What are the top design trends for showcasing office space in 2018?

It seems that every year, the newest research into organizational culture shines a light on ways that offices and workspaces could be organized to improve employee productivity and wellbeing. From open floor plans to standing desks, these ideas can come and go quite quickly, but they nonetheless capture the imagination of any number of new business owners trying to tap into the latest design trend in commercial rental space and attract up and coming talent.

Whether or not organizations follow these trends is up to them. But when showcasing a space for rent, highlighting the ways it can be used to accommodate the latest workspace ideas can interested and win over a potential buyer.

2018 has seen many of the trends from recent years persist, along with a few new ideas for workspace development. If you have an Ann Arbor office space you’d like to showcase to potential investors or tenants, here are some of the top features businesses are looking for in 2018.

Flexible workspaces

As companies work more with freelance employees and remote workers, their day-to-day office needs will continue to shift. It used to be that an office had cubicles and an established workstation for every employee. But these days, with more workers in the office for only part of the week, such a design would leave half the desks empty.

At the same time, open-plan offices with no assigned workstations have left workers feeling distracted and disoriented, and have even contributed to poor health among workforces. The solution many offices have adopted is to create flexible, multi-purpose workspaces.

A bar station might seat half a dozen remote workers for the one day a week the entire office is in-house, while offering a quiet workspace at other times of the week, or even functioning as a secondary conference room when managers need to Skype with remote employees. No matter how the use, flexible workspaces help businesses get more from their space.

Technological infrastructure

More so than ever, businesses rely on technology to accomplish day-to-day operations. When an office isn’t wired to support these technical needs, it can affect the efficiency of any business.

Depending on the size and needs of an office, fiber cable may be an important infrastructure item for some businesses. While many businesses are moving toward cloud technology and therefore have lower demands for server room space, they may still require setups to accommodate WiFi use or wired Internet for large workstations. Finally, conference rooms with hidden cabling help space feel more polished and intentional.

Whether you make these upgrades ahead of time or discuss the possibilities with a client, being able to answer any questions about technological infrastructure can help them envision how they might use the office commercial rental space.

Natural lighting and a healthy environment

Fluorescent lighting has been shown to have a negative impact on many workers, increasing distraction and in some cases contributing to migraines. Because of this, spaces that offer a lot of natural lighting are healthier for employees and can aid overall happiness and productivity.

Office environments affect health in other ways as well. Ann Arbor office spaces with few walls or barriers add to noise and stress levels for employees, and can also spread sickness. An environment that subtly sections off workspaces to offer privacy without isolation can help workers feel more comfortable, and also prevent the entire office from coming down with the cold in the same week.

Biophilic design

Another trend that can contribute to employee health and wellbeing is known as biophilic design. This goes beyond a mere love of houseplants: biophilic design is about creating spaces that connect people to nature through live plants, natural light, textures, and a general design that promotes healthy work-psychology principles.

While some of these principles may be ambitious for built spaces, it is true that incorporating more plant life into a design can improve air quality and lead to a more peaceful working environment. Showcasing how to use natural light in conjunction with plants and textures can improve the desirability of a commercial rental space.

Distraction-free zones

Workers are more mobile than ever these days. While many transitions between working from home and in the office depending on the day of the week, even when they’re in the office workers tend to move around more. They may spend their mornings at a desk where they’re near their coworkers, but switch to an empty conference work for when they need to be more productive.

Unfortunately, the response of many businesses to their mobile workforce is to remove designated desk space without replacing it with anything new. And with the rise of open plan office designs, many workers are finding themselves with nowhere to get any quiet work done.

Small conference room areas, or designated quiet booths, can give many employees an interruption-free space to work away from their desk, while also facilitating collaborative meetings among employees that won’t disrupt the rest of the office space Ann Arbor.

As businesses change, commercial rental space must adapt to their needs

Businesses are continually innovating, so it should come as no surprise that workspaces are innovating along with them. The more workplace norms shift, the more these expectations will become reflected in the design and use of office areas.

By staying on top of the trends, you can help businesses envision their new office space in ways that will highlight their potential. After all, moving into a new office is about more than a fresh coat of paint. It’s about the next phase of an organization’s progress. Check out our vacant Ann Arbor office spaces to show your customer.