Designers must conceptualise innovative workspaces that create a unique identity, giving employees the ease within a work environment
As a concept, workplace design is more than 100 years old. Traditionally, office layouts were created on a strict hierarchical system, which led to social barriers and a lack of communication. This delineated the culture of the organisation, while also hampering productivity. With an average of 45-50 hours of work a week, employees spend a large chunk of their time at workplaces. This lays emphasis on the significance of designing workspaces with sufficient thought as it directly affects the employee’s health. Hence, it is imperative that office designs create a conducive environment so as to enhance employee efficiency. As pioneering entrepreneurs seek out large flexible workspaces within the evolving fabric of the city, it is crucial for architects and designers to conceptualise innovative workspaces that create unique identity, give users the requisite comfort and ease within work environment.
As Indian and global economies evolve and boundaries disappear, contemporary practices are keen on employing transparent and an adaptable environment to promote constructive dialogue and collaboration amidst employees while keeping pace with shifting trends in office design and reflecting the company’s ethos. Every workplace has its own requirements that standardised sizes and pre-conceived patterns cannot accommodate. Modern office spaces vary in size and layout, and often the availability of furniture dictates office design when it really should be the other way around. In a world full of static workplaces, recognising the need for more interpersonal relationships, an environment of free discourse and communication of ideas is vital. Dissolving hierarchical segregations to accommodate a transparent infrastructure is an integral factor in designing these spaces. Disregarding traditional notions of professional hierarchy and encouraging democratic engagement within the workforce reinforces work culture and instigates productive discussions. Responsive workspace designs, that balance the physical and social infrastructure, not only instill a sense of place but also nurture community-building and teamwork. Contemporary workspaces are about efficiency, mobility and flexibility. Open plans are economically efficient, flexible and boost coordination. Ditching closed cabins in favour of open plans not only reflects an egalitarian structure but also overcomes physical metaphors of authoritarianism, thereby, fostering collaboration and conversation. The relaxed environment of such arrangements results in an engaging workplace that channels exchange of ideas.
In an environmentally progressive world, designers must focus on crafting working spaces that promote good health and well-being. This can be done through ‘biophilic’ design strategies. Biophilia theory implies that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other life forms. These deep affiliations are rooted in biology. A biophilic design tries to keep human beings and their relationships with the environment at heart. Integrating outdoors with the built form and bringing air, light and greens inside facilitate human interaction with the outside environment.
With 70 per cent of one’s day spent in office, a stressful environment is induced by boxy, commercialised infrastructure, undermining one’s social conditions. In the midst of planning and designing an office layout, tangential components of design such as lighting schemes are often overlooked. A good illumination scheme is crucial in sustaining personal health, ultimately steering motivation and production. Lighting structures are a vital part of visual ergonomics and perceptions and shape workplace productivity. Natural light protects vision, boosts concentration and creates healthy working conditions. Poor and misplaced lighting can cause visual discomfort, fatigue and gloominess. Combining effective daylight harvesting with efficient artificial lighting constructs an optimal illumination system. Natural light, if supplemented with strategically placed and adequately numbered table lights, floor lamps and ceiling fixtures, can uplift aesthetics and yield positive outcomes. A well-lit, illuminated office, deployed with adequate lighting levels, that are strategically calculated and arranged, enhances the visual appeal of a space, while augmenting optimal efficiency of the employees.
Workplace design as a concept is constantly evolving with the onset of the start-up and dotcom era. There is a paradigm shift in the composition of workplaces, especially for the younger generation with regard to the spaces representing ideology, social status, work ethic and lifestyle choices. This emphasises the significance of treating social spaces as premeditated design standards than just an extension of spare areas. These ideologies, if deployed effectively, compose inclusive designs that tend to the well-being and productivity of its employees,
(The writer is associated with a leading interior designing firm)