Interior decor tips: Elements to add to your workplace to keep the josh high while returning to office

How an office is structured and operated can have a direct consequence on organisational culture hence, it is crucial for interior designers to interpret a company’s structure, ethos and culture it seeks to nurture, in order that the workplace is representative of those values. In the information age, rigid planning predicated on workplace hierarchies and obsolete social structures need to give way to layouts promoting agility and flexibility for better collaboration and cross-learning and the workplace of the future needs to evolve continuously—to attract and retain employees and accommodate their aspirations and be resilient to shocks similar to the one we are witnessing today amid the third year of Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 has certainly forced us to reassess how we live and work and to mitigate similar disruptions in the future, we’ll need to rapidly adapt to a new way with borrowed wisdom from the past, which brings us to an important question – after the pandemic, what new elements in workspaces can aid human interaction? Given that we clock up nearly two-thirds of a day at work, the design of workspaces should fundamentally address concerns of adequate lighting and ventilation, prerequisites for employee well-being.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Nakul Mathur, MD at Avanta India, advised, “As organizations strive to strike a balance between remote and physical work, with in-office teams collaborating with remote workers, seamless cutting-edge technology for audio and video teleconferencing will save employees the time and hassle of wiring and connecting again and again. Investing one time in multiple spacious, fully-equipped conference or meeting rooms is a big trend this year in workplace design.”

According to Lokendra Singh Ranawat, Founder and CEO of WoodenStreet, almost two years of remote work has made employees accustomed to a relatively flexible environment. He suggested, “Incorporating elements such as rugs and carpets, comfortable seating with outdoor seating being an option and an influx of warm, natural lighting incorporate design will cushion the transition from home offices to a collective office. Weighty furniture fixtures are also to be left behind in the past, with lightweight flexible tables and benches being the new norm to accommodate different teams on different days.”

Adding to the tips on elements to add to your workplace to keep the josh high when returning to office, Vinod Kumar Aggarwal, Director at Indo innovations, highlighted, “After several months where work equipment meant nothing more than a laptop and stable internet connectivity, offices can no longer be imagined as rigid 9-5 spaces. Office design must include elements of play and relaxation like lounging spaces, break rooms, beanbags and mind-stimulating gaming options for re-striking a bond with colleagues. Make sure lounge rooms have interesting graphics and imagery.”