Building class A office space is one of the Scott Build team’s core capabilities. We enjoy partnering with our clients to create functional, beautiful spaces where employees are comfortable and productive. When your employees are in their groove, you are more likely to experience less turnover and more profitability.
From a design standpoint, the possibilities for the look of your class A office space are essentially limitless. But there are a few best practices when designing office space that we encourage all our clients to consider. Here’s a look at what works.
Give Employees Flexible Space, Not Open Space
Years ago, open offices were the top trend in office space design. One big room, hundreds of desks, employees on headsets, and nowhere to focus and get things done. Recent studies into worker productivity have shown that open offices actually decrease productivity and employee engagement while increasing absenteeism and turnover.
Instead of open office space, think flexible office space. Give your employees a dedicated workspace, but also places where they can collaborate with each other. We’ve seen our customers tuck sofas and chairs into corners to create gathering spaces and rooms with doors where employees can find a quiet environment if they’re working against a deadline. Think about the types of spaces your employees need to work productively, and make sure they’re in your building design.
Let There Be Light (and Air)
Employees are like plants—they need light and air to thrive. If you’re building ground-up new construction, you can incorporate lots of natural light and 10-foot ceilings into your building design. But if you’re leasing space, you may have more restrictions. In these cases, we can recommend lighting that will help your employees focus without causing eye strain, fatigue, and headaches. If you can, consider raising the ceiling height in your space, which encourages creativity.
Think Green and Blue
Believe it or not, the colors you add to your space have a big impact on the productivity of your team. Green is the color of creativity, while blue encourages productivity. Yellow adds joy, while red can help people pay attention to detail. While a crisp, white space may sound nice, a University of Texas study found white walls increased employee errors.
That said, you also want to consider the colors of your brand when designing your class A office space. Branding the environment your employees work in can help build a stronger corporate identity.
Turn Down the Noise
Ever notice how noisy it is in your favorite restaurant in the North Loop? It’s all thanks to the high, open ceilings of converted warehouse space. Offices—especially open offices—can be noisy places. This is especially true if you have open ceilings with lots of hard surfaces for sound to bounce off of. Overhearing dozens of conversations can be incredibly distracting for employees.
If you like the look of open ceilings, consider adding a sound masking system to your office design. These systems add white noise to the environment that covers up speech, making it unintelligible and thus easy to ignore. Sound masking systems are great for noisy offices with closed ceilings, too.
Designing class A office is a fun challenge that can have a big impact on the productivity of your employees and thus the success of your company. Scott Build is the Master Builder of class A office space. For more information on how we might partner with you, contact our team today.
