It's what's on the inside that counts

Workspace design can lead to more productive employees, greater profits

Story by Kurt Rentmeester

BUSINESS INTERIORS RANGING FROM service offices to manufacturing facilities find that redesigning their workspaces can be a profitable decision.

Interior design goes far beyond a combination of the right lighting, wall coverings or upholstery fabrics, though. It may involve opening up spaces, establishing quiet areas, or moving walls and furnishings to establish a fresh frame of mind. All of these steps can help increase employee productivity.

And if a business can increase its production by even 5 percent, it should be eager to take on workspace redesigns that are employee friendly, said Peter Kordus, president of Building Service Inc., a Milwaukee-area firm with an office in Appleton that provides office finishing services, as well as design/build direction.

“You want to do everything you can to maximize productivity,” Kordus said. “You want an office environment that supports that.”

Opening up the office
WALLS CAN PROVIDE EMPLOYEES with individualized places to concentrate. But they can also contribute to distractions.

In some cases, Char Brittnacher, an interior designer with the design/build firm Keller Inc. in Kaukauna, will suggest to a business that it move a wall to open up a particular space or high-traffic area. Such a simple change in layout can also provide better access to natural light, Brittnacher said.

When the center area of an office is wide open, it provides a focal point for staff to come together to collaborate effectively. That was the driving force behind the design of the Neenah office for Innovationedge, said Cheryl Perkins, president and CEO of the global innovation consulting firm.

The offices for Innovationedge feature individual employee offices around the perimeter of the building, all accessing natural daylight and views outside. The interior walls separating individual offices from common area workspace are made of glass, minimizing the barriers between staff to work with one another.

Perkins, who works with companies around the world to spark innovation into their organization, said involving employees in the redesign of their workplace can be highly beneficial.

“First, talk to employees about their needs and wants. Second, get an interior designer involved to hear their needs and wants,” Perkins said. “When you create a functional and inspiring office, employees see it as a reward.”

At the same time that opening up a workspace can enhance productivity, moveable walls can also have a critical function in making wide open spaces much more flexible. When necessary, walls do play a functional role in blocking out audible and visual distractions.

“The most distracting sound in the world is that of a garbled human voice that is clearly heard,” Kordus said. “I think everybody can relate to that. So if you can mask that, you can get more of your work done.”

Kordus also emphasized that flexibility of communal work spaces in an office environment can make a big difference.

“A work lounge is a big deal,” Kordus said. “In a multi-task room or training room versus a board room, we can go from classroom to board room setting with mobile furniture.”

Let there be light
THE INCREASED USE OF NATURAL LIGHTING is among the biggest trends in new commercial building design.

As a result, more and more glass is being used, even in interior spaces to increase access to daylight from the exterior of the building.

In its simplest green benefit, the use of energy efficient glass allows businesses to take advantage of no-cost sunlight during the day and reduce their use of electricity from traditional sources of light and heat, said Mike Fox, vice president and general manager of Time Warner Cable Wisconsin. Fox played an integral role on the team that designed Time Warner’s three-story, 130,000-sq. ft. call center and administration building on Appleton’s southeast side. The glass façade building – visible from Highway 441 – was finished this past October.

“Natural light feels better,” Fox said. “It puts a skip in your step. You just feel better when you have more natural light in a building.”

While more businesses are returning to as much natural light as possible in their workplace settings, some are bringing electric light back in some unconventional ways.

Tube lighting is emerging in places where there may seem to be little or no window access, Brittnacher said. In those cases, tube lighting is used. The tube may be connected to a ceiling light far above or away from the office it’s illuminating, she said.

Setting the mood
A WORKPLACE SETTING doesn’t have to be dry and bland.

A wide range of textures and colors can help set a more creative and fun tone for the workplace, as opposed to some of the more dreary historic interior design trends that were intended to keep employees in line.

Businesses have been moving away from monochromatic solids and plush textures in flooring and window coverings and turning to patterns and woven looks, according to Brittnacher.

“With the use of color, these businesses are trying to create a more sculptured or textured look,” she said.

Unlike the suspended ceilings popular in the 1970s and ‘80s, newer trends include narrower grid work to offer a more elegant character to a workspace, again, helping to open up a room and create the impression of having more space to move.

Office furniture manufacturers are discovering more exotic color trends than white, black, gray and beige. Dazzling shades can be seen on office chairs, desks and other fixtures, according Kordus. He said that Necon, one of the world’s largest office furniture manufacturers, recently rolled out merchandise in shades of white with citrus effects like lime green and orange.

In addition, more employers are providing office furnishings where employees can make height adjustments to desk and tabletop surfaces, for example. Even cooling and heating controls are being added to some individual workstations, Kordus said.

A selling point
IN AN ECONOMY where it can be difficult to compete against other employers on the basis of salary and benefits alone, workplace settings are becoming a more lucrative bargaining chip to attract qualified workers.

 “When you’re trying to attract or retain employees, management and pay are issues,” Kordus said. “But office specs are increasingly becoming a difference maker on what people want.”

The long-term impact is employee satisfaction, Brittnacher said. Employers will see increased employee retention, and customers will enjoy coming back to an inviting space.

“How the customer feels in your office space is what they remember about you,” Brittnacher said. “That can mean more referrals and more business. And that’s huge.”

Kurt Rentmeester is a freelance writer based in Kewaunee County who has been previously employed by daily newspapers in Manitowoc and Sheboygan.