INTERIORS 71 The rise of the agile office
Alistair Shove from IVC Commercial looks at the rise in ‘agile’-based offices, and how architects can respond to the needs of users with flooring that embraces ‘open design’ post-pandemic
O
ne of the lasting impacts of the pandemic on the design of offices is in the change to working practices and an awareness of how a flexible approach to life in the office can bring benefits not just for employees, but also for companies. It is extremely likely that – for many of these organisations – the adoption of flexible working practices is here to stay. So in many cases, office design is now less about having to accommodate a set number of desks, and more about how the space can meet the varied needs of employees. Designers need to consider how the office will respond across a wider range of use scenarios than ever before, as well as ensuring the spaces are future-proofed, and that their designs can adapt to change. Making things as mobile as possible is a great way to ensure that these ‘agile’ offices evolve and adapt with the changing needs of the business. Many offices now feature high-backed pod style furniture that provides privacy, yet which can also be relocated – suiting flexible workers in the immediate term while being easily ‘switchable’ if more fixed desks are required in the future. Acoustically insulated meeting booths are also popular additions.
Laying out flooring options The floor is not a mobile or changeable part of the design, at least not without considerable upheaval, so what approaches are designers taking to make sure the floor can support the principle of multi-purpose, agile offices?
In recent years there’s certainly been a shift to embracing different flooring types within a space; likely down to the changing nature of office environments. Whereas once a different colour or pattern of carpet tile might be used to create a ‘corridor’ between two departments in an open plan working area, designers are now using alternative finishes to separate a collaboration area from hard desking, or a ‘contemplation area’ from breakout and catering zones.
ADF MAY 2022
How this plays out within the office varies from design to design. There are as many examples of organic flowing transitions as there are of angular, hard edges. The approach depends largely on the brief and its interpretation by the project team, but the underlying principle is the same – the floor becomes a way of breaking up the space. This has one major advantage: it can be used to mark out areas within the office without pigeon-holing them into a sole function. Effectively, it’s replacing permanent, immovable barriers between areas or fixed objects with a visual guide that can be adapted for a different use simply with a change of furniture. Carpet tiles are something of a given for desking and contemplation areas, boardrooms and the like due to their excellent comfort and acoustic performance, but LVT floors have been widely adopted elsewhere. This is not only for their durability and ease of maintenance but also in their ability to mimic natural materials. A natural look builds a connection to nature while the change of surface material gives mental separation between an area of concentration and work and one that’s
Engineered LVT with built- in acoustic underlays can significantly reduce the noise of footsteps and movement while still providing a ‘home-like’ feel
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