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August 15, 2018

The rise of Activity Based Workspaces

Office spaces are becoming more and more dynamic and gone are the days of isolated cubicle work zones. Modern offices now make a point of including open spaces, biophilic designs and flexible desk options – all in the hopes of a happier and more productive workspace.
The latest office design trend which has flown over from The Netherlands is Activity Based Workspaces (ABW). In layman’s terms, the idea is to have an office space where staff aren’t confined to one desk or space, and workers can adapt and choose which environment works best for them at different points of their day.
With the technology giants like Google and Microsoft both having Activity Based Workspaces, we thought we’d delve a little deeper and find out what the fuss is all about, and dedicate this entry to discussing the top 4 reasons why your workspace needs activity zones.


Increased employee morale and motivation
One major benefit of an ABW is that of morale, teamwork and increased motivation. In an environment with no boundaries, whether they be physical or social, it’s much more accessible for positivity and inclusivity to thrive.
Staff feel more connected to each other, as they’re not isolated, the space is not hierarchical and there’s more face to face interactions – making employees happier and therefore more motivated to succeed.


Increased productivity
Productivity can sometimes be hard to find, but imagine if you could create a workspace where productivity is increased significantly. Well, ABW promises this with its layout supporting all kinds of work styles, allowing individuals to work more effectively and become more focussed in unique environments.
In the Leesman Index, creative thinking increases to 65% in an ABW, whilst a traditional office stagnates at 45%, and office collaboration reaches highs of 81% against a normal office’s 65%.
The proof is in the numbers.


Attracts new employees
When you’re looking to attract the best staff – those who are already coveted by your competitors – it’s great to have some unique benefits to entice these individuals to your company.
Organisations with activity-based workspaces immediately tick a box for job seekers, as these showcase the employer’s desire to provide staff with a productive, inspiring and unique location to do business.
We’ve worked on many ABWs for our clients, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that employers are making the move to this new style of working as a means to attract the best and brightest talent. Take a look at the ABW we designed and fitted for Social Chain.


Increased employee happiness
Finally, happiness and enjoyment within the workplace are key to maintaining long term employees and job happiness. With 60% of employees in an ABW saying their new office style increased their personal job satisfaction, and 92% saying it makes their job more fun and engaging, ABWs are a clear winner from a business point of view.


Activity based workspaces – are you ready for them?
If you’re currently developing a new commercial site that’s in need of a fit-out and design specialist, get in touch with us at Workspace Design & Build and we’ll be able to help you out.
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