London Sustainable Independent Office Fit Out Refurbishment Company

London is presenting us with all sorts of issues right now at an all time high number of office availability, and the choices we make during this transition period will change how we live and, more importantly, work in the coming years. With a team of independent contractors working directly for you, Initial Interiors of London, know that an office refurbishment is an investment into your business, so get in touch, and we can make work, work for everyone.

Using our online contact form, send a message today or call the Project Manager directly on 020 8938 3893 and we can learn more about the vision your architect has designed.

Office Break-Out Space Design Ideas to Boost Productivity

No matter the office size, having an inviting break-out space can help boost employee creativity and productivity. Big influential companies like Pixar, Cartoon Network and Google Japan are renowned for their creative office layouts and inspiring break-out areas that encourage staff to take a much-needed mental break or collaborate on projects. Breakout rooms can be a valuable addition to any office or workplace, providing employees with a space to work, relax, and collaborate in a more comfortable and productive environment.

Gone are the days when taking a break was seen as a bad thing. Nowadays, break-out spaces are critical to a productive office layout. Plus, they look great too. So if you’ve been considering an office re-fit or refurbishment in London, why not take inspiration from some of the most creative break-out areas?

As the room is a separate space within an office or workplace, it is designed to provide employees with a place to take a break, relax, or work on tasks that require more privacy or concentration. Breakout rooms can be used for a variety of purposes, such as holding meetings, brainstorming sessions, or training sessions, or simply as a space where employees can take a break from their work and recharge. They can be equipped with comfortable furniture, coffee machines, and other amenities to create a relaxing and inviting environment.

Breakout rooms can also help to improve productivity and creativity in the workplace, by providing employees with a change of scenery and a place to collaborate and share ideas in a more relaxed and informal setting. They can also be used to reduce noise and distractions in the main office space, allowing employees to focus on their work without interruption.

Airbnb is just one example of a world-renowned office design with a dedicated break-out space. The area is filled with bright colours and quirky furniture, striking the perfect balance between maintaining an office atmosphere and providing an inviting environment for staff to relax – more on relaxing spaces later. Let’s look at why a break-out area increases productivity.

Why a break-out space increases productivity

Creating a break-out area in your office encourages employees to take regular breaks and helps improve their working environment. Frequent breaks can hugely impact productivity as they allow staff to unwind, refocus, and recharge their batteries mentally.

1. During lunch breaks: Employees might use the break out room to eat their lunch and socialise with their colleagues, catching up on news, discussing work-related matters, or just enjoying each other’s company.
2. After a long meeting: After a long and stressful meeting, employees might use the break out room to decompress, discuss the outcomes of the meeting, and relax with their colleagues before returning to their work.
3. During a team-building event: Companies might organise team-building events in the break out room, such as games, quizzes, or other activities that allow employees to bond and have fun together.
4. When working on collaborative projects: When working on collaborative projects, employees might use the break out room to brainstorm ideas, share feedback, and work together in a more informal setting.
5. During a break in a training session: When attending training sessions or workshops, employees might use the break out room to grab a coffee, chat with their colleagues, and recharge their batteries before returning to the training.

Overall, the break out room can be a great space for employees to relax, casually chit chat and collaborate in a more comfortable and informal setting.

Companies can use break-out areas for team collaboration and brainstorming when done correctly. Working this way helps make office work more engaging and allows staff to develop new ideas that can benefit the business.

Break-out spaces promote health-beneficial movement

The importance of the office movement is becoming increasingly well-known as shocking statistics about life expectancy and overall health for office workers are featured in various news headlines. A large proportion of office staff is sat in the same place for extended periods, leading to increased physical aches and pains, fatigue, obesity and other conditions associated with sedentary office lifestyles.

A break-out space encourages office staff to move around the office more often. Moving might be anything from having a quick chat while standing up to playing games or participating in team sports activities regularly. It helps keep everyone active and motivated throughout their working day.

What is the relationship between excellent office design and productivity?

The office design of any business can be a significant factor in how productive employees are. A great office design should make everyone feel welcome and comfortable and encourage collaboration and creativity. Break-out spaces are the perfect tool to do this – they provide an inviting environment for staff to take a break, regain their focus, collaborate on projects and come up with fresh ideas.

Here are some ideas to help you visualise your productive break-out area or space.

1. Biophilic Break-Out Space Design Techniques

Biophilic refers to the incorporation of nature into office design and decoration. Incorporating things like windows, skylights, and natural green plants will bring a soothing atmosphere to your office while providing plenty of natural light.

You can also add a water feature, such as a small pond or fountain, to make the office a more relaxing environment, perfect for recharging during breaks.

1. Smart Office Layout

An intelligent or smart office has embraced technology to help employees work smarter, not harder. Implementing office solutions such as automated lighting and temperature control, occupancy sensors and video conferencing tools will make the office feel modern and more efficient.

A well-designed office should also have a good layout that encourages employee collaboration while providing individual privacy when needed. This could be done by having different break-out areas for small group discussions or private workspaces for teams to brainstorm ideas.

Creating a Third Space

Creating a third space sounds very sci-fi, but actually, it means creating an environment where employees and stakeholders consider their office somewhere they may go, even on their day off.

We know this sounds far-fetched, but big hitters like Apple, Google and Microsoft have all created office environments that are considered a third space. You can create this environment by adding welcoming design features, like coffee bars and snack stations, to make them stand out from the office.

Furniture For Break-Out Spaces

A break-out office space should be bright, inviting and comfortable. Choose furniture in bright colours to match your office’s design style to achieve this. Upholstered sofas, armchairs and bean bags are a great way to make the office more inviting.

Remember to add plenty of storage solutions, such as shelves and cabinets for office supplies, books and even games. Storage will help keep your office organised so employees can focus on their work without feeling cluttered.

Creating an office design from scratch or even updating an existing office space can be daunting. At Initial Interiors, we specialise in office re-fit and office refurbishment in London – contact us today to get started on your office design journey!

The ideas above can help you create an office break-out space that will boost productivity and make employees feel more comfortable and creative. With some planning, designing the perfect office break-out space for your business is an achievable goal.

Other essential areas that promote employee well-being and promote productivity

When designing your office re-fit or complete refurbishment, it’s important to remember that excellent facilities don’t stop at the office door. In line with promoting a healthy lifestyle, it’s vital to offer safe bike storage and a shower facility to encourage cycling and other forms of exercise.

Other office break-out spaces that promote employee wellness are quiet areas, meditation rooms and meeting rooms with natural light—providing communal areas such as kitchens for those water cooler moments is also important—where many great ideas have been formulated.

A final word on famous break-out spaces

Not every idea is a good one – for example, companies who install shoots and slides in the office may end up with too much of a playground vibe – Pixar California, we are talking about you!

When designing an office space, it’s essential to focus on creating a fun and inviting atmosphere that promotes creativity and productivity. Whether you want to add biophilic office design elements or improve office layout, make sure your office break-out spaces are comfortable and relaxed – this will help give your employees the energy they need to succeed.

At Initial Interiors, we’re committed to helping businesses create office re-fit designs that meet their needs while promoting productivity and employee well-being. With our expertise in office refurbishment in London, we can help you make the perfect office break-out space for your business! Get in touch today to find out what we can create for you.

Over the last few years, a noticeable shift in the definition of sustainability has occurred. What was once an emphasis on recycling and green energy has expanded to include a lifestyle choice that affects every aspect of our lives, including fashion, food, and social change.

This sustainable shift has impacted the design, construction, and property industries as attitudes evolve toward developing more environmentally friendly structures to help solve climate issues and lifestyles that come from living in a busy city.

As sustainable behaviours spread, they have begun influencing business practices, with organisations seeking to attain carbon net zero and ensuring their offices are as green as possible. We have emphasised the key factors to consider while constructing a sustainable office space because there is a lot of information and procedures to process.

Sustainability and the Office Environment

Flexible working patterns mean that when employees are in the office, they need to feel enhanced, to want to be away from home. Employers will ensure happier, healthier, and more productive staff by making the office a go-to destination.

By following some of the key points discussed here, you can ensure that your office refurbishment project adheres to sustainable practices and helps create a greener working environment. Whether you are in London or Eastleigh, W1 or anywhere else within the M25 – opting for eco-friendly ethos and designs will help change how you work and benefit the environment.

The foundation for successful sustainable design processes is laying out your goals for the degree of sustainability you wish to accomplish early on in the project. Setting the levels of complexity that you and your contractor must take into account will direct the project and aid in program structuring.

Being comfortable with your choices is as important as understanding the procedure. Your sustainability objectives should be consistent with your long-term goals, and you must ensure that your decisions align with the organisation’s budget and current operations.

London Office Refurbishments – Reducing the environmental impact of fit out

The most crucial eco-friendly initiative during office refurbishment is reducing site waste. Any materials stripped out of the existing space need to be managed and appropriately streamed to correctly handle any recyclable materials to ensure that you divert your waste from landfill.

There should also be procedures in place from your contractor for safely disposing of any hazardous waste and recycling on-site that you cannot reuse in the build or re-fit.

Upcycling and Recycling existing materials

Integrating materials from an existing office can help reduce waste and environmental impact during a refurbishment project. Refurbishing your current space is an excellent opportunity to reuse any furniture or upcycle it to reduce the number of new items purchased.

Consider creating zones with shared workspaces, flexible seating areas, break-out spaces, and ergonomically designed furniture solutions – all of which have increased productivity and employee well-being.

When selecting new materials for construction, pick products with sustainable properties like natural fibres or items that are FSC certified, produced using renewable energy or made from recycled sources. Choose low-impact paints, glues, and insulation – all of which minimise the environmental impact while increasing efficiency.

Energy efficient and Eco Friendly Offices

Maximising energy efficiency is a key factor when designing an eco-friendly office space. Installing LED lighting, occupancy sensors, and daylight harvesting are ways to reduce energy usage and save money in the long run.

Using natural light as much as possible also contributes to energy savings whilst creating a bright and pleasant working environment for employees with glass office partitions.

Investing in insulation, weather stripping, or window films will help improve thermal comfort levels while reducing air leaks from windows. Windows account for the vast bulk of energy loss in a structure.

A pane of glass may lose or gain up to ten times as much heat as a wall of the same size. That’s when using ‘Smart’ glass is a good idea. You can activate the ‘Smart’ glass with your smartphone to configure electrochromic glass to colour the window and reduce sunlight entry, reducing the demand for air conditioning.

Green technology, energy reducing and LED lighting

Green technology can reduce the energy used by electronic devices and on-site lighting. As well as considering LED lighting options to reduce electricity consumption, you could also look at solar panels to heat water and provide renewable energy to your building.

Consider investing in a heat pump that can reduce energy use for heating, cooling and ventilation. Scientists are continuously inventing new green technology to try and break our reliance on fossil fuels, not only to save money but to prevent further damaging our planet.

Positive welcome back to the office culture – Employee well-being

A shift in office culture was long overdue; the live-to-work mentality of the 80s and 90s is no longer viable. As well as creating a sustainable space, it’s becoming increasingly important to focus on employee well-being and health in the workplace.

Creating spaces that inspire people to work collaboratively and feel motivated should be at the forefront of any office refurbishment project. Employees should have access to comfortable seating and standing desks when needed; bright colours can also improve mental well-being.

Outside space is a bonus, but if that’s not possible, an area you can convert to feel like an indoor garden or oasis can also be beneficial. Introducing a few house plants, a living wall or pop-up gardens can bring some greenery inside and freshen the air while having positive psychological effects.