Evropská unie
Zones in a modern office
Key office space and office furniture
Creating a maximally functional office space is not as easy as it may seem. A well-oiled machine with all the cogs working can serve as a particularly good illustration. If an element malfunctions, the whole structure is impacted negatively. It is therefore essential to attend to each and every component. At the company's office, these cogs are zones. At the very beginning, we must mention the most important of them - the workstation zone. This is where employees spend most of their time - they perform their duties, develop new projects and work creatively. In order to help them fulfill their potential, it is absolutely necessary to provide them with access to the right office furniture. MARO Office Furniture Factory has for many years been a well-established expert in this field. It is difficult to imagine intellectual work without a desk. An office desk should be ergonomic, practical, durable and customized. A wide range of desks is now a common standard among the furniture manufacturers on the market. We are talking not only about modern, custom-made desks with electric height adjustment, but also with diverse top shapes. This makes their users feel very comfortable while performing their duties.
Open-plan office space
It is not uncommon for a workstation zone to also include open-plan spaces with team desks. Thanks to them, employees can work in teams and individually, depending on the situation and their current needs. In this zone, it proves incredibly useful to have office furniture for space division. Aura or Diviso collections from MARO can come in handy. When arranging this room, it is worth getting a set of shelf units, which constitute a complete system of modern, high-end furniture. They give the interior a unique character. They are a decoration used for separating new spaces. They are modular, have openwork construction and feature an extensive collection of accessories such as panels, shelves and cabinets, which allows unlimited configuration changes. Diviso partitions have a durable and robust structure, based on a screwed metal profile. Desk partitions prove also exceptionally helpful in dividing open spaces, allowing you to separate workstations. They guarantee a sense of privacy, even in two-person desks. In MARO Office Furniture Factory, you can find upholstered and panel board partitions, whose fabrics effectively absorb sounds.
Conference room – the hallmark of your office
A conference room is essential in a modern office. It is a kind of showpiece of the company - after all, this is the place where visitors are received and the most important meetings are held. That is why it is worth making sure that this part of your office is unique and functional, and above all eye-pleasing. A table is the centerpiece of any conference room, therefore we ought to dedicate a little more time to select the right one. MARO conference tables will be the best choice, particularly the models from Ario collection. They impress with their extraordinary design. They combine precious materials such as polished stone, veneer and leather. The line features not only one-piece tables, but also two-piece ones - they can be extended with dedicated modules. A stripe finishing the edge of the top and legs is an extra decorative element. Ario conference tables are also equipped with vertical and horizontal cable channels and custom netboxes.
Chillout and entertainment zones
Every employee needs a pause during their working day. It is virtually impossible to stay focused for the entire 8 hours. For this reason, office chillout rooms are an excellent idea to reset your mind and relax. They can also provide entertainment and be a platform for building good rapport among employees. Such spaces boost their level of satisfaction and, as a result, their productivity. This is because they feel that they are treated as people, not robots, and it is important for the employer to make them feel good. The chillout zone should include carefully chosen office furniture such as the previously mentioned Aura shelf units. They provide space for potted plants, which are considered beneficial to everyone's well-being. A low Aura module combined with an upholstered pad, on the other hand, can serve as a seat. Comfortable armchairs, sofas and high tables, like Idea H, are also highly recommended. They feature frames supported by a slim, rectangular leg and a footrest made of brushed stainless steel. The geometric frame guarantees their robustness. In the chillout zone, it is also worth making room for foosball or table tennis tables, as they not only help employees socialize, but are entertaining as well.
Office space for maximum focus
The focus zone, as the name suggests, is designed for people who need maximum concentration. For this purpose, it is necessary to get rid of all unwanted distractors and provide the employee with peace and quiet and a space that fosters concentration. The key thing is to keep the noise level low. Acoustic walls, which effectively absorb sounds, prove to be extremely useful in such zones. They are available in standalone versions (equipped with feet) and in mobile ones (with castors). A wide range of sizes allows to set them up independently or create whole sets matching other office furniture. The soft surface of the walls allows for pinning up notes and creating inspirational moodboards. Our desk partition screens are also splendid for focus zones.
Wariant furniture – universal and functional
When describing office zones, it is impossible not to mention MARO furniture from Wariant collection. It creates almost infinite possibilities of space arrangement - depending on the needs of employees in different situations. The desks with high partitions are available in three options: with fixed top height, with electric top height adjustment and with pneumatic top height adjustment. They are designed with multifunctionality in mind. The structure of the desk and the option to panel the sides guarantees a sense of privacy while not impeding the flow of team communication. The Meeting Place is perfect for a conference room. It is a mobile version of a conference table that can be freely moved.
It responds to the needs of work made up of diverse activities. In a nutshell, an average day usually consists of activities that fall into three main categories: activities that require a high level of concentration, communication activities and administrative tasks - some of which are automated and performed mainly at a computer. For instance, conceptual work, which requires concentration, can be reinforced with the help of a desk with high partitions and an upholstered panel that insulates sounds. For short conversations, Wariant Meeting Place with a whiteboard for taking notes will be ideal. If an employee is facing longer administrative work at a computer, it is recommended to equip them with a desk with height adjustment and a docking station, or a two-person desk.
The nature of today's work settings is rapidly evolving. By embracing the potential of modern technology, it is possible to work virtually anywhere. Unquestionably, this has contributed to a decline in the demand for individual office workstations. Office spaces have faced the challenge of meeting the expectations of their employees. Classic offices of the past are giving way to solutions that are far more flexible and functional. They place emphasis on leeway and diversity of activities. Investing in a modern office is certainly a move that benefits both employers and employees.
What benefits can Activity-Based Working bring?
The main advantages stemming from this work space organization system include:
Boosting employee efficiency and creativity
Agile working allows employees to choose themselves where they will work in the most efficient way. It is easier to deliver a given task thanks to a favorable environment which allows the employees to focus or work creatively. It also speeds up their work. Moreover, a suitable space promotes innovative solutions. If an employee does their job best in quiet surroundings, they will be able to easily find the right place with no distracting stimuli. However, if at any time they need to consult a colleague or brainstorm an idea with their team, they can move to a space that allows for unconstrained chatting.
The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Helath, in the paper "The Impact of Activity Based Working (ABW) on Workplace Activity, Eating Behaviors, Productivity and Satisfaction," presents a study in which participants were asked to rate their performance on nine work parameters. These were: quantity and quality of work performed, meeting deadlines, frequency of errors, assuming responsibility, creativity, getting along with others, reliability, overall work, and productivity. Employees were asked to rate their productivity using a 10-point scale. The study's findings identified, among other factors, a variety of settings to perform tasks, greater ability to collaborate at multiple levels of management as well as flexibility and autonomy as factors that improve their efficacy. Respondents pointed to the need to adjust to a new workplace and less contact with the immediate team as concerns when applying ABW. These factors indicate the importance of a good ABW setting, enabling the team to be introduced to the new work system - thus reducing the time needed for getting used to the new conditions. Therefore, productivity gains are also driven by a change in work culture, teamwork and management.
The possibility of reducing office space maintenance costs
Office space rental costs are a significant burden to the company's budget. It is reported that statistically only 70-80% of available office space is used. This figure means that there is some unused space which generates costs. In an era of dynamic changes in the perception of working systems, the concept of the workplace itself has also evolved. It is no longer synonymous with being present in your office. Home office and hybrid work are becoming increasingly common. Employees realize what conditions they need to do their job well and expect to have them provided by their employers. The ABW concept usually assumes the use of fewer workstations than the actual number of employees. Employees, in accordance with their scheduled activities, can use the solutions that best suit their activities at a particular time. Due to a greater interest in hybrid work and no need to maintain fixed workstations for all employees, rented space can be limited. More and more employers are inclining towards this work model, partly leveraging the popularity of home office. Also, in such a system, an employee can enjoy the benefits of modern office furniture solutions - such as StartUs desks, which provide work comfort, keep the interior aesthetically pleasing and allow to maintain work-life balance. The hybrid work model is spreading, therefore, according to the studies, many ABW-style office spaces maintain a workstation-to-employee ratio of 0.7-0.8. Achieving cost optimization also requires analyzing the amount of work performed at a desk and in other spaces so as to ensure that all are used efficiently. Rotational spaces break with the conventional approach: my workspace = my desk in favor of the approach: my workspace = diverse office space.
Fostering relationships within the team and cooperation between employees
In offices incorporating the Activity Based Workplace concept, employees can move freely between office spaces. As a result, collaboration is easier and faster as the team can choose the right work space for themselves. This saves time and facilitates the flow of information, thus the quality of cooperation is considerably improved.
Boosted engagement and employee well-being
The research conducted by Veldhoen + Company in 2020 found a 17% rise in workplace satisfaction after companies switched to Activity-Based Working. Satisfaction and comfort at work translate into productivity. As presented in the study, the boost in individual activity was observed at 13%, while group activity rose by 8%. Taking advantage of this, each day MARO Office Furniture seeks out new solutions dedicated to office spaces, introducing new products to meet users’ diverse needs.
So, a new reveal of office furniture?
The decision to implement a holistic work environment based on ABW requires careful consideration and suitable preparation. To ameliorate the work system in your organization, it is worth making even a partial use of this approach. The right choice of office furniture will allow you to arrange spaces dedicated to an array of activities performed throughout a working day. ABW office design serves as an excellent alternative to an open space office. Over-stimulation does not encourage concentration, while the inability to move from one place to another during a day adversely affects productivity and creativity.
It is key to engage employees in the process of creating diverse spaces. The choice of solutions should be based on their specific needs, work styles, as well as the nature their tasks. At MARO Office Furniture, we offer solutions dedicated to each work style. By addressing real needs, spaces in the office are used in a better way, thus the quality of work rises. However, it is worth remembering that the implementation of ABW takes time. The first changes should focus on the management and cultural levels of the organization. Later, you can start planning a new office design. You should also remain open to continuous space adjustments.
Check out our arrangement suggestions - planning starters