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Dead corners come alive

Stairwells and pantries are getting transformed for business development, brainstorming

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With rentals and real estate prices soaring to astronomical proportions in metro cities, offices are quickly taking hold of ‘’dead spaces’’ and converting them into ‘’efficient’’ areas that promote ideation, innovation, brainstorming sessions, productivity and team morale.

Gone are the morose-looking pantries, stairwells, corridors and balconies that were bereft of any workplace inspirations. Offices, especially the co-working setups that look to tap into a budding community of startups and independent contributors, are busy channelizing the expertise of design firms to re-convert all their dead nooks into spaces that ultimately contribute towards growth and profits.

Corridors, stairwells, pantries and balconies in corporate real estate are usually considered as the loss factor for a space, resulting in inefficient fit-outs, says Neetish Sarda, founder, Smartworks, a provider of shared workspaces. ‘’We understand the value of every square inch of real estate and are always working on making space more efficient for our community members.””

Akshit Mehta, founder, VORQ Space, a co-working setup, says innovative design not just helps retain employees, but can also attract new talent. Mehta adds that studies have shown how effective workplace design and layout enhances work performance by 11 percent, productivity and job satisfaction by 16 percent and 24 percent respectively.

Thus, workspaces are adding more meaning into every dead corner or crack. This implies doing much more than merely painting the spaces in bright hues or installing vibrant pendant lighting. Take the stairwells for example. Often used as smoking zones and carrying a lot of negative energy, stairwells are being re-done with art installations and bold graphics. “By doing them up with art and installations, stairwells can be converted into happy spaces that work as mood-enhancers for employees,” says Yash Kela, founder of Arrivae, an interior design firm.

Once re-done, Sarda perceives stairwells as ‘’mini amphitheatres’’, a perfect location for ‘’mock meetings or a hurdle discussion for a small team.’’

Next are the passages and corridors which experts feel can spark inspiration and creative thought. Besides filling corridors with graphics and wallpapers, one could also design recessed storage carrying aesthetic appeal and which can be used for storing files, says Kela. ‘’The new high risers tend to have large columns that are over 4’ in size. The best way to “blend” this obstruction is by cladding it with mirrors in order to not make them all that visible. Adding a bookshelf makes people forget that it is a column and he or she starts viewing it as a shelf for magazines and books.’’ Moreover, by adding some indoor plants, interactive screens, sleek tables and chairs, corridors and balconies can become spaces where employees can bring their laptops and work from for brief periods of time; thus taking a ‘’break’’ from their usual setups. “Or where brainstorming and breakout sessions can be conducted,” says Kela.

The pantries meanwhile are quickly transforming into chic snack bars that encourage employees to interact, chat and bond, which is essential to boost team morale, say experts. Sarda says pantries, or rather cafes at Smartworks have an audio-video booth for small discussions over a relaxing meal, while flexible furniture layouts cater to the dining requirements and can be re-oriented into event spaces for symposiums. 

Further leveraging a ‘’dead space’’ is Bonito Designs, which has converted a spare basement into a mini-discussion room. ‘’It doesn’t have any chairs or tables. It is a carpet dotted brainstorming area that lets employees sit down, or lay back and ideate or discuss. This space has enabled several constructive conversations and engages teams in a productive manner,’’ says Sameer AM, founder and CEO, Bonito Designs.

COOKING PLANS

  • 24% job satisfaction boosted by creative office layouts, show studies
     
  • Effective workplace designs enhance work performance by 11%, productivity by 16%
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