In this post, we’ll take a look at the top 3 office design trends for 2021 from leading designers and architects. The past year has served to force us all to rethink not only how we work, but where we work – and what that looks like. Companies across the country are retro-fitting, down-sizing, moving, upgrading… basically making changes that they feel best suits their business, and their employees. Not surprisingly, the main points of focus are still productivity and employee wellbeing. The office may just look a little different.
1. Introducing “Resimericial” Design
How do you entice an entire workforce that may have had the luxury of working from their couch for the better part of a year to walk back through the doors? Easy – you make them feel “at home” through design. Resimercial incorporates features that are more closely associated with a comfortable, home environment, including:
- Mixes of textures and shapes
- Natural and ambient lighting
- Area rugs and fabric window dressings
- Comfortable, upholstered seating
- Natural fibers and live plants
2. A Focus on Videoconferencing
Remote working is likely here to stay at some capacity, whether due to the need for social distance or simply because it’s what’s best for employees and the companies they work for. That said, there’s a potential for numerous video conferences to be happening simultaneously. Offices may find they require additional or updated monitors, cameras, and microphones to allow teams to be the most productive. Additional support for video conferencing are:
- Interactive whiteboards
- Multiple screens for larger rooms
- Acoustic panels and dividers
- Advanced cameras and microphones that detect whose speaking
3. Appealing Division
Just as the pandemic pushed us towards more remote working and resimercial design, it also had us all scrambling for desk dividers and space partitions. Over the past year, manufacturers have worked at creating a vast selection of options that not only provide division but enhance the aesthetics of the office. Workstation division can be created with everything from clear plaxiglass to whiteboards or an assortment of hard surfaces available in your corporate color scheme. Designers are utilizing options that are not only more appealing but will become a more long-term or even permanent solution.
Office Trends in Action
Here at BT360, many of our recent projects have included providing division amongst employees for our clients. For some, it was the addition of taller partitions that were simply added to existing furniture. For others, it was movable table panels. If your office could benefit from any of these 2021 office design trends, give us a call or send us a message today – we’re here to help!
