Designing a workspace is an exciting project that can be very rewarding for your company and your employees by creating a more productive, enjoyable and engaged working environment. However, it is not an easy task! Getting it wrong can be a costly mistake that means years of working in a space that simply does not work for you. Here are the most common design mistakes to avoid, from our team of contemporary office furniture specialists:
1. Blindly Following the Latest Trend: Committing to the latest office design trends without thinking them through can be a big mistake. While some trends are fantastic, they are not going to deliver the right results for you if it doesn’t work for your company or industry. For example, open and collaborative spaces are great in a marketing agency where teams have to work together across departments, brainstorm and get creative – but this trend won’t work well in a law firm where you need private spaces to assure client confidentiality. 2. Failing to Future-Proof Your Space: Redesigning your office space is a big, time-consuming and expensive project, so you will want your new space to last for at least 5 years. However, the fast pace of technology and the need for businesses to be as agile as possible means that your needs and requirements are likely to shift during this time period – and your office design needs to be able to adapt with these changes. Infrastructure for wireless charging and smartphones/mobile tech is important, as are moveable architectural walls, adjustable height desks and chairs, and modular workstations. 3. The One-Size-Fits-All Space: The problem with this approach – for example, having identical workstations and office chairs for each employee – is that no-one really fits this generic model. These stations make it difficult to work flexibly, to collaborate or communicate with ease, and they are often uncomfortable, leading to lower productivity and wellness issues. Instead, choose furniture that suits the use of the different designated spaces, is adjustable for height and easily moved or customized. Introduce different desk types to suit different work styles – sit-stand desks, for example. Make Your Office Redesign a Success with Our Contemporary Office Furniture Specialists! At BE Furniture, we assist our clients in achieving an optimal workspace for their business. Whether you are looking to replace old workstations with contemporary office furniture and boardroom furniture or want a comprehensive redesign and fitment of your space, our experienced team can handle it all. For more information about our design services, including modern boardroom design services, or our office furniture products, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/3-workspace-design-mistakes-avoid/
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In an age of wireless, digital technology, the designs of our workplaces are still held back by miles and miles of wiring and cables. In the conference room where virtual meetings, group calls and presentations are common, this issue is even more apparent.
Limiting Your Options – From Conference Tables to Flooring The conference table is the focal point of the room, a gathering space that represents your brand to your clients, partners and employees. For many companies, the look of this important piece of furniture is immediately affected by the need for connectivity boxes for connecting laptops and devices and handling every type of video output on the market, from HDMI to mini DisplayPort. This makes minimalist design challenging if not outright impossible. Then, it’s about accommodating the wires that run from the table to the screen (or screens) under the carpeting or beneath the baseboards and through the walls. This fixes your layout in a permanent manner, making it impossible to make your conference room into a multipurpose space – a critical challenge to overcome if your business is looking for a flexible and more effective use of their office space. In a typical office conference room, this means that a space that should look professional, functional and stylish instead looks clunky, messy and unattractive. Wireless Solutions Offer More Choices for Your Conference Room Conference rooms deserve to be a focal point of your business and should represent your brand in an engaging way as well as having the tech needed to facilitate business. By going wireless, you’re no longer limited to a specific type of conference table, flooring or even a fixed layout – and more flexibility means more opportunities to create the right space. Design a Bespoke Conference Room with Contemporary Office Furniture Specialists BE Furniture in New Jersey can help you create a functional and appealing conference space that supports your brand. In addition to our wide range of office furniture, including conference room tables and corporate furniture, we can also assist you with workspace design and fitment. We also offer eco-friendly recycling options for all your old office furniture and fittings. For more information on our services, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/wiring-can-impact-office-design/ Designing an office is about much more than making sure there’s enough seating and desk space for each employee, it’s about creating a space that embodies your brand, smooths out work processes and enhances productivity and creative thinking. Here are some of the leading sources of inspiration for workplaces that offer it all.
The Natural World: For too long, society has treated work as separate to nature – but where do we all go to relax, re-energize and find inspiration? Nature. Natural light, plant life and fresh air have a significant impact on our wellbeing, health and happiness, and using it in the workplace has the same powerful effect. When there’s a strong presence of nature, people experience less mental fatigue, stress and illness. All these positive effects impact directly on your company’s bottom line through increased productivity, better employee mental and physical health, and increased loyalty and job satisfaction. Socialization: Human beings are social creatures and most people gain a lot from casual social interaction – even introverts. Parks, cafés and bars all have a social buzz that helps people form relationships, network and de-stress, as well as getting in touch with our more creative, spontaneous sides. In the workplace, this can mean having a social kitchen and dining area that’s casual, creative and inspired by café culture – a place where people can get together without disturbing other employees to eat, talk and brainstorm. Getting active: There is overwhelming evidence that being physically active is essential to living a healthy, balanced and happy life. Physical activity gets your blood flowing and sending more oxygen to the brain as well as stimulating proteins that improve mental functions. Physical activity improves our health overall as well, boosting our immune systems and readying us to take on new challenges. Another interesting effect is that repetitive action – like jogging, cycling or walking – shifts the brain into a different state (like a mild daydream) known as Alpha state, the ideal brain state for lateral thinking and problem solving. Nike WHQ has a running track for just this reason, but smaller companies can help promote this by starting office clubs for running, walking or other physical fitness activities, or by incentivizing employees to join clubs and gyms outside of work. Re-Imagine Your Office Space with Contemporary Office Furniture and Design for Increased Creativity and Productivity BE Furniture is a full-service specialist in contemporary office interiors, and our experienced team can assist you with everything from choosing modern office chairs, ergonomic solutions, sit stand desks and contemporary executive seating, to designing and fitting out your office remodel. For more information about our products and services and how we design and create contemporary office interiors, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/spaces-inspire-creativity-innovation/ Contemporary office interiors and design is not just about creating a pleasant work environment, it’s about adding functionality that’s specific to your company’s vision, operations and day-to-day needs. For the financial services industry, where attracting and keeping top industry talent is a must and tech is a driving force in the sector, office design can play a significant role in achieving broader company goals.
Collaboration, Concentration and Contemplation Rather than focusing on the needs of a single type of employee, office designs for the financial services industry need to create multiple spaces that meet many different needs. This means creating spaces where collaboration can take place (working on a new project, holding meetings or brainstorming sessions, etc.), quiet areas where employees can focus without interruption and contemplate on their work tasks, and areas that are designed around a single task, like a programming department. Office Design that Meets Client Needs In addition to meeting the needs of your staff, financial services companies also have to be able to meet the needs of clients. This may require two types of spaces – the first, a more social coffee-shop style area that is sociable and relaxed. The second type of spaces you’ll need will have to address client needs for privacy and security when discussing more sensitive information, such as private office space or meeting rooms. A Contemporary Office Furniture Supplier for the Financial Service Industry If you are in the financial services industry and are considering a new office design and fit-out or moving to new premises, it’s important to have an office design partner who understands the needs of your industry. BE Furniture is a New Jersey-located company that strives to meet all your commercial office furniture and office design needs. We can assist you with everything from modern office desks, ergonomic desks and modern office chairs to office design, fitment and furniture recycling. For more information or inspiring contemporary office furniture ideas, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/design-workspace-financial-services-industry/ Future-proofing is all about ensuring that your office design will be able to incorporate changes and upgrades easily as your company adapts over the years. While no one can predict the future completely, incorporating future-proofing into your design is the best way to avoid costly redesigns down the line and keep your space functioning smoothly as new technology and equipment is embraced. Here are some tips from our contemporary office design team to help your office fitment last for many years to come.
Contemporary Office Design Makes Your Space Work for You If you want to make the most of your office design, our team is here to help. In addition to our wide range of contemporary office furniture, architectural walls and ergonomic desks, we can also assist you with workspace design and fitment. For more information on services, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/tips-future-proofing-office-design/ Bloomberg’s new HQ in London, designed by Norman Foster, was unveiled in October 2017 and is often touted as the world’s most sustainable office design. Located in the prestigious Square Mile, the building’s design and future mark a very real change in what commercial architecture means.
Awareness of its Place in London’s Flow, Society and History This project required two buildings to be removed from the site, namely Bucklersbury House and Temple Court. These buildings in many ways symbolized where commercial development used to be – from the shoddy removal of a Roman temple discovered on the building site to ignoring street patterns, breaking height restrictions and prioritizing parking space with little regard for pedestrians. In contrast, the new buildings showcase the change in commercial architecture and design to something that fits comfortably into the city skyline while still fitting in an astonishing 1.1 million feet of workspace. It offers a restaurant-lined arcade for staff and the public, walkways that include a new square lined by sculpture and foliage by artist Cristina Iglesias. The Roman temple has been carefully moved back to its location as well, housed in a dedicated public museum in the double-height basement that is also home to over 14,000 items discovered during the build. Pedestrian traffic also has easy access to public transport, thanks to the new exit for the Bank Tube station. The building is also renowned for its sustainability and energy efficiency, making use of several complex systems designed into the structure itself to maintain comfortable temperatures at minimal energy costs. It also harvests and utilizes rainfall, filtering it for building use in its own plumbing systems. The project increased its sustainability rating further by going local for much of its materials and systems, with almost 90% of the project’s cost being spent in the UK. Even the wall panels are woven with Yorkshire-sourced wool. This building, from its foundations upwards, shows a new age of commercial architecture that is built on respect for the environment, for the people who work in it, the city it is located in and even the people who walk past it. Modern Office Ideas Built the Workplaces of a Better Future BE Furniture is a full-service corporate office design, collaborative furniture and contemporary office furniture company, offering a wide range of environmentally-sensitive and innovative products and services for innovative boardrooms and contemporary office interiors. For more information, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/taking-look-inside-new-bloomberg-hq/ Modern office design is all about creating a space that is more welcoming, more inspiring and more productive. So, is art an effective way to achieve this? Here’s what our team of contemporary office furniture specialists have to say.
Art is an Untapped Source of Office Wellness Numerous studies have shown that while modern office chairs, flexible hot-desking and even plant life have become a focus for creating wellness in the office, art is one area that has been largely ignored. According to a study by Leesman, an organization dedicated to evaluating how workplaces support and affect employee and organizational performance, 80% of office workers say they feel apathy or even hate for the current artwork in their workplace. Many office design companies as well as the organizations themselves treat office art as simple background decoration that’s not worth the effort to include in their wellness remodel – but this is a very incorrect attitude, and here’s why:
Contemporary Office Furniture for Forward-Thinking Businesses BE Furniture is a full-service specialist in contemporary office interiors, and our experienced team can assist you with everything from choosing modern office chairs, ergonomic solutions and contemporary executive seating, to designing and fitting out your office remodel. For more information about our products and services, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/art-workplace-need-know/ It wasn’t that long ago when the relationship between technology and office design was focused on making a big enough hole in a desk or partition for all those cables. These days, the relationship has evolved into something far more complex, exciting and interesting. Here are some insights from our specialists on contemporary office interiors.
It’s Not Just About Enough Space and the Right Tech Office design used to be about ensuring that you had enough space in the right area and then filling it with sufficient computers and office equipment for the staff you had – think the famous workspace of The Office. These days, companies have realized that office design plays a pivotal role in the success of a business, and that technology needs to be an integrated part of that design, not just a tool for day-to-day business. The right office design promotes the mental, physical and social wellness of employees – not only to their benefit, but with a meaningful impact on your bottom line. Achieving this means approaching every aspect of the design – from furnishings and lighting to technology – creatively and with company goals in mind. Technology should be implemented in a way that is fully integrated with your design and how your business operates. It should focus on rapid, nimble communication that supplements agile decision-making but is also secure. Employees are increasingly working not just at the office and at home, but in coffee shops and on-the go – making accessibility key to a functional and flexible office space. This isn’t just being demanded by companies as they push employees to work harder wherever they are, it’s also being pushed by a younger workforce that prioritizes flexibility over traditional office design. This makes tech-integration a priority for businesses who want to attract and retain top talent. Impact of Tech on the Traditional Office Functions Contemporary office design is not just about revolutionizing traditional offices into collaborative, activity-based workspaces, it’s about changing traditional office functions too. Take conference rooms, for examples – a traditional workplace staple that is necessary even in this time of flexibility and open plan design. Technology has had a huge impact here, through table top tablets, keyboard integrated chairs, multi-touch tables and even furniture that charges tech devices. The ability to meet and present ideas has been transformed by technologies like Skype, and conference rooms have become meeting places for employees not bound by location to communicate instantly, in person and at a high quality. Design and Realize Innovative Contemporary Office Interiors in New Jersey BE Furniture is a full-service specialist in contemporary office interiors, and our experienced team can assist you with everything from choosing new conference room tables and contemporary office furniture, to designing and fitting out your office remodel. For more information about our products and services, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/technology-impacting-office-design/ Activity-Based Working is a design philosophy that’s become a big trend over the last few years because it effectively contributed towards cost-savings on office real estate and furnishings – but that’s not the only reason. Even more significant savings over the long term can be seen in a far broader and more subtle area – the system’s ability to foster employee wellness on a mental, physical and social level.
Modern Office Design Ideas and Our Natural Environment Unlike traditional workplace designs like cubicles, rows of desks or even private offices, ABW actually emulates our natural environment. Biophillic characteristics, which are the instinctive human affiliations with the natural world, are an integral part of this design. These include the incorporation of natural lighting and diurnal working hours, the incorporation of plants and natural materials, access to fresh air, and much more. Even the structure of ABW spaces mimic our ancestors need to move from place to place through the day for different activities and to fulfil different needs. The benefits of these design ideas are a significant driver behind modern architecture for homes and businesses, to make our man-made structures more like the outdoors and less like closed-off internal spaces. So, what are the actual benefits? Or is this just another trend? Mental, Physical and Social Health Benefits of ABW Rather than being offered a space in which to work that is exactly the same as any other, ABW spaces offer workers the ability to pick a place of their own in which to work that suits their particular needs. Some people, after all, work best in silence and without distraction, while others thrive on high energy and collaboration. Having spaces to suit a range of personality types means workers are more comfortable, less stressed and more productive thanks to their ability to select and control their environment. A lack of physical activity is a very real threat to the health of modern office workers, and this is compounded by having to sit at a desk for 10 or more hours a day in front of a screen. Diabetes, heart conditions, obesity and depression are all linked to sedentary behavior – and workers with compromised health are not going to be realizing their potential. ABW spaces encourage movement through multi-use, flexible spaces, seated and standing desks, and by making it easier to encourage fitness and health initiatives in the workplace. Higher fitness levels mean healthier, more motivated and more creative employees, as well as less sick days. The social nature of AWB spaces with their emphasis on collaboration, casual interaction and decentralized structure also brings significant benefits to worker health and your company’s bottom line. It encourages your employees to bond and work together openly, making stronger teams. It makes sharing skills easier and more effective, helping your employees grow. It helps ideas spread and turn into actionable concepts, driving positive risk-taking and innovation. And this sense of community and shared growth creates social responsibility and bolsters emotional wellbeing. Promote Organizational Health Through Contemporary Office Interiors and Furniture Want to design a cutting-edge ABW space? Our team is here to help. In addition to our wide range of contemporary office furniture, architectural glass walls and interior design features, we can also assist you with workspace design and fitment. For more information on our services and contemporary office furniture ideas, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/inside-activity-based-working-abw/ For a long time, the phrase “work-life balance” has been a buzzword for businesses, but the reality is that, for many people, there is a distinct disconnect between the quality of like they experience at home and the one they get at work.
After all, most employees work 40-60 hours a day in the office, under fluorescent lighting, in range of unhealthy vending machine options, in front of a computer for hours at a time, and unaware of whether it’s day or night outside. After a day’s work, achieving that essential balance is almost impossible – finding the time or energy to exercise, shop for and prepare healthy foods, and spend quality time with our loved ones and hobbies. It’s this imbalance that makes achieving these goals almost impossible – and the distinction between home life and office life makes it exhausting to even think about! The answer, according to specialists, is that workplaces need to catch up in terms of quality of life – and industry leaders who have committed to these changes and focused on wellbeing are reaping the rewards. Employees benefit from having a happier, healthier and more efficient workplace, while employers benefit from increased productivity, improved talent acquisition, employee loyalty, and reduced sick days. So, what is wellness and how do I apply it in the workplace? This is the biggest challenge facing companies that want to move with the times, boost their competitiveness and attract the best people in the industry. The answer is that it’s a holistic approach that requires an investment of time, money and passion – it’s not just about putting a juicer in the break room. It’s about evaluating pain-points in the office and setting goals for overcoming them. Some great ideas include:
Boost productivity with a wellness office design If you have a wellness vision for your business, our team is here to help. In addition to our wide range of office furniture, cubical systems and office cubicle walls, we can also assist you with workspace design and fitment. For more information on our services, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content posted on https://www.befurniture.com/workplace-wellbeing-important-industry-leaders/ |
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