Breakout Rooms: The Cornerstone Of A Modern, Forward-Thinking Office Design

What Is A Breakout Room? How Can It Help My Office Design In Cambridge?

A breakout room (or area) describes a space in the office that has been given over to employees or visitors that is separate from the usual office environment. The space can be used for almost anything – from holding informal meetings, for employees to take a break, relax and eat their lunch – some companies even encourage employees to take a siesta there! The point of a breakout space is to give employees an area away from the atmosphere of work and an opportunity to relax away from a computer screen.

Although many small and medium-sized companies may see the inclusion of a breakout area as an unnecessary extravagance – employers should consider the benefits that the space will have on its workforce, before ruling out the idea. After all, a business's best resource is its workforce...

Another great benefit is that certain team members will beable to hold meetings in an informal environment, away from the hustle andbustle of work. Being present in a low-pressure environment will allow for teammembers to communicate more effectively, as they'll be able to relax and chatabout work without that constant feeling of pressure.

Creating A BreakoutArea.

To create a breakout space, you may be thinking that you mayhave to give up large swathes of your office over – but this doesn't have to bethe case. A simple breakout area doesn't need to be extravagant, it can simplycontain a comfortable seating arrangement, present in the corner of the officespace, with partition walls separating it from the rest of the workplace. Ifyou do have the room to spare – then many businesses do go for a more privatefacility that can be closed off from the rest of the office.

Here are some things that are often included as part of breakout areas:

• Comfortable seating. The influence that comfortable seating can have cannot be underestimated. They offer a great opportunity for employees to get away from their computer screens and relax – it's well-known that experiencing breaks during work hours allows staff to recharge and be back at work later with increased vigour. Making that break as comfortable as possible will only work to further increase that energy.

• Teas/Coffees/Cold Drinks. Being present on a nice comfy sofa is one thing; one can only truly feel relaxed with a nice drink in their hand! Most businesses will already have tea and coffee facilities in their workplaces, but by transferring them to the breakout rooms, employees will feel less likely to rush back to their desk with their drink, feeling under pressure to do their work and instead take an opportunity to sit down on the comfy sofa and relax for a few minutes. This is will help to increase their energy and when they do return to their desk, they'll approach their work feeling energised and with much more confidence.

• Something bespoke. Many breakout rooms are often just an extension of the rest of the office environment, making the whole space counterproductive. To provide an environment that is a world away from a potentially stressful work environment, many businesses introduce different styles of furniture, flooring – even the paint present on the walls, just to make the area look and feel completely different to the rest of the office. They even introduce custom elements and designs that may relate to the business branding – even turning to humorous posters and inspirational quotes to help to motivate people.

• Entertainment Facilities. Whether it's the inclusion of a television or a number of games, many businesses explore entertainment options to help workers to de-stress. By introducing entertainment facilities, employees will be more likely to socialise outside of the work environment, increasing friendships, helping to promote a positive in-work atmosphere. In turn, this will help to further increase the productivity and quality of work, whilst also helping everyone to feel de-stressed and full of energy.

• Teambuilding. On a similar subject, breakout rooms are the ideal facility in which to host any informal gatherings for any celebrations you may be hosting. Whether it's an employee's birthday, anniversary of joining the company or the company itself hitting and/or exceeding its targets thanks to everyone's hard work, a breakout space can gather everyone together to celebrate with one another. Perfect for teambuilding!