Workplace Designs are being discussed and emphasized upon, on a much higher note than usual. Given the distresses caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic, corporate areas like workplace designs are becoming more popular, in terms of both discussion, and strategic changes.
If we go two or three years back, employees or candidates were largely impressed by large and spacious workspaces, with focus on infrastructural quality and ambience. While that may still be the case today, but a shift in the mindsets of top talent and the corporate sector has been observed. Workplace design trends are being reconsidered to suit the needs of today’s dynamic and fast-paced environment, characterized by co-working spaces, hybrid work structures, remote working, office relocations, and vice versa.
Global events lead towards global changes, and the Covid-19 pandemic is no different. With organizations shifting towards hybrid work, there will be major design changes, and workplace design obstacles that the companies and businesses would need to face. Having said that, we are going to shed light on five major workplace design trends that you need to know for 2022, to accommodate and foster an environment of growth, empowerment, and diversity, for employees.
1. Home Comforts Brought To Offices
Since staff and employees have become accustomed to working remotely and in their homes, it is equally difficult to accommodate the needs of employees, upon their full-time return to physical office routines, even if it's hybrid. With that being said, in 2022, organizations should, and will, focus on providing home-based amenities to their employees. Small efforts like soft carpeting and cushioning, cozy seats, and maybe even sleeping pods like Google, will make employees get comfortable on getting back to routine.
2. Optimizing Noise Control
Another design trend that will follow route in 2022, will be partial or fully sound-proof offices, to help employees focus on their work in a better manner. Working at the luxury of homes also means that the employees will be accustomed to less noise than their previous usual. Here, fixtures and fittings, including the surface will also play a significant role. Sound optimization may be achieved through state-of-the-art flooring, with soft touch response, carpeting and cushioning, isolating collaborative rooms, and similar methods.
3. Transparency As a Necessity
This workplace design trend may be considered as an intangible factor or element. One that will dominate the workplace design trend in 2022. Employees, given how devastating the Coronavirus pandemic was, will be focused on health and safety, now, more than ever. This means that they will need to make that the equipment and the materials of the workplace are made safely. Therefore, organizations and companies, in 2022, will be transparent about their workplaces and the materials that they’re using, including sanitization mechanisms, to accommodate an environment of health and safety for the employees.
4. Prioritizing Fractal Office Designs
The structural pattern of elements and the nature itself, which the human eye finds soothing, are considered to fractals. In 2022, Fractal Office Designs will become more popular, making it one the more important workplace design trends in 2022. It is scientifically proven that fractal designs immediately soothe human beings. Incorporating stress relieving mechanisms through workplace design will become more common, as employees would welcome such a change, both consciously, and subconsciously.
5. Productivity Through Flexible Office Space
One of the most important workplace design trends of 2022 would be to incorporate flexibility and freedom in offices for employees. Working from home or remote working caused employees to become comfortable, in a way that they felt freedom in working, allowing them to gauge a better concept towards flexibility in workplace. Having to work from the luxury of their homes, employees are likely to become more flexible and liberal, hence, demanding for a workplace that they feel empowered at. Options like unassigned desks, cafés, formal conference rooms, and relaxed gathering spaces will give more freedom to the employees, which is why companies will try to incorporate this workplace design trend in 2022.
Conclusion
Workplace design trends will continue to innovate further in 2022, with more focus on quality, instead of quantity. In short, the workplace design trends of 2022, will follow a structure that will keep employees engaged and productive.
Sleep pod, credit: Sellon Kirjasto/Flickr
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