Top Office Common Space Design Principles and Tips

The greatest workspace has the best office common space design. Common space is a must since it makes a perfect area for employees to spend free time. Nowadays, there is no more rigid cubicle or a structural floor plan. Modern office design values collaborative environment better.

An office design that promotes collaboration is more valued because it can improve productivity and many other benefits. For this reason, employing a common area to deliver welcoming and productive spaces for employees is becoming a focus of many business leaders these days. But, how can we design an excellent common area?

Luckily, there are lots of ways to accomplish the goal. If you don’t know where to start, we have put together some essential information below. Read on to learn some office common space design principles and tips that we have got so far. Without further ado, let’s check them out!

Principles for Designing Office Common Space

A few principles are necessary to keep in mind when you are planning out an office common area. First, vittles are fundamental. Foosball is a fun perk, but coffee is necessary. If your main common area doesn’t provide easy access to a dependable coffee maker, it won’t be great.

In bigger companies, a little café completed with teas, espresso drinks, and pastries will become everyone’s favorite common area. Second, you probably need to employ a mixed or reconfigurable space. This office common space design principle allows you to make the room dynamic and let employees switch the use easily.

Next, it is a good idea to put your conference room in the common area. It has been a trend in many modern offices today. You can design a glass-walled conference room in the middle of a busy traffic to deal with the soporific effect of a meeting.

In the end, keep in mind that your employees are the ones utilizing the area and they know what they want. You probably want to consider your company’s goal, but it doesn’t mean you overlook the employee’s opinion. Some great office common space design is created based on the employee’s needs and passions.

Great Additions to Common Space

Then, what should we include in our office common space? Several key items can take your employee’s common space to the next level. If you don’t have any idea, ask your employees about what they like to see in the common space. Or you can use our recommendations below.

• Office library

Introduce learning and development to your business by incorporating a bookshelf or private library to the common space. Your employees tend to search for something to do during their lunch break, why don’t you give them a chance to learn something new in a fun way?

• Snack bar

Many ideas of an office common space design include a snack or coffee bar in it. To promote a healthy lifestyle, you can pack your snack bar with healthy foods and beverages. Offering free snacks to employees is not only a great perk, but it can help them stay productive as well.

• Quiet rooms

Not everyone loves to socialize on their breaks. You can try incorporating a quiet room to the office common space, so introverted employees can take a relaxing rest and recharge. Make it into a room which delivers a peaceful atmosphere to help your employees handle their stress.

Some other additions are available. You can also add workout equipment in your common area. Since regular exercise offers lots of benefits, add workout equipment into your office common space design will be amazing. You can bring treadmills, pull-up bars, medicine balls, and yoga mats.

Common Space Design Ideas and Inspirations

Some companies like Google and Pixar have become the trendsetter when it comes to cool office design. In addition to the open workspace that allows collaborative working, they also include a bunch of comfortable common spaces for the employees. Here are a few design ideas to inspire you.

• Box’s swing chairs

Box Headquarters in Palo Alto has a unique common space. Instead of the traditional chairs, it offers a few swing chairs in it. To keep its employees happy, engaged, and focused, the common space has a fun and colorful design. Along with swing chars, there is also a car coffee station.

• Pixar’s cafeterias

Do you want to add a cafeteria in your office common space design? Well, it is a good choice. Some great companies including Pixar even have a large cafeteria for the employees. Create a single, spacious cafeteria that can be used by the entire team to promote collaboration and creativity.

• Microsoft’s high-tech space

Microsoft has a large touchscreen tablet table in its common space. Employees can easily pull up a seat to enjoy the tablet. In another room, you can also find a billiard table in the common area. In addition to the indoor space, Microsoft’s outdoor common area offers a lot of fun as well.

Other Tips to Design Office Common Space

Before you go, there are some other tips to design your common space. First, you should make sure to create it into a social space. Office common space design typically promotes natural interaction between employees. Thus, you should set the common area to accommodate this.

If your company’s workplace has a narrow footprint, you may like to plan more multiple-use areas. This way, you can maximize functionality from the restricted square footage. But, if you own the luxury of spacious areas, consider designing multiple common areas and place them strategically throughout your office.

Moreover, you shouldn’t forget to bring in comfortable seating in the common space. Make it into a convenient area that encourages spontaneous discussions and brainstorming. You can also bring games to your common space. A video game or board game can make a great addition.

To conclude, common spaces are an integral part of any great office. When you design it properly, common space can help your employees to have fun, take a relaxing break, or enjoy socializing with other teams. That’s all about office common space design principles and tips.