How a well-designed office can stimulate a collaborative environment

New office space, new room hire!

This year we made a few changes to our office culture, meaning we’re now more collaborative and have a real relaxed office environment. That means no more fixed seating plans, shared spaces and flexibility in where we work. This also means we can offer room hire to you in new ways than we have before.

Techniquest is evolving. In 2020 we’ll be unveiling our brand-new Science Capital, which will see 50 new exhibits and 60% more floor space. This new change is so exciting and gives us the opportunity to help make STEM accessible to everyone in Wales. The Science Capital has been a major dream of Techniquest and the team have spent hours-upon-hours planning what the new TQ will bring. Each department each has something different to add to our business strategy for 2020 and beyond, so it was really important we reassessed our office space and how we work.

We’re not just a commercial business. As a charity organisation it’s been really beneficial to have collaborative working across the team to get the best outcome for our organisation. This change has been nothing but positive and we’re proud to say we offer this working environment to all our employees.

New offerings. This new working space means we can offer room hire in new ways. Not only do we have standard meeting rooms available, but we can offer clients a unique, unmissable place to work; where their creative juices can really get flowing. Whether you decide to use our theatre space, our planetarium, or exhibit space; our venue allows for everyone to get involved, and what’s not great about that?

Bryony Shaw from Spectrum Interiors highlights 5 good reasons why a new office layout can benefit your team; –

1 . Fewer Barriers Can Allow for Greater Interaction and Collaboration

Years before, it was common for offices to have cubicles in which employees would sit behind their desks with temporary walls around them. That kind of partitioned work space would make its user feel isolated from the others around them as they worked.

The only way they could interact with their colleagues was by getting off their seat. This lack of interaction with others in the workspace could erode any feelings of teamwork amongst the employees. They would feel like they are lone workers who are part of a system that isn’t in their immediate field of vision.

Reducing barriers can change that perception. Office designs with fewer barriers between colleagues can allow for more interaction with each other, and it can result in better relationships between them. It is important to note, however, that some privacy is important as well. A Harvard research study showed that open-plan offices lowered the amount of in-person interaction amongst colleagues and increased the number of email chats.
What’s more, the quality of the discussions in the email threads was also poorer than the in-person ones in office spaces with more privacy. This doesn’t mean that barriers are a good thing; it’s just that there has to be a good balance between openness and privacy. Employees should have easier access to interacting with their colleagues but they should also have a space quiet enough to get significant work done.

2. Shared Spaces Can Result in Better Ideas

A workspace should include collaborative spaces in which discussion and noise is acceptable and encouraged. A space like this is good for bouncing ideas off of each other, and coming together to find a solution to a problem.

Shared spaces should have sufficient room for employees to sit, or stand comfortably when discussing their ideas with others. A tight and cramped space will do more harm than good because being in that space will bothersome. That can divert your attention away from productive thoughts.

3. Informal Meeting Rooms Help Employees Socialize

It is also a good idea to have informal meeting rooms in the workspace. It should be space where employees can interact and socialize with each other. They can get to know the people they’re work with better, and that can improve how they work with each other. Better relationships can lead to more effort put into collaborating with other colleagues.

4. A Pleasant Work-Environment Starts with Office Design

A good work-environment begins with a well-designed work space. A pleasant and calm working environment helps staff members to be comfortable and happy at work, which will help retain them.

It also will help attract potential employees to join the organization, and it can make them feel welcomed when they join. It will also help them integrated comfortably into a new work-environment.

If you’ve hired office refurbishment services, be sure that the on-going work disturbs employees as little as possible. This company’s office fit-out ensures that disturbance is kept to a minimum.

5. Breakout Rooms are Great for Collaborative and Individual Work

Having breakout rooms is a good way to allow employees to get away from their desks and continue their work on their laptops. Sitting in one spot the entire day can introduce monotony and inhibit your creativity. A change in scenery can help bring in new ideas through a fresh perspective.

It’s also good to have breakout rooms equipped with a projector so that staff members can use multimedia options when discussing a project or coming up with ideas for one.

The goal for offices is to maximize productivity, and that can be achieved through careful design that promotes interaction amongst colleagues. Greater collaboration can lead to better developed ideas because of multiple inputs. Hire an office design company that suits your needs and build an environment that will help you have productive and happy employees.

Techniquest’s new office layout means there’s now more room for collaborative working, a relaxed environment and even more room for hire space. We’ve taken all these hints & tips on board, and we’re really pleased we can offer such a space to anyone who needs to use it for their own place to work.

If you’d like to check out our new look or hire our space for your own projects, contact [email protected].