Office design trends have constantly been evolving over the years, particularly over the last 18 months. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a small-scale revolution in our working practices, and that includes where we actually work.
Thames Contracts specialise in office refurbishments and refits in Hitchin, Stevenage and across Hertfordshire and North London. Here we look into our crystal ball and look at five of the top themes which are likely to take centre stage in the next 12 months.
Home Comforts
People across the world (not just in the UK) have got used to working from home. So employees now often expect to enjoy all the comforts of home even when they are at the office. This includes elements such as warm lighting, comfortable seating and plenty of house plants.
The last item also helps with another element – biophilic design. This means incorporating nature into the office. Not just via plants, but by using natural elements such as wood (for the furniture) and water (so fish tanks and other water features are a good idea too).
Flexible Working – and Office Spaces
Many employees are now working to a ‘hybrid’ schedule – in the office some days, but not others. This means an increase in hot-desking as different people work on different days of the week. It also means a lot of staff are doing what is known as ‘telecommuting’; that is, working remotely, but ‘on call’ via Zoom and other video-conferencing applications.
These ‘meetings’ could easily disturb other employees. This is where transformable office spaces are so useful – creating enclosed or private spaces as and when the need arises. At Thames Contracts we specialise in glass partitions, which we have fitted in offices in Potters Bar, Barnet, and many other locations in North London and Hertfordshire. This gives you maximum flexibility in creating open-plan or private areas.
Noise Annoys
The need to cut out extraneous noise is greater this year, particularly if the windows are open (which they may have to be to help combat the spread of Covid). So you don’t want extra noise pollution from within the office too. This means carpets and rugs rather than hard flooring. Plants can even help to absorb some of the noise within the office. Partitions can help here as well by ensuring that private conversations stay private.
Sustainable Spaces
The need to act responsibly with regard to the environment is feeding through into a lot of areas, and office design is no exception. This means using LED lighting (or natural light), natural materials (preferably locally sourced) and repurposing items wherever possible.
Make sure that staff are encouraged to behave ethically too. Have separate bins for different types of waste, reusable coffee cups, and have plenty of spaces for bikes on-site (and showers too if cyclists want to cool down after arriving). All of this will make the office a more attractive place to come and work and do business, as well as help in the ongoing fight against climate change.
Smart Solutions
It’s not just making sure you have enough power points for all the laptops, tablets and PCs you need to plug in. Nowadays, this means extra equipment and technology, such as touchless doors, which reduce the risk of transmitting or passing on any diseases, not just COVID-19.
This also means incorporating so-called ‘intelligent technology’ like Smart lighting systems, which can take into account the time of day as well as the number of people in a particular space and reduce or increase the amount of illumination accordingly.
Office Refurbishments in Hitchin from Thames Contracts
Whatever trend you want to accommodate or follow, Thames Contracts can help. We have built up an excellent reputation over the years for high-quality work and completing our contracts on time and on budget.
If you are interested in either an office refurbishment or refit, follow this link and fill in the online form or call us on 020 8368 0045. We will then set up a meeting with you to discuss your needs and priorities, and generate a design brief.
We will then follow this up with more detailed specifications (including computer-generated visuals) and give you a detailed quote for the work. This will be followed by a pre-contract meeting to agree on not just the design but the whole timescale.
We will project-manage the whole works from start to finish, whether it’s a refurb of the existing space or a full refit.
