In this article we are looking at Kent and London office design ideas for 2021.
It’s the start of another year and for many thoughts turn to New Year resolutions and the changes they’d like to make moving forward, both personally and professionally. This includes the resolutions of many business owners looking to improve their current Kent or London office space.
You may be thinking, with the current pandemic in full swing, is this the best time to be making changes – we would argue that this is the ideal time to consider that office refurbishment you’ve been thinking about doing for some time but haven’t gotten around to. By carrying out an office refurbishment now you’ll be ready to hit the ground running when normality returns to the workplace.
Kent and London Office Design – Then and Now
Over the years Kent and London office design trends have changed considerably. From rigid, regimented office layout with desks evenly spaced in rows in the 1920s, to a more spacious and aesthetically pleasing office space with a mix of private offices and open plan workstations, encouraging more interaction between employees in the 1930s to grouping desks together and using foliage in the 1960s to the cubicle farm in the 1980s to today with more emphasis on the health and wellbeing of employees/workers.
Today’s office space is often more “activity based” and provides far greater flexibility in where and how an employee chooses to work. It also includes break out areas where employees can take a break from their desk just to relax or eat their lunch, meet with colleagues or clients or even hold meetings or brainstorming sessions.
Leisure areas purely for relaxation are also becoming the norm especially in larger companies e.g. to play table tennis, pacman, table football, get a massage etc. These areas allow employees to get away and unwind from the hustle and bustle of the main office area and enable them to go back to work refreshed and ready to tackle their latest big project.
“Biophilic” design has also been proven to play a major role in office designs as human beings are biologically drawn to nature so bringing elements of nature indoors helps improve mood and productivity. In 2020 the focus of office design was on the on the comfort and wellbeing of staff leading to happier and healthier staff who are more productive.
Modern Kent and London Office Design Trends For A New Year
So what will 2021 and beyond bring us in terms of Kent and London office design? Below we look at some of the likely trends for 2021.
Adaptability
Given where we find ourselves in 2021 adaptability will be key in Kent and London office design. It will be important to ensure that offices can move with the times and circumstances and adapt as required quickly and effectively without causing huge disruption. To this end here are a few design ideas which will help to ensure businesses office spaces are flexible.
Office furniture needs to be as light as possible and easily movable. Getting rid of heavy tables will be a must. Moving towards modular, multifunctional furniture that can be taken down and moved around as required will provide the much needed flexibility which will allow businesses to change their office layout as required.
Layouts should build in the ability to “social distance” easily and simply. Instead of retrofitting screens, office designs should look to incorporate multipurpose screen dividers which can offer flexibility and longevity e.g. living walls and plant wall dividers, storage walls, flexible partitioning and “write on” walls that can be used for brainstorming but can also be easily moved to where they are required.
Moving forward all businesses should look to incorporate the technology that allows their staff to work remotely when the situation demands it. Video conferencing technology should be at the fore front and key to maintaining good communication and collaboration with staff inside and outside the office. Office design should look to accommodate this technology in a way that makes it easy to use but isn’t obtrusive when it’s not being used.
Making the Office More Like Home – Resimercial Design
Many office design companies are looking to make the workplace feel more like “a home from home” by merging together the feel and look of “home” with the standard corporate look thereby moving Kent and London office design towards warm, bright colours, natural light and a more comfortable environment. This holistic approach towards engaging the whole person and not just the employee is also known as resimerical design.
Comfy furniture and cosy break out areas are also likely to become more favoured. If you can make staff feel comfortable in the workplace, given that we normally spend more hours at work than we do at home, then work becomes a place away from home where we can work at our best and be productive while being at ease in the environment.
Another way to make your office feel more like home is by allowing employee individuality. Allowing workers to personalise their workspace from photographs to letters and awards and artwork etc. your workspace is no longer “faceless” but has personality. This is also likely to make staff more involved in the office design and feel that their space is their own.
The Use Of Natural Elements
The use of nature and natural elements within the workplace will continue to play a major role in Kent and London office design in 2021. We know in part due to a number of studies which show that being able to view the outside from within an office helps with our connection to nature and as a result health and wellbeing can be greatly improved.
Given that most office builds do not normally incorporate natural elements we need to bring the outside inside through a range of ways e.g. natural wood flooring and furniture, natural fabrics like cotton, plants and foliage walls that can be used as dividers, natural light or light that mimics sunlight, the use of colours associated with nature e.g. greens, browns and yellows.
It’s interesting to note Pantone’s colours for 2021 include a vibrant yellow. Pantone describes the colours: “Pantone 13-0647 – Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power. Pantone 17-5104 – Ultimate Gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation. The colours of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time, Ultimate Gray quietly assures, encouraging feelings of composure, steadiness and resilience.”
How Can We Help?
JBH Refurbishments have over 30 years experience in Kent and London office design and refurbishments. To find out how e can help you refurbish your Kent or London office space to the highest standards contact us via our contact form or by calling us on 0333 207 0339.
