Smart Office Design Trends, Adding Functionality to Offices

Office design and planning and the way we use office spaces have changed dramatically over the last five years. Smart offices enable people to work in a way that suits them and their personality, work style and personal circumstances.

Smart office design is the strategic creation of modern spaces that meet the needs of a hybrid workforce, allowing them to choose between in-office and remote working.

This blog post looks at exactly what a smart office is, what its benefits are both to business and workforces, and some examples of the technologies used to create a productive and purposeful office environment.

Several factors make an office smart but the fundamental feature is having effective technology that enables, augments and supports your work. This technology is accessible in smart meeting rooms, devices and office spaces so that teams can collaborate, communicate and work together, even when they are not physically in the same building helping you to create a hybrid office space.

Smart office technologies don’t just include devices. It includes smart lighting systems that help reduce maintenance costs by switching on and off when people enter and leave a room, or desks that have integrated features such as charging portals and Bluetooth speakers so that everything is at your fingertips.Smart office design includes features such as lighting systems that change colour and brightness based on the type of work you’re doing, and furniture staples like smart desks that help to boost productivity, particularly for remote employees as they have everything they need to work effectively, within their desk space.

What benefits are there to smart offices?

A smart office space creates a better working environment for employees, whether they’re in the office or working remotely, as well as reduces energy consumption and helps to maximise space utilisation so that it’s working hard for a business.

Some of the key benefits include:

Reducing energy costs
Optimising office space
Improving health and hygiene

Reducing energy costs

A hybrid office that has occupancy sensors, smart thermostats, light sensors and a host of other smart devices and technologies can significantly reduce overall energy costs. Heating systems that react quickly to temperature changes and can sense when a room is empty, and smart lighting that reacts to people entering and leaving a room mean that energy is only used when it’s needed.

This helps not only to save money but create a greener office space that doesn’t waste energy by, for example, lights being left on when no one is using the room.

Optimising office space

When office space is a premium, you want to make sure you’re getting the most value from it. Using smart technologies such as Deskbird enables staff to book a desk when they need one, allowing you to make the most of your office layout and utilise the space effectively.

This type of software has many features that not only allow you to manage your office space but can also help you with identifying who was using each desk which helps with security breaches.

Improving health and hygiene

Germs are often spread through touch, so the less we touch something, the easier it is to reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses. Smart office technology means lights come on when you enter a room, toilets flush and taps come on using a sensor, and air conditioning and heating adjust based on the number of people in a room, all of which reduces the need for us to touch switches which improves health and hygiene and helps to reduce staff illness.

What are the technologies that smart offices use?

Smart office technology enables you to create an office environment that attracts the best people, helps to increase productivity and nurtures excellent working relationships between remote workers and those who choose to work in the physical office.

These include:

Smart lighting and heating

Only using lighting or heating in occupied rooms is the key to creating an energy-efficient space. Smart technology uses sensors to activate anything like heating, lighting, taps and air conditioning so that it comes on when someone enters a room and goes off when they leave.

This helps to save money, reduce costs and create an intuitive office building that provides optimum employee comfort, with maximum energy efficiency.

Booking systems

Smart booking systems enable workers to book anything from a video conference to a specific desk by the window, phone calls and so much more. Some booking systems connect with Microsoft Teams, allowing employees to choose where they work without missing meetings or conferences. Smart tech gives employees the tools to choose where and how they work, knowing there’s a desk available for them in the physical office or video conferencing to meet clients when they are working remotely.

Smart office furniture

Smart office technology extends to the furniture used to create the key features of a hybrid office. A modern, smart office environment is filled with furniture that meets the demands of hybrid working such as desks fitted with smart office technologies such as charging points, Bluetooth connectivity, and intuitive heights that promote well-being and comfort.

Smart chairs take the guesswork away from finding the optimum height and position for a healthier sitting position. Sensors detect your posture and gently nudge you into the best position for your body and some models even have built-in massage features to keep you at your best throughout the day.