Today’s workplaces need to support far more than desk-based work. Employees
move between focused tasks, meetings, video calls, collaboration and informal
conversations throughout the day.
That is why office breakout areas have become such an important part of modern workplace design. Rather than replacing traditional meeting rooms, breakout spaces give employees more choice over how and where they work.
What Is an Office Breakout Area?
An office breakout area is a space away from an employee’s main workstation that can be used for informal meetings, collaboration, individual work or simply taking a short break. Unlike a traditional meeting room, a breakout space does not necessarily need four walls and a door.
It might include:
- Soft seating
- Meeting booths
- Café-style tables
- Acoustic screens
- Collaborative tables
- Banquette seating
The key is that the space has been designed with a clear purpose. Simply adding a sofa to the corner of an office does not automatically create an effective breakout space. Furniture, acoustics, lighting and location all need to work together.
Breakout Spaces vs Meeting Rooms
Traditional meeting rooms still play an important role in the workplace. Client meetings, presentations, interviews and confidential conversations often require a private, enclosed environment.
However, not every conversation needs a meeting room. A ten-minute discussion between two colleagues, a quick brainstorming session or an informal catch-up can often take place more effectively within a breakout area. By combining formal meeting spaces with flexible breakout areas, businesses can create a workplace that supports different types of activity without relying on meeting rooms for every conversation.
Why Are Office Breakout Areas Important?
One of the biggest benefits of breakout spaces is flexibility.
Employees do not work in exactly the same way throughout the day, so the
workplace should not expect them to use the same type of space for every task.
Well-designed breakout areas can help:
Encourage Collaboration
Informal conversations can often lead to useful ideas and quicker decision making. Providing dedicated collaborative spaces gives teams somewhere to
work together without disturbing colleagues at nearby desks.
Make Better Use of Meeting Rooms
Meeting rooms are valuable, particularly when privacy is required. Providing smaller breakout spaces, meeting booths and collaborative areas can help reduce unnecessary pressure on larger meeting rooms.
Give Employees More Choice
Sometimes employees need a desk and two screens. Sometimes they need a quiet booth. Sometimes they need somewhere comfortable to sit with a colleague and talk through an idea. A good workplace provides different spaces for different tasks.
What Makes a Good Breakout Space?
The Right Furniture
The furniture should reflect how the space will be used. Soft seating can work well for informal discussions, while collaborative tables may be more appropriate for teams using laptops or working through ideas together.
Meeting booths and pods can also provide additional privacy without the need
for a fully enclosed meeting room.
Good Acoustics
Noise can quickly become a problem in open-plan environments. Acoustic panels, screens, booths and carefully positioned furniture can help create separation between collaborative spaces and quieter working areas.
The Right Location
Where a breakout space is positioned matters. An active collaboration area placed next to a quiet working zone is unlikely to work well. Effective space planning considers how people move through the office and how different areas interact with each other.
Do Offices Still Need Meeting Rooms?
Yes!
The aim is not to replace meeting rooms, but to create the right balance.
A modern workplace might include:
- Formal meeting rooms
- Smaller meeting rooms
- Meeting booths and pods
- Office breakout areas
- Quiet working spaces
- Collaborative zones
The right combination will be different for every business. A company that regularly hosts client meetings will have different requirements from a team that spends most of its time collaborating internally. That is why good workplace design starts with understanding how the business operates.
At CID Workspace, we design workplaces around the individual requirements of each business. From space planning and interior design through to office refurbishment, furniture and fit-out, every element is considered as part of the wider workplace.Whether that means creating a new breakout area, adding smaller meeting spaces or completely rethinking an existing office layout, the starting point should always be the same: understanding what your people need from the space.
If you are considering an office refurbishment or want to make better use of your existing workplace, CID Workspace can help you explore the options.
Get in touch with CID Workspace to discuss your office design, refurbishment or fit-out project.
Let’s Talk: Book Your Free Survey
Whether you’re looking to refresh a tired waiting area or completely reconfigure your surgery, CID Spaces is here to help. Our healthcare refurbishment experts are ready to visit your site, discuss your goals, and prepare a bespoke proposal.
Who We Are
We are a team of highly skilled individuals who are passionate about designing and building better working environments in offices, schools and warehouses. We are based in Sussex and work throughout London and the South.
At CID we e have a team of designers, estimators and project managers who have the capability with the help of tried and tested sub contractors to run your fit-out or refurbishment project no matter the scale. In an industry of vast faceless corporations we can offer you a personal bespoke service from the initial design stages through building works to completion. We strive to give our customers a design led, stress free, reliable and cost effective service, that’s why a large percentage of our business is made up of happy returning clients.
Hear from our happy customers
Our Featured Projects
Blue Helix Office Refurbishment | Crawley
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Chaotic | Redhill
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Insurance Company | East Grinstead
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These businesses have unique specialisms, from exotic fruits and vegetables to ready meals and wholesale distribution. Our role has been to create spaces that not only reflect the identity of each company but also provide the functionality needed to support their operations. By understanding the specific needs of each client, we’ve been able to design workspaces that align with their niche and business goals.
