The new year is upon us and we at Building Interiors, in anticipation, have put our collective thinking hats on and made some predictions of the key trends that will emerge and transform office spaces throughout 2015.
Gone are the days of functional and utilitarian offices. Companies are now beginning to invest heavily in office design in order to attract the cream of the crop employees and to get the best out of their workforce. This means that in 2015 we will see a shift away from conventional office spaces and more towards creative workspaces that harness space, colour and technology to create areas which inspire workforces, increase productivity and promote interaction amongst employees.
In keeping with the design shift will be the focus on creating spaces that inspire and motivate employees. This means that we will see an increase in office solutions that reduce distractions and stress using tools such as booths, noise cancellation screens and acoustic pods.
Another key trend that will emerge in 2015 is the maximisation of minimalist designs. As advancements in technology such as wireless and tablets that have led to the de-cluttering of workstations, office design, interiors and furniture will begin to reflect this trend and we will see an onset of clean, streamlined office spaces and hot desk areas that are minimalist in design.
For office furniture this will manifest itself in firms waving goodbye to wave desks and saying hello to clean lines. Workstations will become more compact and desks will decrease from 800 to 700 deep and desk screens will be replaced with panels to increase the clean aesthetic and to develop communication.
In line with the move to minimalist design, a trend that appeared in 2014 that will continue throughout 2015 is the move away from traditional portholes for wires to scallops which de-clutter workstations for neat and productive areas that are more in line with the central flat screens we now use.
2015 will definitely see the influx of sit/stand workstations, essentially adjustable desks that can be altered to either a standing height or a seated height. The idea being that they will be beneficial from both an ergonomic and communicative perspective. Also, the promote activity at your desk which makes you more productive and motivated.
Sit/stand workstations can be powered adjusted by means of either gas springs or electrically. A key development that we will follow and report on is the advantages and disadvantages of both means and which one will be the most successful (we predict electric!).
Our final prediction is the removal of individual desks for benches. Benches provide a more intimate environment encouraging communication but also provide a clean aesthetic to the office interior and the removal of legs means that space is utilised greater with three, four or more able to sit at a bench.