Office Breakout Areas

The benefits of a well-designed office breakout area are manifold, the main one being an improvement in motivation and productivity levels as staff become more engaged. Giving people more choice and control around where and how they work fosters a more positive and collaborative workplace culture. When incorporated as part of an ecosystem of diverse work settings, this type of space also contributes to the nurturing of better physical and mental wellbeing. Staff are able to move more freely throughout the day and choose working environments which suit their individual needs.

Breakout space design essentials

Our approach to designing a breakout area is the same as all other work settings – to create a high-performance, user-centric workspace which facilitates and supports a wide audience. We want all staff to be able to benefit from the space no matter what their job title, personality or physical ability.

Some top-level advice:

Make sure your brand image and company culture are still clearly communicated
Position away from private spaces or places where people might need silence
Use modular, non-fixed furniture so that the space can be easily adapted
Use it as a chance to experiment with colour, textures and current trends

Engagement

96%

Almost all of the mostly highly engaged employees are able to change positions freely during the day.

Collaboration

46%

Nearly half of workplace collaboration happens on an informal, unstructured basis.

Attract & Retain

25%

A quarter of 18-24-year olds are desperate for more breakout areas (MIndspace).

Office breakout furniture

The act of breaking away from the desk and what is expected of a breakout space is different for different people. Some might see it as an opportunity to rejuvenate or socialise, while others might see it as the chance to focus or collaborate in more casual surroundings. For this reason, the furniture portfolio chosen for this setting needs to be diverse and inclusive of a variety of personalities and requirements.

We recommend a mix of soft seating, more formal tables and chairs and technology-integrated furniture to support different postures, tasks and communication styles. Head over to our breakout furniture ideas blog post for more commercial furniture inspiration.

Knowledge Centre

Visit Knowledge Centre

From whitepapers and blogs to research findings and our work; whether you’re looking to find out more about workplace issues or browse our past projects, you’ll find it all here.