How Covid-19 has affected Biophilic Designs

Aspect Carpet Tiles and Biophilic Design

 

How Covid-19 has affected Biophilic Design – we look to the future

 
In this blog post, we look at how COVID-19 has affected biophilic design and how biophilic design will gain in stature and be adapted during the pandemic.

Over the past few years, biophilic design has been a popular office design trend. Biophilic design is focused around bringing the outdoors, indoors, and has been introduced by offices around the world to boost their employees’ wellbeing and increase their connection to nature. In light of COVID-19, however, many businesses have had to significantly change their office environment, affecting some of the current approaches to biophilic design.

1. Reduction of personal items and creation of outdoor spaces
 
Employees have been asked to remove personal and non-essential items from their work station, to ensure all surfaces can be easily sanitised and there is a reduced chance of contamination between workplaces and home environments. For many employees this can include plants around and on desks – but that was never true biophilic design anyway.

In a true design sense biophilic design is about embracing nature and architects are now starting to think about the symbiosis between nature and the built environment, developing projects that immerse buildings and their occupants in the biological world. Considering how biophilic design can help with clean air ventilation and bringing a true outdoor experience to the office, could be the best trick to getting staff to still visit the office – creating avenues of escape that enhance wellbeing and productivity. We found a great article on the subject and the mind-shift that is now needed.

2. Increased floor space with nature at its core
 
Large items, such as printers, art features and plants may have been removed from an office, in order to ensure there is enough floor space possible for a business to enforce a one-way system or maintain social distancing between employees. The removal of sculptures and plants can significantly change the atmosphere of an office.

Although businesses may have to keep a clear floor space, that does not mean they can’t use the space as a cue to nature. Luxury Vinyl Tiles are both hygienic and can give a fresh natural look to any floorspace. Carpet Tiles are also easy to maintain and disinfect plus many of the Duraflor ranges are inspired by nature – ranges from both the Natural Terrain Collection and Freedom Collections being good examples.

3. Making communal spaces look less sterile
 
To limit employee socialisation, many communal spaces within an office have been removed or closed for the foreseeable future. This means that spaces where employees could come together and relax have been removed.

The emotional toll that the pandemic can have negative consequences on productivity and mental health. We will all recover best in an environment that promotes health, first and foremost but that doesn’t have to mean sterile looking environments. So while designing spaces that enable safe distancing is important, there has possibly never been such a greater need as now, to create exterior environments inside.  Considering living walls so plants provide air purification, thinking about colours and textures associated with nature rather than a sterile white for hygiene are likely to significantly enhance positive attitudes to a new office layout. A Human Spaces Report on Biophilic Design found 67% of respondents report feeling happy when walking into bright office environments accented with green, yellow or blue colours – that will still be the case. And there are already reports out there on how colour trends will be affected by the pandemic with experts predicting a gravitation toward hues that mimic the sensation of being in nature.

Breaking up open spaces in an office by hanging plants from the ceiling is also an effective way to fill empty communal spaces and introduce elements of nature into an office, without adding more touchable surfaces for employees to potentially contaminate. Thinking of furniture design that creates the right amount of distance yet feels and looks natural are all part of a new challenge but have the potential to create a much more rewarding and collaborative environment.

Interior Design Ideas for the 2020 Office

Design Ideas for the 2020 office - board table with protection pods

 

Design Ideas for the 2020 Office – Covid-19 Considerations

 

Interior designers need to balance style with practicality, creating an inviting space which employees feel safe to work in. In this blog, we have gathered the biggest commercial interior design trends for post-lockdown and beyond.

Reinventing the individual workspace

The individual workspace has become even more important due to the pandemic. Although the individual cubicle has fallen out of fashion in recent times, social distancing means that there could be a revert to this style of working again. Before the pandemic, many offices operated on an open-plan basis, with free address seating. However, designers will now have to draw clear lines between individual focus space and social areas. These boundaries will need to become more distinct, to give employees the option to distance or collaborate. Clever space division will be used alongside higher partitions for users’ peace of mind. This article is packed with suggestion on how to arrange office space.

Workplace social spaces will simplify

Before lockdown, many offices sported large social spaces, such as kitchens with mod-cons and spaces for activities such as yoga. These spaces will undoubtedly change post-lockdown. Many interior designers will have to rethink office kitchen spaces. Instead of wide-open space, kitchens may have to be divided up, with individual seating rather than large tables. Clever and innovative design is essential, as some kitchens may have to operate a one-way system for staff. Offices that contain large canteens will have to be completely rethought, with seating moved to be socially distant. By using flexible tools, movable furniture solutions and screens you can create a safer meeting area.

Collaboration spaces are essential

Video conferencing from home is just not quite the same as seeing people face-to-face. Although interior designers should place a large emphasis on individual workspaces, they should not neglect collaboration spaces. Staff need to be able to communicate and work together again, and therefore effective collaboration spaces are needed. We may see a rise in comfortable furniture such as sofas, and the use of warm-toned colours, to invite staff back into these spaces. Conference tables may become larger to accommodate social distancing, with hand sanitising stations placed around. Important decisions regarding flooring will also need to be made by designers. A durable floor which is easy to clean will be necessary for any office reopening after the pandemic. Our survey showed there is a strong belief that we will see more vinyl flooring moving forward as the covering of choice.

On the theme of Collaboration there is a belief that offices will become collaborative/creative spaces, perhaps visited twice a week – the article we found by the Centre of Evidence Based Medicine (Oxford University) also predicts companies might choose to have more local, suburban and smaller offices nearer to where the majority of their staff live.

Creating a flexible workspace

Office with partitioning part of a flexible office set up

The practicalities of creating a flexible workspace.

 

Creating a flexible workspace is a practical and cost-effective decision for any business to make, with that in mind we have gathered together some industry thoughts and added some of our own suggestions.

Planning for change in space requirements

It is more important than ever to plan for change and we found an interesting article by CBRE on “spacesizing” in essence: “Doing the work now to figure out your workplace requirements for the future will mean an optimised property footprint, while providing the flexibility needed to win the war for talent, and realising property savings across your portfolio.”

In our view, flexible workspace post Covid-19 is about how to integrate working remotely with the best future functions of the office. That requires a higher degree of forward planning for organisations but opens up plenty of opportunities for good office design around collaboration, technology and safer working spaces.

Consider how Activity Based Workspaces need to evolve

By no way a new concept we have covered ABW before. Forbes reported on the flexible workspace concept and concluded that the most effective offices were those which had a mixture of private and communal spaces, this needs to be considered now with an added element of safety and how people’s attitudes to activities may have changed.

Avoid permanent fixtures in anticipation of change

The importance of moveable furniture is referenced in a Zenbooth article, which talks about the benefits of flexible working design. If you want to create a flexible office space, it’s important to consider future uses for various areas in the office. For example, if the company is relatively new, you might choose to design an open space where everyone can interact, but as the business grows, you need to transition part of that to a training area or conference. Thinking carefully about partitioning and how easy you can move desks and other elements will save on future costs.

Consider minimising branding

Brand consistency is an important element of running a business, but it can be stressful to change the entire office every time the brand alters. Making a nod to the brand in colour schemes can be far more effective and impactful than plastering a logo everywhere.

It’s also important to consider what the employees might want out of the space. Instead of a heavily branded office, staff members will likely prefer to work in a welcoming and comfortable environment.

Rent artwork

Artwork is a great way of building a company culture and improving employee happiness and productivity. However, office art doesn’t have to be a permanent investment. The business’s office style will likely evolve over time, so renting artwork is a great way of adding a splash of personality to the space without having to commit to a style. Renting artwork can also accommodate any larger office changes that they make. As the business repurposes the space for different functions, they can switch up the artwork to reflect their new purpose.

Design to reduce stress post Covid-19

Combination carpet tile and vinyl flooring

Design considerations to reduce stress


 

While in the past you may have found creating a stress-free environment simple and straightforward, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the office environment as we know it. In this blog post, we look at design considerations to reduce stress and how that has changed due to COVID-19.

1. Hot desking

Allowing employees to sit wherever they feel like may have once given them a sense of freedom and control, but is now perceived my many employees as a serious cross-contamination risk. Hot desking and collaborative work zones must be replaced with set desks and working areas, to minimise employee contact and to limit employee movements around an office. There is a strong argument to say this change is not really a bad thing, as there is some debate around the negative effect hot desking may have had on employee’s anyway – not really that much evidence of reducing stress!

2. Personalisation

Similarly to the point above, many interior designers may have once left a lot of office and desk space blank, encouraging employees to bring in personal items and belongings that helped them to feel more peaceful and at home. Due to the pandemic, however, personal items in an office must be limited to essentials only and stored for the cleaning processes to take place. Many designers are now turning to plants to decorate an office space, to create a peaceful environment without including employee personal belongings.

3. Light

A ground-breaking study found that employees who are situated near a window get an average of 46 minutes more of sleep a night than an employee who has a windowless space in the office. We also found a great article on how morning light reduces stress at work. In the past, designers may have created collaborative workspaces around windows, but this is no longer possible. Designers will have to look at other ways to increase natural light within an office, such as by installing mirror or skylights. For more ideas.

4. Wayfinding

Whereas employees may have once rolled their eyes at a one-way system within an office, to limit the spread of COVID-19, one-way systems and social distancing markers have become essential. To ensure employees do not become unduly stressed trying to remember routes around an office, social distancing tiles and mats can be used to ensure employees have complete clarity about where they should be walking and standing, and they do not get stressed about trying to navigate their way around the office.

 

The RIBA Journal has a very thought provoking article on the office of the future is worth a read. It looks into how office design has been impacted by Covid-19 and provides additional insights on how design considerations to reduce stress can be implemented – a revolution that can have a positive outcome.

Creating a remote office

remote office, home office - woman in her home office environment

Creating a remote office for the long-term

The government-imposed lockdown is preventing many of us from heading to work right now but could also be shaping the way we work in the future. Many individuals and companies could be considering making what was once seen as temporary, now a more permanent working arrangement.

1.54 million of us worked from home prior to the lockdown and there was always an increasing percentage of people who spent some of their working week no longer office based. With some of the statistics now being reported that is likely to become an even greater percentage post lockdown. The report we found stated that Londoners are saving an average of £57.78 per week by working from home and productivity is increasing, so employees and employers could agree it is advantageous all round.

For those looking to make the move to home working more permanent, it’s  important to design a home working space that enables creativity flow and productivity. The design learnings we have from the office commercial environment should now be transferred to a more permanent home office:

Choose colours carefully

A great deal of research has been done on the psychological effects of different colours, specifically with regards to productivity. The colour that you choose to decorate a home working space with also depends on the type of work being done and whether there is a requirement to think creatively or methodically. Yellow, for example, is known to make us feel happier, while red makes us feel energised. The general consensus from most colour experts is if you’re designing a working space, cool colours, such as greens and blues, are the best choices to opt for. These colours are known to make us feel calm and balanced so that we are able to focus. When designing a productive home office space, choose colours that complement each other and stimulate the psychological response needed to be more productive.

Incorporate nature

In the current climate, the majority of us have been spending most of our time indoors. Venturing outside in the sunlight, however, is known to directly impact our sense of wellness. Sunlight is known to release a chemical called serotonin in our bodies, which not only helps us to wake up in the morning but can also help to prevent inefficiency, work dissatisfaction and depression. To bring more sunlight into an office space, see if there is an area at home that has plenty of windows and a good view, or consider options such as daylight lighting. Another popular feature is adding elements of greenery and plants into the design. You might find some additional inspiration in our blog on bringing nature into the office.

Minimise distractions

An untidy workspace can make a working mind feel cluttered because distractions have the ability to affect all of the senses. Office and desk solutions that effectively hide any cords and wires, as well as wireless technology, will ensure that the area has plenty of useful working space. A cluttered working environment can also stifle creativity by distracting the mind from focusing on a single task, so consider the direction of the desk, streamlined storage options, and other options such as soundproofing in the form of insulating materials. Every effort should be made to ensure a remote office is just as functional as a commercial office environment.

We can assist our clients with their remote office requirements as well as commercial office project needs, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The future of office design in a post-Covid-19 UK

Hand and wipe - cleaning desk

Post Covid-19 Office Design Ideas

 
COVID-19 will undoubtedly have a long-term impact. Even if we manage to successfully irradicate the virus around the globe, a post-COVID-19 world will still be defined by the pandemic and structural and practical changes will need to be made. Below, we explore the possible future for office design in a post-COVID-19 world. We would be interested to know what you think.

1. Function first

For both modern and traditional offices, function will be of primary importance. Furniture may include minimal crevices, to ensure it can be easily cleaned. Other everyday items like break areas and cabinets may also need to be re-designed to ensure they meet the new standards of cleanliness workers now expect to see. For example, tables and desks may need to have non-porous surfaces to ensure they do not collect dust or bacteria.

2. Materials matter

In a post-COVID-19 world, offices will need to be re-designed with materials that are easier to keep clean and sanitised. For example, laminate surfaces and vinyl flooring may be considered easier to keep clean than other commercial flooring options. Smooth, flat surfaces could become the norm in offices, and workplaces may be more vigilant about creating regular cleaning routines.

3. Independent spaces

Office managers may no longer want their offices to be designed for hot-desking. They will perhaps favour independent work stations that employees can keep clean and sanitised. Duraflor has a range of sanitisation products designed to meet an office sanitisation regime. The majority of collaborative work may now be completed through technology, e.g. conference calls, so office designers may need to consider how they might accommodate an increase in technology in an office. Many employees will have also grown accustomed to working from home and may opt to work from home more often.

4. Sanitation stations

While many traditional office designs currently limit sink areas to bathrooms and kitchens, office designs in a post-COVID-19 world may include multiple sinks in the main office space. This will allow employees to stay on top of their hygiene and not have to frequently leave the main office area to wash their hands.

Getting your views 

We have been asking our customers their views, if you would like to take part in our survey on how offices might change post cover-19, do so here – there is a small thank you involved.

Health and wellbeing hygiene in office design

Axis flooring in kitchen area where there needs to be a focus on hygiene

Health and wellbeing hygiene in office design is likely to take a new direction

 
In a recent survey, 87% of workers said they would appreciate it if their employer offered healthier workplace benefits. For example, more ergonomic seating and healthier lunch options. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, designers and fit-out project managers are expecting to see an increase in demand to include hygienic features in office designs. Below we list some of the ways interior designers may be able to include health and hygiene inspired ideas in their office design projects.

1. More hygiene stations

In a standard office, you will probably find sinks in the bathroom and in the kitchen area. If an office is trying to improve its health and hygiene, however, business owners may want various sinks included around the office to increase the cleanliness of the office.

2. Independent workspaces

In the past decade, hot-desking and collaborative workspaces have risen in popularity. In light of COVID-19, however, we are expecting to see a rise in independent workspaces over collaborative areas. Employees will feel more safe and comfortable working in their own area, and independent stations will be easier to clean and maintain.

3. Sanitary surfaces

To improve the hygiene of an office, interior designers should look to use surfaces that can be easily cleaned and sanitised.  Automatic doors will also be more popular, as employees will look for an alternative to frequently used and touched door handles. We offer solutions for sanitising flooring (soft and hard flooring) as well as office furniture and fittings. A cleaning regime during installation as well a set routine will need to apply. We can advise based on number employees what that should look like.  It is also possible demand will increase for anti-bacterial flooring of which we have several ranges, including our Duragrip range.

4. Personal touches

Due to COVID-19, many offices are asking their employees to work from home. Once employees are invited back to an office, they will miss certain home comforts that have grown accustomed to whilst working remotely. For this reason, you may wish to ask employees what design touches they would like to see in their new office.

5. The importance of light and technology.

There is a great article in This Week in Facilities Management that addresses many of the thoughts around the changes that will be required when employees start to return to the office. One belief they have is that spaces that introduce natural light, as well as outdoor areas, are likely to be viewed by employers as an important investment into workers’ wellbeing after COVID-19. Other options include specialised lighting that mimics natural light, while digital capabilities such as smart windows and sensor technology can help manage lighting and ventilation.

We understand this is a difficult time for many designers and would like to offer as much support as possible. If you have a question about commercial flooring or a sanitising regime with our Rhinosan range, we are glad to help our clients incorporate wellbeing hygiene into office design at every opportunity.

Communicating with teams and clients during lock-down

Man working remotely two computer screens

Remote working and communication

 
Struggling with remote working communication during lockdown? We have looked at some of the key advice out there.

Enforced remote working has placed many limitations on many of our clients. They are unable to spend as much time as usual in the locations they are re-designing and are unable to work with their team in a physical creative space. Even for those who are used to working independently, there are some very different circumstances at play right now. So, whether you are trying to manage a team or are being managed remotely these tips are worth considering:

1. Make your expectations clear

If you manage a design team who are working remotely during the lockdown, it is important that you make your expectations known. A heavy handed approach isn’t being suggested here, just the good practice of ‘goal setting’ and being available to discuss how those goals are being met (in a potentially more distracting environment). The CIPD in their advice state that you should be clear about mutual expectations and trust your team to get on with it without micromanaging. They suggest focussing on results rather than activity.

2. Don’t overload your clients with information

Your clients will be going through their own challenges during the lockdown and it is important you are on-hand to answer any queries or questions they may have, and your willingness won’t go unnoticed. You should reassure your clients you are taking the appropriate steps to ensure you are operating safely and try to provide them with a new timeline. The important thing here is getting the balance right between overloading clients with information and being a welcome distraction and useful source of information.

3. Schedule regular check-ins

Often when working remotely for the first time, employees can struggle to adapt to the new environment and can find themselves feeling very isolated. If you manage a team of people, try to regularly check in on them by organising daily or weekly video calls and scheduling regular company conference calls. The advice is also to make time for social conversations. This increases rapport and eases communication between people who may not meet often. It also reduces feelings of isolation.

4. Reach out to potential new clients and existing suppliers

Whilst you may be focused on your clients and employees, it is important you also maintain healthy communications with existing suppliers and reach out to any new companies that you would like to work with in the future. Many companies are saying that they are now getting hold of senior decision makers they previously struggled to get hold of.  Suppliers are likely to be keen to share training and insights with you, Duraflor for example, is offering product trend training, this could be the ideal time to learn more about specific products and trends, which you may not have had the time to do in the past.

 

We are busy looking at the many ways we can help our customer base with extra services. Not only through CPDs but also how our Group Companies can help with an array of flooring preparation and sanitisation products.

Sustainable Office Design

Man out file on sustainable office policy

How to create a sustainable office

In a week that saw National Earth Day and as we all focus on the impact that human action has had on the world, we look at the ways individuals and companies can ensure they have created a sustainable office -it isn’t just about choosing fixtures, fittings and flooring with sustainable credentials.

1. Set clear, precise goals

Designing and building a sustainable office is one thing, but if office staff aren’t aligned to those goals, resources can be wasted. The first step is perhaps to create a ‘sustainability vision’ for the company. This is where you set out your goals and methodology for creating your sustainable office. This can include things like where rubbish recycling goes within the office, usage of equipment/fittings and the staff behaviours you might expect.

These ideally need to written in an official policy document that can be distributed to staff and be available at all times as a reference point.

2. Design the office with sustainable actions in mind

Basically, if you want people to recycle more then you need to make it easy for them to do so. Is there easy access to recycling bins and enough of them, or do you need to change the layout of the office?

Office’s aesthetics may also help. Natural colours might be better at promoting a sustainable mindset than dull colours like white, grey and beige. Greens and blues are natural choices. For more information on the effect of these colour on the office environment read our blog on the subject.

3. Involve all staff

Like with any project, there are going to be some who are more eager to participate in sustainability policies than others. You need to identify these people and bring them onboard as influencers within the business.

It will be important however to train all staff on how they can help make the office more sustainable. The key thing here will be involvement and getting initiatives that everyone buys into.

We found this article on 15 ways to promote sustainability in the office – as well useful tips it highlights the employee benefits as well as cost saving associated with creating a sustainable office environment.

 

4. Measure results and feedback

Try to find ways to measure results. You could monitor the usage of electricity, gas and even rubbish bins.

Don’t just leave it at that. Always feedback to employees how their work is helping to turn your company into a sustainable business. Feedback is a vital part of any culture shift – without it, you can’t break the cycle.

 

 

Focus on clean floors Covid-19

Deep Clean sanitiser on carpet tiles in office

Antibacterial flooring the new focus

 

Commercial flooring that resists dirt and pathogens and that’s easy to clean could be one of the new purchasing priorities for organisations. Though good looks and value for money will still matter.

Never has the subject of cleanliness been more discussed and promoted in recent times!  Frequent deep cleans may become essential to protect the health of building occupants and an expectation of staff returning to the workplace.

This could well lead to companies commissioning replacement flooring from a new health-focused perspective. Aesthetics and durability will still be priorities, but from now on they could also be doubling up efforts to find the best commercial flooring material to keep clean or ways to keep it clean.

Safety Flooring

A range of antibacterial flooring that meets style, safety and additional hygiene standards is something Duraflor already offers. These properties can be found in the company’s Duragrip and Resolute ranges.  Both these ranges are recommended for healthcare environments, schools and other public places but are certainly not out of place in an office setting, especially break-out areas. This antibacterial flooring is easy to clean and maintain, has excellent life-cycle costs and offers a very sustainable alternative versus many other flooring types.

Cienna is a safety flooring which is particularly attractive due to its highly defined wood and stone effect designs. Its PUR coating (a heavier weight version of polyurethane) makes it perfect for education, healthcare, hospitality and the public sector, where maintenance needs to be minimal but appearance and hygiene need to stay maximum at all times.

For areas where hygiene is paramount, such as the healthcare profession, we strongly advise looking at our Galahad self-disinfecting vinyl flooring range. It uses nano-silver technology and a photosynthesis process to eliminate 99.9% bacteria including MRSA, VRE and E-coli without the need for any chemical floor cleaners.

Luxury Vinyl Tiles

LVT has always been associated with ease of maintenance and a high level of hygiene. It is both water resistant and easy to clean. In fact two of the key reasons for specifying Luxury Vinyl Tiles are durability and ease of maintenance.

Carpet Tiles Hygiene

For clients looking to use carpet tiles, there are also ways to ensure that these offer a similar high standard of protection. Duraflor now offers and range of Deep Clean Sanitisers which are perfect for all flooring types and kill 99.9% of bacteria.

Recommendations

We provide guidance on cleaning and maintenance of all our flooring products on our product range pages.  It is likely that in a post-coronavirus office setting, deep cleaning, which we had previously recommended on a less frequent basis will become the norm. For more information about flooring hygiene contact us on 01592 630030.