Post-pandemic, the scope and the dynamics of commercial interior design have transformed beyond recognition. Now, artists are more sustainable in their approach than ever before as the focus has shifted from luxurious setup to employees’ well-being and performance.
As the needs of office workers evolve, so is the approach to workplace design.
Corporate Office Design Predictions 2023
With mood-changing employees and a new normal of a hybrid working model, it’s surprising to see that employers are also keen to ensure the office spaces promote better collaboration, communication, and team spirit. So that the workforce remained motivated, both physically and spiritually.
However, at the core, office interiors still call for functionality, but with added comfort and facilitates/amenities. So whether you’re planning to invest in a corporate office in Islamabad, Karachi, or any other commercial city in Pakistan, make sure these functionalities are in place.
Corporate Office with Open Layouts
In the last couple of years, especially among millennials, employees have been favoring engagement and fulfillment in their jobs more than the stipend. Perhaps, this mindset, coupled with the pandemic, makes the concept of open-plan industrial-style interiors more popular among employers.
Now, real estate builders and designers are also working in the same direction; having big open-to-sky atriums in high-rise/vertical developments also supports the idea of open layouts.
Here are some more reasons that companies prefer spaces with open layouts;
- It allows for more creativity and expression of decorative freedom and independence.
- There’s more flexibility in spaces with open spaces.
- Collaboration gets easier and more seamless.
- Improving company culture.
Professionals like the space to move around, along with the design flexibility, so that they can remodel/refurnish the space however they’d like.
Sustainable Corporate Office Design
In the last couple of years, as a society, we have become extensively conscious of being eco-friendlier and sustainably responsible. Not only offices but people around the world are also remodeling their residential spaces in an eco-friendlier manner.
Furthermore, Real estate developers and designers have also started participating in the trend – looking for ways to make their projects more sustainable. Not only the space but even employers are also buying sustainable furniture and other accessories rather than buying low-priced and low-quality goods.
As we all believe that things friendlier to the environment last longer and actually look more aesthetically appealing.
Here, from office lighting to furniture, everything is concerned; this means leveraging energy-saving and renewable resources.
Eco-friendly decisions build and save the company money and eliminate waste; employees will have cleaner air and handle the water, gas, and electricity in a friendlier manner.
Here are some of the eco-friendly decisions employers are investing in:
- Install electrical outlets and wires strategically
- Decide on LED light fixtures
- Choose low-flow water fixtures
- Install eco-friendly appliances
- Conduct energy audits timely
Our latest commercial project, Citadel 7, offers centralized open-to-sky atriums which are accessible from all the floors from the 7th onwards – to let the natural light seep into the building.
Biophilic Corporate Office Design
The biophilic design was once concerned with plants only, but 2023 will see a sharper focus on the multisensory approach of the nature-bring-in design. This includes the use of natural sounds, light, and scents – not just to keep the aura clean but also to keep employees healthy and fresh.
Even a space with plans and nature-only installations looks more lively and connected to nature.
For our general well-being, natural circadian rhythm is vital, affecting everything from sleep patterns to the molecular regulation of our cellular activities. With easy access to nature, we not only feel better but also perform better.
Many real estate builders in Pakistan are building luxury offices, including Citadel 7, which are located on the top of the high-rise, offering panoramic views of Islamabad landmarks right from the larger-than-life glass ceilings.
Biophilic design is not just a mere trend; it is scientifically proven that our innate connection with nature and its elements needs to be re-registered again and again in a day.
Now, employers are favoring official setups with more natural/softer lighting than windowless cubicles under fluorescent lighting.
Flexible Corporate Office Design
While the future of luxury offices lies in more collaboration, the need for variety/flexibility in a workspace has also increased.
Different businesses employ different sizes of teams; sometimes some teams (especially the sales team) work alone (often at night), and the tasks they work on sometimes require different environments.
Having the facility of work-from-home, employers are finding corporate offices located in distraction-free areas/corporate buildings, which are located in a posh area of the city. Even Chakor Ventures decided on Blue Area, Islamabad, which is a traffic-free sector of the city, just to keep the businesses away from visual and acoustic distractions.
Do you know, on average, employees lose 86 minutes (nearly 20% of a working day) a month at a workspace due to distractions?
Broadly speaking, 4 types of spaces – focused, semi-collaborative, collaborative, and relaxing – that employers are looking for in this post-pandemic, hybrid working era.
Many office-based workers need to spend much of the day working in small teams, where they need to communicate with one another but don’t need to be talking together the whole time. This hybrid/semi-collaborative model of focused plus collaborative work provides an agile kind of working that will increase employees’ productivity significantly.
One of the other ways that complement collaboration is having dedicated areas/rooms for both formal and informal meetings/conferences/training sessions.
If we have missed any trendy corporate office designs, feel free to share them in the comment section below.
