh air was pumped into the office) cognitive scores improved by 61% on scores from conventional days. These scores increased further to more than 100% on ‘green + days’ (ventilation was improved further by doubling the amount of fresh outside air circulated). Significantly, Cognitive scores decreased when CO2 levels returned to levels normally found in an office environment.

Improving 'Air Quality' in the workplace

Other research has shown that adding plants to office environments can also contribute to improving air quality in the workplace and this links in with ‘BIOPHILIA’ and ‘Biophilic Design’ that we discussed earlier in the week. ‘BIOPHILIA’ means the “love of life or living systems” and as humans we have an innate biological need to connect with nature. Incorporating ‘BIOPHILIA’ into work-space design connects us with nature, thereby reducing stress, increasing productivity, boosting creativity, reducing sickness and by using live plants and greenery, it will improve air quality.

We are taught in school that plants are indispensable to human life. Through photosynthesis, they convert the carbon dioxide we exhale into fresh oxygen, and they can also remove toxins from the air we breathe. A ‘Clean Air Study’ conducted by NASA, also found that common indoor plants can help improve air quality and neutralise the effects of sick building syndrome by removing toxic agents such as VOCs. (mentioned earlier in the article)

Positioning Air cleaning plants such as Aloe Vera, Peace Lily and Boston Fern near employee work areas will aid concentration as well as create interest. Leasing them on a maintenance contract keeps them healthy and removes upkeep responsibility from the facilities team.

There are other measures you can take to improve air quality at work (see below image) and indeed The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations (2002) places a legal obligation on employers to control any substances that are present in the workplace that could be dangerous to human health. Included in its list of hazardous substances are chemicals, fumes, dusts and mists – all of which affect indoor air quality.

Apart from the legal obligations, there are clear benefits to implementing ‘clean air solutions’ into the work-space! – Increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, improved health and wellness of employees. A simple test of the theory? “Open the window!”

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

“Let's listen to our biological DNA and bring the outside inside!”

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 15:26:53 GMT

How ‘Biophilic Design’ is breaking down the walls between inside and outside.

The term ‘Biophilia’ when translated from its Latin roots means ‘Bio’ = Life and ‘Philia’ = 'the love of' so in a nutshell, the “love of life or living systems”.

Erich Fromm, German-born American psychoanalyst, first coined the phrase to describe a psychological orientation of being attracted to all that is alive and vital. It became more well-known following the publication of Edward O Wilson's (an American Biologist) book in 1984, entitled ‘Biophilia’. He defined ‘Biophilia' as “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life” and suggests that humans’ innate tendency to seek connections with nature is rooted in our biology and has built up through thousand of years living in agrarian settings.

Over the years advanced technology and development has meant as humans we have moved further away from our natural environment. Indeed, Edward O Wilson observed how increasing rates of urbanisation were leading to a disconnection with the natural world. We began living and working in enclosed and sterile environments, literally sheltering us from the elements of nature.

As a species we are now spending more time than ever indoors – with longer hours in the office, longer commutes, and much of our leisure time focused around screens. We are missing out on the physiological benefits of exposure to greenery, fresh air and natural daylight. If you put an animal in a zoo into a ‘lean’ cage they will become stressed, agitated and miserable, it is no different for humans and yet office designs of the past have been doing just that! Our opportunities to be immersed in nature are reserved for weekends & holidays.

Scientific studies have shown that workplace environments impact how we feel, perform and interact with others. And we have discussed previously how mindfulness and well-being are at the forefront of employer’s agendas. ‘Biophilia Design’ is a powerful tool for businesses striving to keep their people engaged, happy and healthy.

Biophilia has a profound influence on us as humans, both mental & physical. When incorporated into work-space design it helps reduce the signs of stress and enhances our cognitive thinking.

Biophilic Design in the Workplace

Biophilic Design incorporates reconnecting people with the natural environment through using natural elements in design that evoke positive emotional experiences including sights, sounds and scents, such as, maximising daylight, views of nature, fresh air, water features and textures. It is about breaking down the walls between inside and outside, by bringing the outside in.

For example, a recent study from an American university found a 20% increase in productivity in people after spending one hour in nature! Plants can be used to create natural work-space dividers, absorbing sound and creating more private spaces to work and a living walls also adds a visual interest, but it is more beneficial to place it where it can be seen by many, rather than just in the entrance foyer seen by few. Amazon, Google and Apple are leading the way when it comes to investing in Biophilic design. Amazon’s greenhouse spheres mean employees can be immersed in nature and return to desks refreshed and Apple has filled its California HQ with trees.

To really connect people & nature we are going to need a lot more than a few plants. We need to look how we feel when surrounded by nature and then incorporate that into our designs. There are other elements that we can bring into our buildings such as the variation in light patterns, space and texture that fills us with this sense of peace when where are immersed in nature.

We can use natural materials such as wood, stone, exposed brick and even grass-effect flooring to add texture to spaces. Varying acoustics, such as piped bird music, water features or quiet areas to aid concentration and invoke a sense a calm that you associate with nature.

Where possible, ensure employees are next to a natural source of daylight and that there is the opportunity for fresh air, such as outdoor breakout spaces. A simple window in a hospital room has been shown to reduce both patient stays and the amount of pain medication those patients receive.

Connecting people with nature

The Biophilic Design approach allows us to celebrate all that is good about being alive and part of nature, thereby helping to reduce stress, increase productivity, boost creativity, reduce sickness and by using often cheaper materials sourced from our region, it aligns with our CSR of reducing our carbon footprint.

Winston Churchill once said “First we shape our buildings and then our buildings shape us” . Biophilic Design gives us buildings that bring the outside in and allow us to get back to our biological DNA of connecting with nature.

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

STEP AWAY FROM THE DESK!

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 12:25:44 GMT

Why ‘Break-out Spaces’ are the key to escaping your desk, avoiding brain fog and being more productive!

Hands up! If it is extremely likely that you will eat lunch at your desk today! In fact, how likely is it that you will skip lunch all together?

We are all guilty. We all know it is not good for us to stay sitting down all day. Indeed there are numerous reports, television programmes and media campaigns telling us so. Yet, in today's pressured work environment, when there are not enough hours in the day and a deadline looms, it is easy to feel that we can’t afford to move away from our desks. In fact, it is estimated that between 40-60 per cent of us typically eat lunch at our desk during the working day.

Not only does remaining at our desks all day, decrease our productivity and increase stress levels, it can cause a whole host of health issues including back pain, leg disorders, and increased risk of heart disease.

This week is BNF Healthy Eating Week, a dedicated week in the year to encourage organisations across the UK (including workplaces, universities, and schools) to focus on healthy eating and drinking, and physical activity, and celebrate healthy living.

As most of us already know the negatives of remaining at our desks, let’s look at the benefits of stepping away from our desks and how workplace design can enable ourselves and our employees the opportunity to do this.

The Workplace Environment

The workplace environment influences the health of its employees and investing in a ‘Healthy Workplace’ makes perfect business sense, however it is important to look at the larger picture to see how the work sp ace itself influences the eating patterns of the employees.

For example, if a healthy eating program is offered, remember to look at where employees eat their lunch. A safe and clean eating area is a requirement under most occupational health and safety laws, however we have a great the opportunity make these areas so much more. If designed correctly, they can have a positive influence on encouraging time away from desks, as well as increasing productivity and reducing employee absenteeism.

Many forward thinking organisations create a break-taking culture – There’s no doubt that taking a break is good for you, but employees won’t do it if they feel pressurised by their peers to eat lunch at their desk. Progressive managers lead-by-example and encourage their teams to take breaks. This results in happier, more productive employees.

The Break-Out Space Design

If you create great break-out spaces staff will use them. By designing these spaces to be multi-functional, i.e. they can be used for other purposes outside of lunchtime hours, they are no longer wasted or expensive spaces. Designed correctly, they can turn a traditional office cafeteria into a destination for connection, collaboration, focus and innovation.

A break-out area needn’t be extravagant or even take up much space. Screens and furniture can be used to section and divide up spaces. Soft furnishings, such as lounge style chairs or sofas, can help employees feel relaxed and comfortable.

Booths incorporating laptop ports or TV monitors can be a popular choice when designing break-out areas as they provide not only a place to relax and eat, but also privacy for informal meetings or quiet working.

A designated water station, vending machine or hot drinks point, can encourage staff to maintain adequate hydration which is key to brain function. In addition monitors or screens can be used to encourage uptake of healthier choices, providing nutritional information, recipes or to advertise healthy eating events.

Research by Grace Say Aloe revealed that 67 per cent of us work the same hours each day. We are travelling to work early and leaving late to avoid traffic and often when it is dark, therefore missing out on both sunshine and breakfast. Providing free fruit, vending machines or visiting breakfast refreshment services (with healthy options), means that staff could combine breakfast with an informal catch up with our line manager or colleague, starting the day refreshed!

And if you weren't already convinced…

Employers are becoming more conscious of the value that attracting and retaining the best employees brings to their business; Whilst keeping your current staff at the centre of your design plans, it is also important to use your breakout space to attract new talent. Your office space says a lot about you – it should make people feel excited at the prospect of coming to work for you.

Sociologist, Ray Oldenburg first explored the theory of 'The Third Place' in his 1989 book 'The Great Good Place'. The principle is that people have a need for a neutral location aside from home and work in order to feel satisfied and content. His theory explains that the first place is your home, the second place is work, and the key characteristics of a third place are accessibility, a welcoming / comfortable atmosphere, familiar faces, interaction, good value and refreshments and it should be a neutral location. His example was in fact a coffee shop.

When thought out and designed with care, the BREAK-OUT SPACE could be your ‘THIRD PLACE’. By combining access to great amenities, a functional workplace setting and an area to rejuvenate and socialise with colleagues, you are offering employees a sense of escapism without having to leave the workplace! The results? Increased productivity, the generation of new ideas, employee engagement and reduced levels of sickness.

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

School Days and Agile Ways? Is the agile working revolution a blast from your past?

Fri, 31 May 2019 14:07:10 GMT

School Days and Agile Ways? Is the agile working revolution a blast from your past?

Think back to your primary school days. You were encouraged to be creative, to work play and to learn not by constant confinement to your desk – very much a Victorian notion - but by structured freedom. Yes, you had a classroom, but it was divided into different areas for different activities. There might have been a table for writing at, but you would also get to sit on the carpet and in the book corner for registration and story time. You had a dressing up corner for creative play, while the school hall or school field was the area for physical exercise. Plus, on a hot day, I bet there was great excitement when your teacher suggested taking your work or activity outside, enabling you to concentrate in a cooler environment. Senior school and University were similarly varied – you made use of different environments for different tasks. In other words, you worked in an AGILE way in your formative years because that way you were stimulated to get more done, more efficiently. So, it really isn’t surprising that the confines of a traditional workplace office in our adult lives can be stifling, and can contribute to a decline in our mental health and well-being.

So, in today’s workplace, is there a way we can reconnect with the freedom and capacity for work that we once enjoyed? Could Agile Working be the answer?

‘IN A 'NUTSHELL’ – WHAT IS AGILE WORKING?

Sometimes referred to as ‘Activity Based Working’, this is a way in which an organisation empowers its people to work where, when and how they choose – with maximum flexibility and minimum constraints. Workers, equipped with the right IT support, are given greater autonomy – they can work in different settings within the office, at home or elsewhere. They become dynamic rather than static, and meanwhile, businesses can find that they can need 15-20% less office space – meaning that they can grow within the space they already have or reduce costs by renting less of it.

Agile Working brings people, process, technology, time and place together to determine the best way to complete a given task. Agile Working puts the focus on the endgame, trusting staff to be productive, in contrast to the traditional approach of being seen to be sat at the same desk working. This doesn’t mean an end to supervision or management, but a different way of doing it.

The aim of agile working is simply to create a more responsive, efficient and effective organisation, which ultimately improves business performance.

The Agile Work Space

By creating a variety of workplace settings to support daily tasks within the office we can ensure staff have complete freedom and flexibility.

These spaces can be traditional desks, but could also include agile work benches, huddle spaces, quiet rooms, collaboration zones, quiet work areas, well-being spaces, informal meeting spaces or multi-functional breakout areas. Basically, the whole office becomes the work area, not just the desk!

Businesses that have embraced agile working report an increase in productivity, as individuals are able to choose to work in the work space that most suits the task at hand. It means that when they need to get together with colleagues, they aren’t limited to a few meeting rooms and when they need to focus, they can find somewhere quiet to work.

Agile working doesn’t suit every task, or every business, and where it is used, employers and employees have to recognise that a true top-to-bottom culture-shift is needed to get the best from it. But make no mistake, it does represent the future for many organisations who haven’t yet woken up to its advantages.

Conclusion

Agile working is not just a fancy new term for hot-desking. Nor is it a covert way for employers to reduce costs. It is so much more than this. It is a revolutionary way of thinking about the way in which workers who would traditionally have found themselves tied to one office space can now be freed to complete their tasks more effectively and flexibly, benefiting both them and their employers. Recent studies have estimated that 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don't yet exist…. That’s only 10-15 years away! Most companies take 5-10 years leases on property, so we need to be ready for change now. Surely workplace design needs to evolve and have fluidity to easily adapt to the future. Agile working gives you this. Get the foundations right and you can be sure that by the time your new office interior is complete, you’ll be well on track to get real return on your investment.

Take a look at the how we recently created an Agile Workplace for Orbit Housing...

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

How 'Massage Therapy' can contribute to wellness at work

Fri, 24 May 2019 13:50:17 GMT

How 'Massage Therapy' can contribute to wellness at work

Talk to some old-school employers about massage therapy in the workplace and you can expect sniggers and cynicism. And yet there is an increasing body of evidence that a programme of ‘Wellness at Work’ measures, that include massage therapy, can significantly improve productivity, and help in staff retention. For relatively little outlay, we can boost morale, make employees feel restored and happier and see absenteeism dwindle in line with their declining stress levels. No wonder savvy employers are increasingly switching on to the win-win benefits to them and to their staff of short, in-work massage sessions, as they feel the impact on the bottom line from a healthier, more motivated workforce.

Massage Therapy plays a part in the improvement of both physical and mental wellbeing. There are obvious immediate benefits in the relief of conditions like repetitive strain injury or muscle tension for instance, but it is with the respite from stress, no matter how brief, that we can find the greatest benefits. Stress has a huge impact on our body’s immune system and any therapy that helps alleviate it will mean that we become less susceptible to colds and viruses. The cost of employee sickness absence in the UK is colossal, as is the wasted time money and resource involved in staff churn when workers feel unhappy and unloved, so therapies that ease fatigue and lower work-related emotional pressures repay massive dividends in the long run.

We’ve all heard about achieving our ideal work-life balance, but what this really means is making an effort to avoid burn-out. Few of us can afford to work 3-day weeks to ensure this, so adoption of strategies that help with physical and mental health while working normal hours have become ever more important.

So what difference would a 15 minute massage really make?

First of all, general health improves. Headaches, back pain, and even blood pressure have all been proven to reduce following massage. Its effects are calming, and levels of serotonin, the so-called ‘happy chemical’ that our body produces naturally, are boosted. Basically, massage makes us feel more positive and cheerful – we are both relaxed but also re-energised, and better equipped to take on the next challenge.

Secondly, the increased blood flow that results from massage has proven positive physiological effects. Energy levels can drop during the working day, often after lunch, when we might reach for the mid-afternoon carb top-up from unhealthy sweets and snacks, just to keep us going. Studies show that we are at our least productive in the afternoon, so a short massage session would re-energise, raise alertness and concentration levels and improve our problem-solving abilities. The clearer mind we enjoy after massage means fewer mistakes and greater productivity and effectiveness.

Thirdly, there is a subtle psychological benefit that comes from us feeling looked after. As employees we feel well disposed to our employers (we are ‘touched’ in both senses of the word) who have taken the trouble to look after our physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, if we decide to take up the offer of free massage sessions, we achieve a sense of self-empowerment. We know that the greatest stress is felt when we feel like we are trapped in our work, with few choices or any sense of self-determination. Choosing to help ourselves with massage is a great way to really feel like we are taking control over our lives.

Finally, provision of massage therapy goes a long way to changing the culture of the organisations we work for. There is clearly a huge benefit to us if we opt for it, but the sense of physical and mental wellbeing that it creates is contagious. Healthier, happier de-stressed people are much nicer to work with as colleagues!

Wellness at Work

Thankfully, we are all much more aware these days of the need to strive for better physical and mental health, and none of us need feel any shame in admitting to pain, depression or stress. At Hi Design, we want to create great spaces to work in, spaces that enhance working lives, where people can flourish, not flounder. Where space and budget allow, we will provide for a wellbeing room in our designs, but even if this is not practical, a discretely located meeting room may also be used for massage therapy. Some companies offer quick ‘at desk’ massages services, or even personal massage rollers. At the very least, layouts may be configured to encourage staff to move away from their desks regularly. But good work-place design is only part of the story, and we can think of few measures that can make as big a difference to wellbeing as massage therapy. Go for it, you’ll literally feel the benefit!

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

How 'Mental Health' & 'Wellness at Work' is shaping the future of our workspace

Fri, 17 May 2019 13:16:10 GMT

How ‘Mental Health’ & ‘Wellness at work’ is shaping the future of our workspace

Mental Health was a hot topic during the month of May - it was particularly at the forefront of people’s minds attracting huge media attention. We had ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’ and this week brings stress-relieving ‘Massage At Work Week’.

Various high-profile figures have been talking openly about their own battles with mental health. HRH Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, Stephen Fry, Jameela Jamil, Katie Perry and Alesha Dixon, led the second annual ‘Mental Health Minute’, an initiative launched last year in order to encourage and support conversations around mental health. Over 300 radio stations joined in to kick off Mental Health Awareness Week and share an important mental health message. This year’s theme was all about the importance of listening, and the difference we can make to someone when we take the time to stop and to listen.

It’s thanks to campaigns like ‘Mental Health Minute’ and information becoming more widely available that the stigma attached to talking about mental health is declining rapidly. As a result, this is also affecting the workplace - employees are being open with their employers about their mental health and employers are realising that wellness at work and productivity walk hand in hand!

Wellness at Work

Mental ill health is estimated to cost the UK economy £94bn a year according to recent OECD figures. At the same time, the Mental Health Foundation charity calculates that policies addressing wellbeing at work increase productivity by as much as 12%.

75% of us believe that our work environment has a negative impact on our wellbeing and productivity. Considering that we spend most of our waking hours at work it really shouldn’t come as a surprise! In fact, on average we spend 42 hours a week at work.

What do we mean by the work environment?

Well, it encompasses everything from the type and quantity of work, the people, culture and the actual physical workspace.

When it came to designing offices in the mid to late 20th century, the word ‘productivity’ was traditionally the watch word. Designs were open-plan to maximise headcount per square foot, creating environments not unlike battery farms. Over the last five years this has increasingly changed and just as ‘Wellbeing at Work’ is becoming a key factor in employee retention and attracting new talent, it is now also a central consideration for many workplace designers and their clients, eager to explore the benefits of innovative practices such as agile working for instance.

Psychology-based insights are significantly contributing to a reshaping of the workplace by helping us to understand how the environment & interiors can impact healthy, happy, empowered, collaborative and productive people.

Here at Hi Design we always consider the emotional needs of staff when designing a workplace. We believe that by providing staff with a choice of work settings (from quiet work areas, collaboration zones and social space) it empowers them, giving back control, which as we know is an important factor in achieving good mental health.

Over the coming weeks we will be sharing our insights and experiences of designing spaces to meet the needs of the changing workplace. Through our series of ‘IN A NUTSHELL’ guides, we will give a clear explanation of emerging trends such as AGILE WORKING & BIOPHILIA etc, how they contribute to ‘Wellness at Work’, without losing sight of the bottom line!

Hi Design 'work spaces that work'

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How 'Massage Therapy' can contribute to wellness at work

How 'Massage Therapy' can contribute to wellness at work

How 'Mental Health' & 'Wellness at Work' is shaping the future of our workspace

How ‘Mental Health’ & ‘Wellness at work’ is shaping the future of our workspace

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