The secrets to making the office truly productive

First rule: create an environment that is relaxed, energetic and as unconventional as possible. And then the office completely changes face. And it’s not just a question of aesthetics but also, and above all, of productivity. In fact, the results of IWG’s annual Global Workspace Survey revealed that 65% of people believe that being able to customize their workspace makes them more productive.

In recent years, offices have changed, but first and foremost the way in which they are designed has changed,” explains Franco Comelli, founder and head of Arredoufficio. Offices are experienced by people and it is from them that we professionals must start to rethink spaces. Today, the office must be pleasant, functional and productive, and must be designed with the needs of the people who live in it in mind”.

The office has in fact changed. Not only from the point of view of design and architecture but above all as a place and space of life no longer linked to the individual but to projects and collaboration between individuals. Spaces are designed and conceived according to the activities and needs of workers. Spaces that must be efficient, comfortable and able to stimulate fruitful cooperation between employees.

These aspects are represented by different worksetting, such as the organization of the work area in flexible open spaces, the integration with hybrid, multifunctional and relaxation spaces, the addition of phone booths for phone calls, videoconferences or focus work, the discreet integration of technology in the furniture elements for a rapid connection and a constant exchange of information.

Space Planning, a new way of designing spaces

With “space planning” we mean the organization of office space. Ergo, thinking about the design and construction of an office, according to the real work activities that will take place within it. And it is the task of the Space Planner to start from a careful analysis of the organization, flows and needs of the company, to study the best solutions to stimulate cooperation, improve efficiency and allow the company to increase its performance and allow each employee to express their full potential. The result will be a project that, studied down to the smallest detail, will achieve all the objectives and reflect the overall concept of the working environment to the fullest.

Make way for shared areas

The office of the present, and of the future, finds in shared spaces the ideal places for sharing ideas, topics and relaxation. All facilitated by technology: applications, cloud computing, computer systems that indicate which meeting room is free and where colleagues are.

A touch of green in the office

A study from the University of Exeter found that employees have better perceptions about air quality, level of concentration, and level of satisfaction with their work environment when they bring some nature into the office. Not only that, they have also seen that the presence of “green” elements can increase productivity by 15%. Harvard University, on the other hand, revealed that indoor spaces that have a higher-than-average quality, thanks in part to the presence of plants, double workers’ cognitive performance. Among other things, green corners are also good for health: they decrease indoor pollution (some species), reduce visual fatigue, lower the risk of developing headaches, and relax.