TRANSFORM BREAKOUT SPACES WITH INNOVATIVE COMMERCIAL WORKSPACE DESIGNS

CREATING INSPIRING SPACES THAT ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION AND FOSTER WELLBEING

Breakout spaces are areas or locations in an office that are available for employees to relax or hold informal meetings, away from their desks. Typically, an office breakout area features a casual look and aesthetic; however, each business has its own idea of what makes a successful breakout space.Here at Bowen Interiors, our team will assist you through the process of refurbishing or designing your compelling breakout space that meets your unique needs.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT BREAKOUT SPACE?

Before incorporating a breakout space in your office environment, you need to understand what makes a great breakout space and the key benefits of implementing one.

Office breakout spaces are becoming increasingly integral to businesses. They are assisting to improve retention, efficiency, collaborative communication, and staff satisfaction.

Every office has a diverse range of people, and that is why your breakout space needs to cater to various personalities to build a healthy workforce. Whether you have introverts or extroverts, you could consider having a combination of both quiet and sociable lounge areas in a breakout area to cover all needs.

The main point of having a breakout space is to provide workers with an area where they can regenerate, relax, be sociable, and retreat from their general work.

That’s why to design a great space, it’s important to understand the needs of your employees so that they can be addressed.

Bowen Interiors works with you to discuss with your staff to understand how they can be their best when they’re at work.

Breakout space: Design & Inspiration

Office Breakout Areas Deliver Extensive Benefits

Office breakout areas allow employees to relax and be comfortable, reducing stress levels and increasing employee engagement and work ethic. Here are some of the benefits of having a breakout space in your fast-paced workplace:

A Focus on Health and Wellbeing

An office breakout area is an ideal place for your employees to move around and stretch their muscles. Most employees are sitting at a computer the whole day, which is not only bad for their health but also their mental wellbeing.

Not to mention, movement can improve concentration and eliminate mind blocks, enabling your employees to perform better at work and stay productive.

Dedicated Office Space to Collaborate and Congregate

A breakout area can be great for your employees to have informal meetings where they can brainstorm ideas. Breakout space meetings are often more casual and relaxed than formal meetings, empowering your employees to innovate and come up with creative ideas and solutions.

Office breakout area meetings can also lift the spirit of your team and help team members reach their full potential.

Eliminate Distraction

Modern offices can sometimes be distracting, especially if you have an open-plan office design. General discussions and catch-ups, phone calls, and office equipment noise can all be distracting for employees in open-plan offices.

Spending a lot of time in such an environment can make it hard for your employees to stay focused. Whenever an employee feels they need some quiet time, they can head to the breakout area and work away from distraction and noise, resulting in more satisfied and productive employees.

Of course, since breakout areas are often intended for fun activities, they can still be a source of distraction if they’re occupied by many employees at the same time. That’s why it’s a good idea to have multiple breakout spaces for different purposes if you have the required real estate in your office space.

Provide Additional Work Areas to Break Up the Everyday

Sometimes employees need a break from routine. Sitting at the same desk every single day just doesn’t cut it for your employees to reach their full potential.

A simple change of scenery provided in a breakout area can do wonders for your employees. It stimulates the brain and encourages creativity. It also helps employees avoid burnout by giving themselves time off to relax.

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Breakout Spaces Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Office Breakout Area or Breakout Space?

An office breakout space is where employees can relax, chat, have a cup of coffee, or read a book. It’s the place in an office that allows employees to rewind and have fun by taking their minds off work for a bit.

A breakout space could be a small area with a few chairs or even a large room that can accommodate lots of furniture and commodities.

Usually, an office breakout area is occupied for an hour or less by an individual employee, but as people come and go, there can be a flow of movement.

They also use a different design language than the rest of the office to encourage relaxation and colleague bonding.

What Furniture is Commonly Found in an Office Breakout Space?

Breakout spaces typically have more comfortable furniture items than the rest of the office. Think recliner chairs, comfy sofas, and bean bags. Pod seating is also a great addition to breakout spaces.

The point here is to include furniture that helps employees relax and think less about work.

Also, consider adding a few movable tables and chairs to breakout areas so that anyone can just grab a chair and sit wherever they want. If you can add a massage chair, that would be a great way to go above and beyond!

What Should You Consider Before Creating an Office Breakout Area?

When creating a breakout area, taking your employees’ satisfaction into consideration is vital. You might want to involve your employees in this.

Do they want a fun breakout space where they can do anything they want? Or more of a quiet area that helps them relax or concentrate?

Depending on your employees’ preferences, creating the design and layout of your breakout space will be easier.

You can also implement multiple breakout spaces if you have enough room. For example, you can create a separate breakout room for gaming and playing sports, and another for collaborating and brainstorming sessions. Just make sure to distinguish the breakout spaces by creating a different vibe in each room with colours, furniture, and lighting.

Here are some factors to keep in mind when designing an office breakout space:

Flexibility and Movement

When creating an unstructured space, it’s important to make it flexible and easy to restructure. Give your employees the freedom to move the furniture around for maximum comfort and convenience. Furniture items like foldable chairs/tables and portable partitions would be great for breakout spaces too.

It’s also a good idea to incorporate some fun activities that encourage employees to move, like Nintendo Switch consoles, table tennis tables, and trampolines. If there’s enough space (and money) for a small gym, go for it.

Add Natural Elements

Natural decorative items like grass carpets, potted plants, and rocks can make your breakout space more calming and comfortable for your employees.

Use the Right Colours

Colours can affect your employees’ overall wellbeing. Try to use happy colours in your breakout space, like yellow and green. Pale blue would look great too. You should also avoid stressful colours, like red.

If you could incorporate your brand colours into the design, that would be great too. Just make sure the breakout space doesn’t end up looking similar to the rest of the office.

Nail the Lighting

Your breakout space’s lighting should promote relaxation. Since your employees will spend time in the breakout space to unwind and feel better, going for warm lighting is essential to induce a calming effect.

It’s also recommended to design the breakout space in an area with direct access to windows or roofless spots. This way, your employees can enjoy natural sunlight to improve their moods and be happier.

What Are Different Types of Features in Breakout Spaces?

There is a wide range of popular breakout space designs and features, which can include:

Collaborative cubicles: A collaborative cubicle acts as a creative hub for your team to work on projects together. If you have multiple teams from different departments, you can divide your breakout area into separate cubicles.
Multi-level modules: a multi-level module is a break area that includes multiple sub-areas with different themes, like the Game Room, the Market Square, and the Sports Arena. Creating diversity enables your employees to switch between different areas whenever they want to.
Flexible furniture: Planning your entire breakout area around flexible furniture creates a meeting-friendly environment for small groups and larger teams.
Family room style: Family room-styled breakout spaces look exactly like family rooms in a regular household. The purpose of family rooms is to help employees feel at home in the office.
Writable walls: These walls are particularly useful for employees to collaborate and brainstorm ideas. They also maximise agility in your company by letting your team members create Kanban boards.

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