Beautiful And Inspiring Office Space Designs And How They Can Affect Your Productivity

We spend nine hours—sometimes, even more—every day inside our offices. In fact, heavy workers can attest that sometimes, it feels like we spend more time in front of our desks that inside our homes. This is why in the same way that we want our homes to look and feel good, office spaces should be more visually pleasing and ergonomically satisfying, as well.

In a study published on the Journal of Public Affairs, Administration and Management that tackles the impact of office design on employees’ productivity, the researchers found that an environment and office design that fulfills the employees’ needs helps to boost their productivity. The study found that better performance and high motivation is directly affected by a comfortable and ergonomic office design, good natural and artificial lighting, and the spatial arrangement of office furniture.

This is why many companies nowadays, to boost employee motivation and morale, aim to create office spaces that are less stiff, more beautiful, and more vibrant. Who wouldn’t want to work in a refreshing and aesthetically pleasing environment?

 

Natural

Want to go all-out natural? Be inspired by the office of Selgas Cano Architecture at the heart of the woods in Madrid, Spain. Half of the office is located underground while the other half features a glass ceiling that gives a great view of the forest outdoors.

 

According to a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) titled Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation, exposure to nature is proven to reduce stress. According to its lead researcher Chanuki Seresinhe, “People spend a lot of time at work and their environment definitely affects them. So if pleasant scenery makes people feel better, there’s a good case that the scenicness of their working environment will have a similar effect.”

For a natural effect indoors, incorporate greens and plants into your design to simulate that natural and flora feel.

 

Modular and functional

Modular design is a modern design approach that prioritizes minimizing cost and maximizing functionality. But even though modular comes off as cost-cutting, some modular designs could go within budget without sacrificing beauty and edginess. This office called “Apostrophe” of the Pallotta TeamWorks in Los Angeles was a former warehouse turned by Clive Wilkinson & Associates (CWA) into a beautiful, functional space.

 

One of the biggest challenges to CWA was to come up with a budget-friendly design. According to the company’s website, “Because there was not enough budget to air-condition the entire space, seven tented villages, or "breathing islands" were created inside the warehouse. Beautiful white tent tops contained the air inside each space. The tents were anchored to the ground by shipping containers, painted in automotive colors, which doubled as executive offices. CWA noted that "the resulting project generated considerable savings in use over conventional office build-outs, and reinforced the client's message of promoting responsible, sustainable ways of living on this planet.”

When it comes to modern design, go for bold but functional pieces like this furniture piece at Pallotta, which doubles as a table, a striking centerpiece, and a map.

 

Bright and colorful

There are two major factors that affect employee well-being and productivity: light and color. According to design company Interaction, 80 percent of UK office workers believe that color impacts their mood. In fact, as early as 1979, a study of American prisons by Alexander Schauss found that painting the cell walls pink reduced aggressive behaviors of inmates.

 

In terms of lighting, the abovementioned Journal of Public Affairs, Administration and Management study also found that a good mix of natural and artificial light provides the best working environment. Dim lighting tends to cause sluggishness and lower productivity, and fluorescent lighting can cause headaches. Google’s office in London, UK was able to weave in the perfect levels of lighting and a vibrant boost of color in its headquarters, which creates a cheerful mood that facilitates employee output and creativity.

To bring a boost of color into your office space, check out these amazing rainbow-colored seats designed by Lubo Majer. They are both comfortable and wildly colorful!

 

Industrial

Industrial aesthetics is gaining popularity in architecture and design and these can be seen in many restaurants and living spaces. But while the idea of industrial brings up the idea of manliness and grittiness, it is possible to incorporate industrial design into an office space in a way that it brings character into the space—which of course, impacts the creativity and productivity of its employees.

 

Etsy’s office in New York City is a perfect example that showcases how industrial design can still be fun and vibrant. The Etsy office uses industrial lighting fixtures and exposed pipes running in the ceiling that are staples of industrial design, in addition to bare concrete floors and steel-wired stairs. The industrial elements are softened by touches of wood, pops of color, and greenery, creating an overall creative and modern feel.

 

Light up a room industrial-style with these caged pendant light fixtures that add ample ambient light and bring in an old-world charm to the space.