What Makes a Great Collaboration Space?

From the boardroom to the break-room, most workplaces have spaces designed to help employees communicate and collaborate. These areas need to look and feel different to the standard open plan office, to help you draw the best out of your teams – so let’s take a look at some of the components that make up a great collaborative space.

Soft Furnishings

Breaking away from the desk for a meeting is obviously about trying to come up with critical new ideas or resolve problems, however it also gives people a bit of much needed breathing space – a new environment and a chance to look at things in a new light.

This is a great way to stimulate the mind, and using soft furnishings can easily reinforce the idea that this is a different type of working area. Best of all, soft seating can be every bit as formal looking as a more conventional office chair, so a professional workplace doesn’t have to compromise on that authoritative atmosphere to embrace modern working ideas.

Recharge Station

Much of the British workforce is powered by caffeine, so having some simple drinks making facilities set up in a communal working area rather than hidden away in the kitchen can give a much needed energy boost.

It also can help people who are nervous about sharing their ideas – a casual conversation over a coffee, with a prop like a kettle or a mug to hide behind, can help more introverted employees get involved with the conversation and leave you with more minds to work from.

Short on Space? Try a Pod

If you really don’t have room for a big breakout area that’s okay: you can do it all with one of our impressively compact pods. The dividing wall that keeps them enclosed is essential, since it gives people some privacy whether in a prearranged meeting or an on-the-fly discussion.

They also ensure that your office boasts a chic, modern style which is perfect when a client pays a visit: while taking them into the boardroom is a good way to flex your muscles, a more casual conversation in a stylish pod is good for demonstrating that you’re an energetic and innovative firm.

Take a look at this recent example of our work to see how Officescape can bring all of these choices together to create a productive and professional space for collaboration.

We would love to chat with you about your company’s needs for office space planning in London, so just pick up the phone and give us a call at 01553 811 833. You can also contact us online, via our enquiry form or over Facebook and Twitter.