With the rise of the open plan office and more minimal approaches to workspace design, storage can be easily overlooked. While design and aesthetic are certainly important, it’s vital to also consider function and providing sufficient storage is part of this. Employees will need space to store everything from confidential documents to personal belongings so you will need to facilitate this.
Long gone are the days of drab filing cabinets and dusty cupboards full of lever arch files though – these days, storage is much more savvy and whole lot more stylish. Some of the most popular storage solutions for the modern workspace include…
Modular storage systems – For many of our clients, we have created bespoke storage solutions using modular system, Axium (pictured above). Not only does this look great and provide a modern alternative to traditional shelving, it also reduces the amount of floor space being used for storage and leaves plenty of room for personalisation.
See our Manchester Tech Incubator and Jaguar Land Rover case studies for more images of Axium in action.
Pedestals – Pedestals are one of the most simple but effective ways of providing personal storage at each workstation, whether it’s a dedicated desk for a resident worker or at a hot desk for mobile members of staff to use. Many office desks now come with the option of co-coordinating pedestals, most of which come on castors so they can be easily moved around the workspace or pulled up as impromptu seating.
Multifunctional storage products – Something like the Steelcase Share It collection (pictured above) delivers a modular system that provides storage but also simultaneously fulfills a variety of other requirements. The collection features a range of personal storage, team storage, meeting point solutions and lockers – all of which can double up as space dividers, acoustic barriers or a backdrop for a scribble board or whiteboard.
Lockers – Lockers are by no means a new storage concept but there have been certain innovations around this type of product in recent years that have made them a great solution for the agile workspaces of today. Something like the Spacestor Hot Locker can be controlled simply with a key for resident staff or via an individual device as an electronic alternative for mobile workers.
Managed Print Solutions – As well as a variety of furniture products, we do also provide our clients with streamline storage solutions through our MPS service, Datatech, as part of the Penketh Group. Implementing a managed print solution means you can cut costs, boost security and reduce the amount of physical space document storage takes up in your workspace.
Why is office storage so important?
With so many visually stimulating and innovative commercial interior products on the market, even lockers, pedestals and modular units can fall into the shadows of more exciting features such as technology and modern office furniture. However, storage is still as essential as it always has been.
Of course, movements towards paperless workspaces and cloud computing have meant that there is less ‘stuff’ to be storing but there are still a number of valid reasons as to why you need to ensure your office has sufficient storage:
- To enable staff to work efficiently without having to search for missing documents
- To ensure the safe storage and protection of confidential documents and data
- To declutter the workspace and make sure staff can think clearly
- To allow privacy, personalisation of space and space ownership where necessary