Turning Underutilized Office Spaces into Creative and Collaborative Respites for Employees

by Gary Badge and Amanda Velazquez

A healthy work environment promotes creativity, motivation, and team-building. While 2020 was a year for the ages, we all reacted to a radically changing world and saw this time as an opportunity to grow and strategize for the future. As employees return to work, companies have to rethink their office layout and design to support a hybrid environment while providing physical distancing without compromising people’s productivity and wellbeing.

Trend forecasters cite video conferencing, virtual reality, and decorative touches associated with comfortable furnishings—particularly in breakout spaces, will be at the forefront of design. Here are some ideas to incorporate into your office based on the FK Design Lounge we created for our employees.

Capitalize on Underutilized Space

At FK Architecture, we focused on proactive tactics to navigate the challenges of the time and lay the groundwork for what our future will become. We knew we had to operate efficiently and collaboratively, as we have a focused goal to be invaluable to our clients. As we identified areas that strengthen our position for the future, we recognized our employees remained the beating heart of the organization.

Looking within our own company, we found underutilized space in our office to create the ultimate employee experience. This space was reconfigured to provide all the tools our staff needs to explore their creative impulses.

We can now host internal and external meetings, explore new technologies such as virtual reality, collaborate with our teams, dine together, relax together, and invite our clients and friends to share our spirit for the creative. This space houses all the latest gadgetry for any audio-visual need as well as socializing. We are incredibly proud of the lounge and already use it frequently.

Bring in the Sense of Home

Since many employees are now used to working from home, it is essential to incorporate a sense of “home” in the office. This can be done by incorporating residential elements such as comfortable sofas and chairs, soft lighting features in shared spaces, and artwork displayed throughout the office. For instance, we combined our company colors and comfortable furniture with colored pillows to help employees feel more comfortable and cheerful. Employers may also consider green walls, natural gardens, plant displays fixed to interior walls, and indoor micro gardens. If your space does not have much lighting, incorporating greenery helps to add some nature and bring in the outdoors. Additionally, plants have numerous health benefits.

Incorporate Art to Showcase Company Culture

 We are seeing clients incorporate wallcoverings into their spaces which showcase their culture. Art is also an essential element for boosting morale and feeding the soul of any company. To complete our FK Design Lounge, we commissioned Stephanie Hunton, who is studying illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design, to paint an 8 x 12-foot seascape mural designed with geometric shapes and incorporating the room’s contemporary color scheme and patterns. The vision of the artist and the piece pulls the entire design aesthetic together through art. The idea of the seascape came from Stephanie’s imagination. She played around with several thumbnail ideas before starting the painting.

With Stephanie’s mural as our centerpiece, FK Design Lounge allows us to relax, innovate, and see Stephanie’s great work. In many ways, this space is a home away from home for our hardworking people. Like an ideal home, we want our office to be a comfortable space that is enjoyable and reflects our culture.

Creating a unique interior space and redesigning your office is an exciting step. Defining underutilized spaces, bringing the outdoors in, and showcasing company culture are crucial future design elements for a healthy work environment.

Gary Badge is a managing principal at FK Architecture. He may be reached at garyb@fkcompanies.com.

Amanda Velazquez is a project designer at FK Architecture. She may be reached at amandav@fkcompanies.com.