A well-designed workspace can help to optimise productivity, boost employee satisfaction, and even improve the health of the people working there. There are many different types of effective office layout; the one that is right for your business will depend on the type of business, the available space, the working style of the employees, and the budget. Furniture At Work stocks a wide range of office furniture, including adjustable desks to fit any space and ergonomic chairs to suit any physical requirements.

Private Offices and Meeting Rooms

Private offices and meeting rooms are designed for one person or one group of people to use at a time. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in the UK, private office space is more valuable than ever before for anyone who is unable to work from home. Furnishing a private office requires additional floor space and separate lighting and heating, but there are many advantages, especially in the current climate. Having a private space to work can also help boost productivity for many people.

Open Office Layout

Open office layouts encourage employee interaction, which can be ideal in businesses where regular communication between teams is key. This type of layout is particularly popular with creative companies and tech firms, where people need to be able to bounce ideas off each other throughout the working day.

When designing an open office layout, it is essential to ensure that each employee has sufficient desk space to call their own. National guidelines suggest that each employee should have a minimum of 11 cubic metres to work in, assuming the ceiling is no more than three metres high. If the ceilings are higher, calculations should still be made assuming a height of three metres.

To calculate space per employee, simply divide the volume of the room by the maximum number of employees. Including a mixture of sitting and standing desks can help to improve employee health, particularly in hot desk offices where people can choose to move around more.

Cubicle Layout

A cubicle layout provides a form of compromise between having private office space for each employee and an open office layout. With cubicles, each employee has a semi-private space for their own work but is still able to communicate easily with other members of the team when required.

Cubicles or screens between desks help to ensure social distancing in the workplace as well, making them a better solution in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic than a completely open workspace. Cubicles also give employees more autonomy over their own space, as they provide opportunities to add personal touches such as photographs and mementos from home.

As each employee has the same amount of space, cubicle layouts can also provide staff with a feeling of equality and prevent any unintentional favouritism or appearance of favouritism.

Team-Cluster Layout

As the name implies, a team-cluster office layout is designed for companies where people are regularly expected to work as a team. These types of layouts are more like informal meeting rooms than individual offices, with a large communal desk where everyone can see and speak to each other while working. This type of layout works best for companies where discussion, brainstorming, meetings and employee interactions are part of the strategic process.

Hybrid Layout

A hybrid layout takes advantage of all available space and provides employees with a mixture of private workspaces and team workspaces. These types of layout are highly customisable and deliver all the advantages of each type of layout in one area. A hybrid layout might include several cubicles for individual working, team meeting spaces, comfortable relaxation zones designed to encourage creativity, and perhaps one or two private offices. Hybrid layouts work well for dynamic companies where employee interaction is valued, but people may sometimes need peace and quiet to tackle a project.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for designing the perfect office space, as different types of business will derive benefits from each style of layout. Whichever style is chosen, Furniture At Work has a comprehensive range of office furniture to equip any space with quality items at affordable prices.