For decades, interior design has been divided into two very distinct camps: commercial designs for offices and workplaces, and residential designs for dwellings where people live. In 2020, however, we are discovering a new office design London crossover that presents exciting possibilities.
The positive acceptance of ‘working from home’ is fueling house builders in both the owner-occupier and Build to Rent sectors to dial up the importance of communal areas. You only have to look to London for inspiration, with companies including L&G and Grainger, and developments such as Goodmans Fields and Keybridge, to see club lounges and shared spaces earmarked for home working in the promotional literature.
The danger, however, is for developers to simply re-purpose reception areas and lobbies without the office layout, anthropological and ergonomic knowledge required to create functional and fit-for-purpose spaces. Simply making wifi and hot drinks available does not qualify a space as the perfect working environment – careful first and second fix planning is required, along with lighting, heat, power, data supply and acoustic considerations.
MPL Interiors is keen to form partnerships with house builders who are looking to create purpose-built shared work zones within their developments and property managers looking to refit existing communal spaces as offices.
Consult with MPL and we can help with:
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Creating flexible space plans that can accommodate fixed desks, pods and hot desking
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Dividing open plan spaces using glass walls and partitions
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Planning meetings rooms that can be offered on a pre-booked basis
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Specifying and installing dedicated office furniture, screens, storage and refreshment stations
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Providing power, data and light for optimum working conditions, including creating printer/photocopier hubs
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Continuing a brand, theme or standard from a residential setting to a working one
Get in touch today if you need help with planning office refurbishments in London or are thinking of creating a work zone in a residential development.
