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3 min read

Office Neighborhoods

by LVN Studio

Interviewer: Olivia Harrison
Interviewee: Tal

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has become a significant shift in the way employees want to work. Many employees enjoy the ability to move about freely, or work in uninterrupted quiet areas, and easily communicate with coworkers, all in one office. This is why companies have increasingly implemented office neighborhoods, a design that reimagines the traditional office space as a more communal and comfortable work environment. By embracing the idea of office neighborhoods, companies can become more than just an office, but a meaningful place that fosters teamwork and helps employees thrive. 

Gensler, an architectural service company, completed a survey in 2021 which found that nearly a third of the people said they wanted to work from home indefinitely and about half said they would prefer to come in two days a week. Furthermore, according to furniture designer Steelcase, research shows a correlation between employee engagement and satisfaction with the work space, meaning that the more an employee enjoys their workspace, the more productive they will likely be.

“Employees will increasingly be working in what we call the hybrid office—moving between a home work space and a traditional office building. The latter will become primarily a culture space, providing workers with a social anchor, facilitating connections, enabling learning, and fostering unscripted, innovative collaboration.” – HBR

by HBR

In order for office neighborhoods to thrive, there should be a space for each employee’s needs. Whether that means a space for collaborative work, a social garden, assigned stations for each employee, or a comfortable lounging area, there are a variety of options to include. Having the ability to choose where to work in a space can show an employee that a company wants to foster a collaborative and vibrant environment that supports a variety of ways to be productive.  

LVN Studios always opens up the conversation from the beginning about what office environment a company is looking for. Every office space has different needs and workstyles, and we understand that neighborhoods are not necessary at every company. LVN designs with specific requests and necessary extensions in mind. At the end of the day, it is all based on the needs of our clients.

“Office neighborhoods can take care of all the employee needs and workstyles. An employee can go from a 15 min conference meeting to somewhere more informal, to a quiet space where they can concentrate alone or with a client.” – Tal

by Tal

Articles used:

https://www.steelcase.com/eu-en/research/articles/topics/work-better/new-hybrid-neighborhood/
https://hbr.org/2021/03/designing-the-hybrid-office