With employee retention being the driving force in business today, the goal is to create a more work friendly environment. An encouraging byproduct of this mind set is that we are seeing the average rentable area per employee decrease from approximately 250 rentable square feet to approximately 200 rentable square feet – a twenty percent (20%) reduction!
Coming up with a strategy for your organization that will meet your short and long term goals involves identifying the desired culture of the company, for both today and tomorrow.
Here is a list of current trends to consider for your facility and how it relates to the culture of your company:
*Trends away from high panel cubicles to just above desk height.
*Consider stand up workstations for some areas to increase productivity.
*Create collaboration pods and huddle areas.
*Build break rooms that are open to the work space and located on window lines.
*Include the “Hotel Cube” concept: multiple employees share a cubicle on alternative days.
*Move management away from private offices and into cubicles.
*Construct internal offices to allow the natural light from exterior windows to permeate the work space.
Studies have shown culture is affected by the design and layout of a company’s office space. We are seeing drastic changes in the working environment including fabrication of hard walls, conference rooms, kitchens, millwork, and reception area’s by a manufacturer called DIRTT. DIRTT stands for Doing It Right This Time. DIRTT Systems are the leading provider of pre-engineered, pre-manufactured, esthetic, functional and durable systems. DIRTT products incorporate unique design throughout the workspace while also leaving the space flexible and adaptable as changes arise in the future. Furthermore, the expense of the DIRTT system carries through to the tenants books and in the event the tenant relocates at the end of the term, all materials can be relocated to the next location. The DIRTT systems are more expensive up front than typical framing and drywall construction, but with the expedited assemble/lead times and flexibility for modifications in the future, the benefits far outweigh the front-end expenses.
via How Space Planning has changed the working environment | Cresa San Diego Blog.
How Space Planning has changed the working environment
