Top 6 Office Design Trends in 2024

A retreat space can be much needed for those who might prefer time to themselves to recharge. These spaces provide variety within the office, in a physical and visual sense, through dedicated spaces that offer a sense of comfort and offer a different mode of being in a work environment.

These spaces can take shape as a dedicated library or a quiet corner in the office which is furnished in a different style to its immediate surroundings in that part of the office. Retreats need to be informal and they must prioritise the user. This means that acoustics and lighting, particularly in relation to neurodiversity, need to be considered. The term retreat is not just about not working, it’s time to reflect in a space that is decidedly different to the rest of the office.

By pulling people away from their designated areas or where people typically work, these workspaces become more effective and allow people to focus on that specific task. Positioning certain amenities and spaces further away than what they’re used to incentivises people to move through the office and improves collaboration and socialising. This ultimately helps to enhance productivity and the quality of interactions, making time in the office more purposeful.

It all comes down to how it feels to be in the office and this can from high-level features such as access to natural light, food and drink amenities and technology down to smaller details like customisable controls for lighting and temperature, planting and quality materials. To elevate the user experience, there is a requirement to provide intuitive, human-centric settings. If you can achieve a sense of the personal within the office then there there’s going to be massive benefits in terms of thinking, comfort, performance and working relationships.

Navigating the combination of people in the office and people working remotely can make it difficult for people dialling in to feel included. This may impact their ability to contribute in the right way or indeed be effective. In this circumstance, technology is not the only aspect which needs to be considered. Small changes, like introducing d-shaped tables which fit flush against the wall have shown to improve inclusion and participation amongst remote workers. It’s a subtle design change but quite literally gives remote workers a space at the table.

If you can create a working environment that considers the remote first and supports them, it can have incredible benefits by enabling effective conversations that aren’t hindered by a lack of appropriate meeting spaces or the right technology.

The idea of building for adaption is something that needs to be considered at day-one or early stages of proposed changes so that you can think about establishing a discipline in the base build design that allows the key circulation areas to be maintained if or when you need to adapt your workplace. Businesses should be aiming to get to a place where they can change their environment without having to completely dismantle the design and the space. This relates to desk locations and the corresponding cable infrastructure; everything needs to be considered.

While landlords are offering more flexible terms, most deals will be looking at three or four years minimum until a break point and that’s a long way away. Organisations are changing so quickly now that you want to be thinking as far ahead as possible and putting as little restriction as possible on your space.

These choices can range from quiet areas for focused work to open spaces that encourage interaction and movement. One example of how this could take shape is the consideration of areas beyond the traditional desk, such as touch-down points in transitional spaces. This promotes greater flexibility and spontaneous collaboration without needing a formal meeting room, while also facilitating one of our other key trends—movement.

The design principle of offering multiple areas for work not only caters to the unique spectrum of work modes within each company but underscores a growing recognition of the importance of flexibility and employee satisfaction in achieving a high-performing environment. Businesses must consider how they enhance employee engagement through choice— supporting the ad-hoc needs of employees and fostering a dynamic and adaptable work culture.