As the modern office evolves, so do the rooms within it. Companies of all sizes and forms, from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations, are now embracing the concept of the non-conference conference room, or at least redesigning their main meeting space to meet the needs of the next workforce generation.
If you want your company to stay up to speed, here are four suggestions to shake up the traditional “dark wood and fancy shelves” modern conference furniture and outfit your space in a way that will spark imagination and feed ideas.
Surprise with a bar-height conference table.
Bring the coffee shop vibe back into the office without the clashing distractions of loud music and conversation. A bar-height conference table works really well for two reasons:
1. The seat height physically shifts your employees’ bodies to a new form for circulation and posture, therefore “waking” them up big-time to share big ideas. With comfort and ergonomics combined, your team will feel physically reinvigorated for the length of the meeting. This is perfect for afternoon meetings, when biorhythms (and productivity) typically drop.
2. By varying heights throughout your office–from desk to reception to lounge or kitchen area–the brain is stimulated in different ways. This complements the physical change in circulation and posture, triggering different synapses in the brain to fire and new thoughts to surface.
Get rid of the conference room walls.
The latest trend that’s rolling through contemporary offices this season is the act of moving the conference room outside of its typical walls. Popular with loft layouts, crafting a conference room using privacy screens breaks up the monotony of a sea of cubicles and provides an impromptu meeting space for smaller teams. The screens also provide semi-permanent privacy and an auditory buffer for better conversations.
Try a roundtable for company morale.
Arthur and his knights had it right, and it’s making a comeback. Don’t think so square. Instead, try an oval or round modern conference table to soften the layout–and the atmosphere–of the conference room. This is also helpful for putting executive guests at ease when hosting an important stakeholders meeting.
Boost the cozy factor.
It’s been proven in more than one study that American employees spend more time at their offices or co-working than at home (unless they are commuters). Why not make your conference room feel a little more informal and cozy? Replace the cold steel and leather chairs for a triangle layout of couches with side tables, and even keep a collection of office “pillow seats” available for a larger powwow. When in a relaxed environment, your team will feel more comfortable speaking up and contributing their ideas and feedback to a project.
Speaking of projects, if you’re ready to overhaul your large office space, give us a call or fill out our Project form for a quick quote.
