Office and workplace design must balance form and function. This has led to the study of ergonomics, the science of flow and efficiency. Now, viral safety is an equally high priority. In the last two years, we have faced a unique challenge as businesses reopen their doors and began honing their methods for job satisfaction and COVID safety when employees are in the workplace. This is especially trying since office design before the pandemic leaned heavily on open workspaces and floors of desks. Today, businesses in every sector seek solutions for a safe, efficient, and welcoming workplace for on-site and hybrid employees.
One of the leading strategies is the smart office pod – a portable, soundproofed, and privately ventilated room design. Each smart office pod features glass and fabric walls, a sealing door with a digital access panel, and interior space with lights, charge ports, and private ventilation. They come in sizes from private cubby to spacious conference room, and can be constructed inside any indoor commercial space.
But how do you choose the right smart booth(s) for your business design? Here are five things to consider:
- The Size of Your Space
- What You Will Use Smart Office Pods For
- Size vs Number of Smart Office Pods per Space
- How You Will Furnish the Smart Office Pods
- How Smart Office Pods Fit Into Your Greater Office Design
The Size of Your Space
First, consider the size of the office you are starting with and the size of the booth or booths you want to install. A large open office space can house dozens of small to medium pods or a mix of office and conference room sized pods for a very flexible workspace design.
However, be sure to plan for booths large enough for your purposes and for enough walking space around your pods to provide ergonomic movement through the workplace.
What You Will Use Smart Office Pods For
Define your purposes for each smart office pod. Your intention may be to provide particle-isolated office spaces for your hybrid employees, or to create conference rooms that can be sealed and sanitized between uses. You can use the soundproof nature of each booth to create practice and project spaces that might otherwise be too noisy for the shared workplace, or create private spaces employees can book on their own when they need a quiet room.
The purpose of each pod will help you to decide its size, features, and placement.
Size vs Number of Smart Office Pods per Space
How many smart office pods can you fit into your space? It depends on the size of the pods you want to install. many workplaces choose a mix of cubby, office, and conference room-sized pods to create a dynamic and environmentally modular workplace (easier to keep clean and monitor cleanliness) in place of the existing open floor design.
How You Will Furnish the Smart Office Pods
What furniture will you put into each pod? Smart office pods are just spaces, which makes them more flexible than built-in office designs. You can build the type of workspace your employees will find familiar and responsive for office space or build a cutting-edge hybrid streaming conference room. But you don’t have to stop there. Furnishing options include musical instruments, gym equipment, even safely isolated lunch tables where employees can take off their masks to eat in peace.
How Smart Office Pods Fit Into Your Greater Office Design
Finally, consider how building smart office pods in your open space contribute to your overall office design. How does this create the right balance of offices and project rooms? How well can a smart office pod design fulfill your workplace demands for safe spaces and on-site workstations?
Use this final consideration to hone your smart office pod strategy until you have designed just the right balance of sizes and sealed spaces to meet your building’s unique needs.
Ready to start exploring smart office pod and collaboration strategies for your company? Contact us today.
