Renting a dedicated physical office space can be costly, even more so in a city like Singapore. In fact, The Garden City is ranked in fact the 14th most expensive place for commercial rental in the world, ahead of the likes of London and downtown New York.
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How the quality of workspaces affect employees
A well-designed office space can do wonders for employee productivity. Find out how to create a healthy environment with your working space!
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There are many factors that influence how efficiently employees can work. Location, office furniture, office fixtures, office design, office management are all parts of creating a healthy working space in order to help your team function at maximum efficiency.
The office space is not just a place for people to work, but rather, an integral part of a company’s personality and identity. A workspace is a tool for employees to be able to work the most efficiently they can, and office space design plays a vital role in making this happen.
People choose office furniture for its surface quality, durability, comfort level, and aesthetic value. However, aesthetics may often be compromised by functionality. Office furniture needs to do more than just look good, its functionality has to be able to allow employees to operate at maximum efficiency, in addition to providing storage and organisation to office equipment and supplies.
Designing a functional office is easy when the right office furniture is put into place early on in the design process. With so many different office solutions available it can be difficult to choose a single one, but office furniture can have great power to enhance employees’ work productivity.
What factors in the work environment can affect productivity?
A healthy work environment is vital for a happy team. It is not only where they spend their working lives, but it defines how they function and how efficient they can be.
Your office space is part of your business’ personality and identity; each office speaks volumes about the company itself. Many factors that affect the workspace are often taken for granted or overlooked and can affect productivity.
1. Light
It’s easy to take office lighting for granted, but office lights have a greater impact on employees’ ability to perform well. The working space and all its fixtures should be designed to meet the lighting needs of everyone. Whenever possible, choose natural light and ensure that the office space is designed to provide maximum illumination. A study conducted by the Department of Design & Environmental Analysis at Cornell found numerous benefits for employees who were sat closer to a window. Employees reported a decrease in eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision, which could positively impact employees in the long term.
2. Ambient Noise
Surprisingly, complete silence has been shown to not result in higher concentration for the employees. Work environments have been known to benefit from some light ambient noise to break up the deafening silence. Research shows that listening to background noise in the working space has several benefits, such as improving concentration, task performance, and cognitive thinking.
This brings us to ambient music, and what to play in the workspace.
3. Music
Studies have shown that office music isn’t as distracting as some may think it is. Music played at a low to medium volume can actually have a positive effect on productivity and moods, increasing efficiency and motivation. One study by the University of Windsor found that ambient music in the workspace decreased concentration levels of office workers and increased their performance and work quality.
However, music with distinct lyrics has been found to be more distracting than actually beneficial.
Light, instrumental ambient music is an excellent way to boost office morale and productivity levels, as long as the songs aren’t too loud or fast-paced. Alternatively, ambient music like the sounds of rain or a waterfall can help fill the monotony of silence.
4. Acoustic Control
We all know how annoying straining to hear someone is. Noisy work environments hinder clear communication and place strain on everyone’s ears.
Acoustic control is the ability to manage and adjust sound levels in an office environment. This can be done through the use of acoustic panels, which help to absorb sound and reduce echos, or by using office furniture that has been designed to reduce noise.
Small changes can make a world of difference on a day-to-day basis!
Looking for the perfect working space to boost your team’s productivity? Come experience our tailor-made workspaces at Arcc Spaces today.
