Being a full-time employee myself I can completely comprehend with the importance of having breakout spaces in the workplace. Sometimes however, even when there is a breakout space for staff it may not actually get used simply because it’s not designed in a smart way.
I recently stumbled across a fantastic article on the http://blog.millikencarpet.com/ website that discusses this notion further. In my opinion, the type of furniture you use, the colour scheme & lighting are immensely important to get right.
Similarly, to what has been advised in the article, I also think it’s a great idea to select seating options & furnishings that are completely different from your usual working area. When I think of breakout space I immediately think of socialising with others, so perhaps having a seating arrangement where there is a long comfortable bench would work wonders for your organisation.
The breakout space shouldn’t be limited to this however, because sometimes it’s also nice to have some ‘me’ time without being disturbed by others. Therefore, having individual booths as well in the breakout space would also be a great idea. After all it’s always smart to have variety in the workplace if we wish to cater to everyone’s taste and personalities.
On the other hand, personally speaking, the colours used in my surroundings have an impact on my mood. On top of using a bright colour scheme in the breakout space why not also make use of hanging up colourful creative paintings on the wall? Surely this will help with the breakout area being a more pleasant place to be around.
On a separate note, I totally agree with the point in the article about how exposure to natural light positively impacts health & wellness. Based on this, it would be wise to have a breakout space situated in the office where there is a great amount of natural light coming in considering we get so little of it during work hours.
