by Jeff Knoll
The last two and a half years have been harrowing for many, but with countless employees having grown accustomed to working from home, workplace design experts are looking at new ways to incorporate the comforts of home into the office. Termed “resimercial” design, the growing trend to introduce elements inspired by residential design into the commercial workplace, is accelerating at hyperspeed following the return to work amid the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Photos courtesy of Ted Moudis Associates
While the workforce shifts and many return to in-person environments, finding innovative ways to support the transition back to the office and make employees comfortable is paramount. Rather than the cold and stark atmosphere workers have come to expect from the typical corporate office, offering modern luxuries and diversity of choice in terms of where and how they work will ensure they are equipped to succeed as they adjust to the new normalcy.
When working from home, employees are afforded the freedom and flexibility to perform their tasks in a variety of ways. Whether sitting at a desk for heads down, intensive
work, relaxing on a sofa while taking a conference call, or being able to eat and work at their dining room table, the opportunity to control and adjust their workstyle in a given moment is what they have come to enjoy. The same can be said for expanded work/life balance. While at home, team members can take a walk and decompress when needed as well as accomplish chores around the house in between spurts of productivity. Taking that into consideration, workplaces are being adapted to accommodate diverse ways of completing tasks to support the desire for flexibility. Examples of this include benching, Zoom conferencing rooms, huddle rooms, working cafés and relaxation rooms.
Knowing that comfortable employees are usually happier, more productive and more creative, resimercial design’s main goal is to create a workplace that is welcoming and flexible. As such, this emerging trend encourages workplace designers to integrate resimercial design elements into the workplace such as comfortable seating, a variety of lighting options, flexible spaces and accessories that help us find the right balance between comfort and productivity. Examples of this in action can be as simple as taking the time to consider the seat height of a banquette at a working café or considering the firmness of a sofa to ensure comfort for prolonged use.
Key Design Considerations
Offices with resimercial influence should be designed to maximize comfort and ease of use for its working inhabitants. Taking advantage of the available windows and views as well as incorporating biophilic design into the process is a great way to start replicating the sensations of the natural world and contributing to an environment that significantly encourages productivity. The use of plants and green walls, natural materials as well as patterns of light and shadow to replicate light streaming through trees are a few examples of biophilia in action. When leveraging comfort, workplace designers don’t just mean more luxurious chairs and wood walls, but also provide adequate privacy that enables workers to have confidential conversations with colleagues, a quiet space to focus and the ability to take a personal call when needed. Workplaces that provide huddle rooms with soft communal furnishings, quiet rooms with ‘library etiquette’ to focus, and phone rooms for private personal conversations are some ways this tactic can be achieved.
Lighting is another key factor to consider when developing resimercial-inspired spaces. The level and quality of the lighting in our homes have tremendous influence in setting tone, creating ambiance and providing comfort. In the workplace, studies show that our productivity is directly linked to lighting. Consequently, providing open work areas flooded with natural daylight or creating the sensation of natural daylight in spaces without access through lighting options will maximize this phenomenon. Other examples include daylight harvesting, adjusting the temperature of light fixtures, having the ability to dim lights, and being able to control one’s lighting to suit the individual’s needs. Diversity of lighting design throughout a space (bright, dim, direct, indirect, cove, task, etc.) are all as equally important as the diversity of workspaces.
Finding the Proper Balance
Understandably, there are no universal solutions to resimercial design when it comes to selecting materials, colors and textures that accomplish the goals of the organization. The team’s varying personal experiences and references all impact their associations with materials. For example, a particular shade of green may remind one client of a cozy lodge while it may reference grandmother’s stuffy home to another. For some companies, deep saturated colors feel comfortable while others prefer neutral, monochromatic tones that provide more warmth. That being said, how a fabric feels and how a piece of furniture ‘sits’ is important to everyone regardless of the differences, so giving clients the opportunity to test and feel their options is essential.
When merging residential and commercial design styles, one of the most important aspects to consider is that the office still has to function primarily as a workplace. Any residential aspects of design that are incorporated into the office must be flexible enough to be comfortable, but also satisfy ergonomic needs for long-term use and integration of technology. Naturally, other crucial qualities to examine are the durability and cleanliness of the features and furnishings. There is a fine balance to strike because everyone wants the warmth, softness, and comfort of residential finishes and furnishings, but employees recognize that it is a shared space and that their coworkers will likewise use those furnishings. Additionally, clients want a space that is welcoming and inviting, but an obvious “living room look” is typically considered an unwise design choice.
Resimercial design goes beyond just physical attributes. Creating an authentic space that accommodates the direct needs of its occupants is the epitome of residential-inspired design for the workplace. Workplace designers should strive to create experiences that help the workforce readjust to the office and feel comfortable and welcomed after a long stint with at-home jobs. As the world learns to navigate a new sense of normalcy, resimercial design could be the answer to many of those concerns.
Jeff Knoll, studio design principal at Ted Moudis Associates, possesses over 25 years of experience in interior design. He approaches his designs holistically – incorporating workplace strategy, branding, biophilia, and technology. His designs are rooted in the workplace with a focus on the human experience. He prides himself on creating designs that “feel like a place people want to be.”