Flexible office space is trending in the world of corporate office design. But what is it?
Flexible office space, or “flexispace” or “flexspace”, is about creating many different kinds of workspaces within the same office building. This allows teams and individuals the flexibility to move throughout the office space and find the most suitable environment to work on their projects throughout the day.
Flexible design can be found in all kinds of offices, from traditional corporate companies to coworking spaces.
What Areas Can You Find In a Flexible Office Space?
Open plan seating is often at the heart of flexible office spaces. Workers might have a designated desk in this area, especially if they have desktop computers or need physical storage space. Workers with laptops might prefer not to have a designated desk so they have more seating options, but even those with designated desk space aren’t bound to their desks.
You can have many kinds of seating just in this open plan area. Traditional desks are good, but so are long rows of tables, round tables, booths, and more.
Breakout or meeting rooms are also common in flexible office spaces, allowing teams to work together without bothering people in the open plan area. Having rooms of multiple sizes allows teams to pick a space that suits them well, without feeling crowded into a room that’s too small or echoing in a room that’s too big.
Audio/visual equipment and whiteboards are common features in meeting rooms to facilitate planning and collaboration. There might also be even smaller rooms for individuals to use on their own to take phone or video calls.
Lounge areas are popular too. Lounges can be quiet work areas or social break rooms. Either way, their comfortable seating will attract many people to use the space.
It’s important to have areas of varying volume in a flexible office space. Open plan areas will naturally have ambient noise, and collaborative areas will be louder. Some people will work better in quiet environments, though, so having quiet work areas is a must.
Consider ways to keep the noise down in certain areas. Wood, tile, and concrete floors will echo sound, while carpet and rugs will dampen noise. Felt panels or corkboards can be added to the walls to help absorb noise while providing places to post flyers and news. You can also add soundproofing or sound-absorbing panels to walls to cut down on noise while adding geometric visual interest.
What Are The Benefits of Flexible Office Space?
- Having common areas in a flexible office space like breakrooms and kitchens and amenities like printing areas be shared between departments can help improve the unity of an organization and encourage collaboration.
- Rearranging your office space is a great time to redecorate. People appreciate a well-decorated office, and careful design can make your office cohesive with your brand image and company culture.
- Finally, flexible office spaces give people the ability to pick and choose the workspace that suits their work style the best, increasing each individual’s productivity and the productivity of the company overall.