November 13, 2015

5 Philadelphia Office Design Ideas to Promote a Collaborative Work Culture

It usually takes more than one person to take a project to fruition. Because of this, collaborative spaces have become increasingly popular, allowing everyone assigned to a project to work together, exchange ideas openly, and accomplish big goals quickly and efficiently. If your office is one that thrives on group work, here are five ideas from Philadelphia office designs to promote a collaborative work culture:
1. Bring in lots of tables, both big and small.
Individual desks make it nearly impossible to work with a partner, let alone an entire team. You need a large table with plenty of seating for coworkers to sit together and hash out ideas. Should multiple projects be going on at the same time, there should also be enough tables in your office to accommodate several groups.
2. Build small gathering spaces, not just large conference rooms.
Conference rooms are great for those big meetings, but smaller rooms are ideal for the group projects that need privacy and quiet, but not as much space. The great thing about these smaller huddle areas is that you won’t have to worry about the noise distracting others that are working on individual projects.
Here’s an idea: Use glass windows and panels to create these spaces in place of traditional walls. Even though people can close a door and be in a separate room, they’ll still feel like they are part of the entire team because they can still see everyone.
3. Place couches or tables with chairs in under-used areas of the office.
You may be surprised just how many places in your office could be an additional collaborative space. Why waste that square footage when you can repurpose it as a spot for employees to chat or work? Even your lobby could be a spot where you add extra seating for employees, guests and clients to gather.
4. Let storage solutions double as meeting spots.
With the addition of a table top, filing cabinets can be arranged in a way that makes it not only a storage unit, but also a high top that serves as a counter for employees to gather around and have quick meetings. When you think outside of the box, the possibilities for co-working spaces increase significantly.
5. Don’t let the collaboration stations stop at the break room.
Bring in tables, wifi, and outlets to your break room to encourage people to take their lunch and coffee breaks in the office instead of outside of the office. And don’t forget to design the room to be a space employees want to be in. As more and more employees stick around the office they will likely continue discussing work, and this could lead to brainstorming sessions and breakthroughs that might not have happened otherwise.
After reading this list, did you come up with a new thought for your Philadelphia office design? If so, give our team a call today and let us help you create a new and exciting collaborative work space.
Not sure where to start? CLICK HERE for a free consultation.