Offices around the world are undergoing a major transformation. The coronavirus pandemic and its effects have contributed to the evolution of business and natural social changes. This was a violent global phenomenon - it affected companies on all continents to an equal extent. After many months of moving activities to a virtual space and the widespread domination of the home-office model, more and more companies decide to return to offices. However, everything indicates that this will be a return to other, better interiors. It is worth summarizing these changes.
Flexible office
The ability to smoothly adapt the office space to current needs is an advantage that began to be appreciated several years ago. The need to quickly switch between individual and team work was becoming more and more common. Previous office arrangements did not give such freedom, hence the growing popularity of mobile furniture facilitating quick meetings as well as the emergence of elements that allow you to quickly separate yourself from the environment during individual work. A perfect example are the furniture and accessories of the Balma PLUS system: sofas and pouffes for small meetings, movable screens which isolate the individuals from distracting images and sounds, and soundproofed telephone booths.
Healthy office
No, it is not just about "ordinary" ergonomics, which is the construction of chairs and armchairs that provide back support nor is the layout of the desk that allows the appropriate location of the computer keyboard and monitor. A modern office actively supports the broadly understood well-being of the user, which is a combination of optimal conditions for the body and soul.
Desks and tables with electric height adjustment are more and more popular - they allow you to change the working position, and even remind you of such a necessity. But designers care not only about the users' backbones, but also ... heads. Relaxation zones providing excellent conditions for relaxation have become a standard. A short nap or a few minutes of rocking on an office swing helps you recover and can miraculously restore freshness.
Safe office
The coronavirus pandemic posed a challenge for office administrators - how to minimize the risk of virus transmission in closed rooms. How to protect employees and visitors, while maintaining the ability for the company to function normally?
Fortunately, our offer already included elements that can be used to separate workstations or to secure critical places (proper construction of a reception desk) - while maintaining the required functions.
An excellent example of a safe, yet effective and functional office is the interior design of the Warsaw headquarters of the international consulting company Cushman & Wakefield, which implemented its own 6 FEET OFFICE concept (ensuring adequate distance between people in the office). Also in this prestigious project, elements were used from the Balma catalog: desks, tables and sofas from the
Balma PLUS system, as well as elements from the
Simplic and
J_system collection.
(Multi) functional office
Remote work at home, which office workers had to get used to, apart from undoubtedly disadvantages, also had advantages. One of them was complete freedom in adapting the workplace to one's own needs. Thousands of small home offices were created, each of which met individual expectations. We can say that these home offices are - almost 100% functional. We can expect that after returning to stationary offices, their users will still expect this convenience and will still require the workspace to be adapted to their needs.
In this case, the answer lies in the elements used which allow each office employee to easily shape their own "micro-space". And it consists not only of desks, tables, chairs and screens, but also shelves, flower stands and hangers. As the designers who create designs for Balma emphasize - it is important to ensure the right quantity, quality and design consistency of these accessories - after all, we are talking about an office, i.e. a representative space ...
Are we experiencing an office revolution?
Probably not. Focusing on the well-being of the office user and caring for their needs was already popularised in pre-pandemic times. However, the widespread and forced "exit from offices" corrected our perspective. It seems that now - going back to the offices - we know better what to expect.
