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Playing a key part in the provision of an all-around better office experience for employees.

With relaxation in mind, joint managing director and co-founder of design and workplace consultancy, Office Principles, Cyril Parsons considers potential spaces in the office to unwind and take a step away…

Having space to relax has been cited as a desirable feature in an array of questionnaires and studies related to the improvement of the work environment. Such places to escape are different from quiet zones – where people can go to work when they need an element of privacy or to concentrate – but are deemed equally essential when it comes to improving the working lives of employees.

Room to relax

It’s important to be able to break, and walk away, from mentally exhausting activity, whether it’s work that has required a more intense focus or simply just too much screen time. Either way, there is a need for an alternative, more relaxing, space, with a different energy, for the worker to retreat to.

Stress is notorious for having a negative impact on both physical and mental health and the elixir is anything that can combat it. ‘Recharge’ rooms and designated areas for relaxation are strong and definitive manifestations of the current keen desire to address health and wellness issues in the workplace and we are seeing more requests to make sure such space is accommodated.

Many offices plump for breakout areas, with casual sitting space, to enable staff members to move into another area – even if it’s just a few feet away, with a different floor covering and seating style.

Other businesses have had the scope (and the budget) to allow for dedicated wellbeing areas in their floorplans, illustrating a more employee-focused style of design, driven by the team’s best interests, general needs and shared desires.

Intelligent and nurturing design

The design of such areas are subjective however, there are some, more common, characteristics that tend to crop up from office to office, across an increasing number of sectors.

Big slouchy sofas, areas filled with plants, living walls and water features are among the burgeoning trends; all of these ingredients, biophilic design and soft furnishings, make for a relaxing environment that is gentle on the senses and that advocates calm, improving creativity and, hopefully, reducing absenteeism.

Colours, décor and wall art can also boost and complement a tranquil setting, placing a strong boundary, along with a clear message of what each space is intended to be.

Where the fun is

Relaxing doesn’t have to be just about tranquility. It can be about providing fun and alternative activities as well.

The much maligned ping pong table has a place in some environments, along with pinball machines and table football, and there is always call for refreshment stations, healthy vending machines and communal eating places. Social spots encourage workplace friendship and interaction which contributes to a sense of belonging and is likely to impact positively on employee retention overall.

Providing a home from home

There has been a definite move to embrace the style of the boutique hotel in recent years, along with influences taken from the cutting edge bar or coffee shop – particularly in the more creative and techy sectors (where the majority of office trends inevitably are hatched).

An artfully created, homely place works well in some environments – again, the slouchy couches, cushions, low tables, book shelves and plants; all of these additions can help set the scene and create a warm ambience that gives a sense of ease and informality.

This movement to create working environments that reflect our lives outside of work – canteens that resemble restaurants, seating areas and relax zones that imitate our own front rooms (only better designed !) and state-of-the-art kitchens – comes with a host of positives: These spaces look good and so they are attractive to new recruits; we like being in these spaces so we are more likely to put in the hours and engage more; and we feel generally happier with where we are.

Space to just be…

And then there are rooms dedicated to napping, meditating and prayer that can be included in the floor plans, if space allows. Also known as recharge zones, they are areas that recognize that people have different needs and are there to provide a real oasis for calm and peace.

These electronic-free spaces are quiet and thoughtful environments that are perfect for any sort of mindful activity.

Note that employers are obliged to provide facilities for people of faith to carry out their own specific religious practices. Feet washing facilities, for example, are now frequently requested and included in the office fit out plans for corporates and bigger SMEs.

For the greater good

Ultimately, it’s about inclusivity; bringing everyone in so that the general space is one that all workers are comfortable to occupy and belong to.

The office brings its own tribe mentality and to feel, and be, a proper part of that tribe, you need to be able to truly relax and own your surroundings.