What are the latest trends in architecture for office interior design?

The workplace has changed a lot over time; we've gone from regimented rows of desks to cubicle farms, right through to open plan offices and the free-flowing spaces of today. Essentially, businesses who able to get their office interior design on-trend are the most likely to reap the benefits of an equipped and dedicated workforce;but what are the architectural fashions of the best workplaces of today?

As vastly experienced offices fitters, Oaktree Interiors have constantly changed and adapted to the latest in modern office design trends; placing us in a unique position at the vanguard of the industry. We are able to create vibrant, flexible, bespoke office environments that instead of being 'a room that people work in', serves as 'a room that works alongside the business and its employees'; perfectly fitting company branding and providing the right tools for workers to complete their work at a quicker, higher standard.

So in this blog, we've put together some of the latest trends in contemporary office design that all businesses should at least think about exploring.

The latest trends in office interior design

The shrinking office

Improving technology has seen the devices we use become smaller and more flexible; we've gone from sitting at a stationary desk with a bulky PC set-up to moving around the office, using the Wi-Fi on mobile phones and tablets. Without the need for such rigid desk set-ups, businesses are given more flexibility in how they use the space and many choose to recalibrate their office space to suit their particular needs. Not only does this better suit the needs of their employees,but the business as a whole too; eliminating expensive floor space that they pay for, but do not use.

The range of designs that can be created are limitless; our past office interior design projects have seen us create all kinds of different areas for different styles of working. Whether it's quiet pods for dedicated working, breakout rooms for collaboration, meeting rooms to host clients or open offices to balance the need for employee collaboration and camaraderie, with the need to work.

With the breaking down of hierarchies and the rise of collaboration in today's digital workplace, the days of the cubicle farm are most definitely over. Instead of placing people behind screens, workspaces have more transparency; percolating into a business' corporate culture as well.

Value for money

We briefly touched upon how the shrinking of technology can lead to the shrinking of the workspace, saving on rental costs. This 'value for money' aspect is a trend that is growing amongst today's businesses that have stringent budgets to meet. Not only can office interior design professionals be used to reassess where the business is occurring frivolous experiences, in the effort to save on costs, they will also present an opportunity for a purer office design to emerge, with no unnecessary features nor comprise over functionality and aesthetics.

Biophilic design

Mental health and time spent in nature are intrinsically interlinked; many studies have shown that spending time immersed in an outdoor environment can help boost concentration, manage anxiety levels and lower blood pressure. The flexibility of today's technology allows for people to move between indoor and outdoor environments, but even if the weather outside makes it challenging for people to move outside, the outdoors can be created indoors with the adoption of biophilic design.

Changing lifestyles

To complement the wellbeing aspect of biophilic design, an increasing number of businesses are recognising the changing lifestyles of employees. Introducing facilities such as in-house gyms, gaming rooms, refreshment bars or breakout rooms can not only meet the need to safeguard their wellness, they may also be the difference in the company attracting and retaining the best talents. This is why office interior design is being based around the creation of inspirational, fun workplaces that promote health and wellness amongst its users; it has a direct effect on their job satisfaction and creates a sense of pride in employees too.

So those are the latest trends in architectural office design. If you're interested in learning more about how your business could benefit from a refresh of its existing space, why not consider getting in touch with the professionals here at Oaktree?

Grow your ideal office interiors, with Oaktree

We are always happy to work with any business operation, regardless of their size, type of industry or their standing within it. We believe in creating a truly bespoke design, establishing workplaces that actually work for the people within it, rather than them, having to shape how they work around the limitations of the interiors.

If you're interested in improving your working environment, you can get in touch with our office interior design experts on 0345 21 86955 or by sending an e-mailto hello@oaktreeoffice.com.