Should you be introducing residential elements into your commercial design?
Do you remember the coronavirus pandemic? I thought you might. We all rapidly became comfortable with working from home, our daily commute reduced to a few bleary-eyed steps into our living rooms and comfy loungewear became our workwear. Globally it was definitely the worst of times… but for the working population was it the best of times? Working from home has a long list of appealing qualities. As a commercial refurbishment and fit-out company in 2020 we thought we might be witnessing the death of offices altogether. Fortunately for our business that was not the case but there have certainly been some changes to the way workplaces look.
Much has been discussed and written about the benefits of working from home versus going to work. Some big names made radical changes to their policies when the pandemic hit. Twitter announced that staff could ‘work from home forever.’ They didn’t predict that the company would be sold two years later to Elon Musk, the Tesla billionaire, who famously emailed staff, “Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla.” Where and how people work is a hot topic and something companies are keen to ‘get right’ both in terms of staff retention, morale and productivity.
Ultimately, we’ve noticed most companies offering a hybrid approach in the post -pandemic hangover period. Most office workers will be ‘in’ at some point each week and many organizations are moving towards increasing hours now it is safe to do so. This is where the ‘resi-mercial’ design trend fits in. The trend existed long before the virus but Covid has helped generate popularity for the look. Companies have realized that to tempt employees away from their sofas and back onto their operator chairs they need to make the office environment more appealing. Introducing some of the comforts of home and popularizing the idea that going to work is sociable and even fun is key.
Managers are finding their youngest and newest employees may never have met their colleagues in person. Encouraging workers to build interpersonal relationships and absorb the company culture is one area they are keen to address. Space to interact, breakout areas and open plan desking help promote team working and collaboration. Coffee bars with soft seating and ambient lighting remind staff that punctuating your working day with a hot drink and chat is beneficial for your wellbeing. It feels human compared to the loneliness of being plugged in and screen staring for 8 hours a day.
Introducing traditionally residential elements is integral to resi-mercial design. It helps to move away from a stark and off-putting office environment. Lamps, cushions, blankets, and rugs soften the sharpness. Making your office feel more like a quirky coffee shop or a fun sports bar complete with fussball tables or retro arcade games should appeal to your Gen Z-ers. Drinks fridges filled with bottles of Youtuber Logan Paul’s new electrolyte infused soft drink Prime might be a step too far, but we’ll leave that for you to decide.
If the prospect of making your office look less like an office appeals and you want to bridge the gap between working from home there is a plethora of ways to achieve the resi-mercial look. Let’s get your staff excited about ‘coming in’.
