Strengthening Communities with Cool Office Space Trends

AUTHORED BY COLE STERR

Earlier this year, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal featured our office on its MSP Cool Offices website page. After 35 years in Bloomington, our office moved to the heart of downtown Minneapolis, right in the middle of the skyway system. We were ecstatic to join the hustle and bustle of the innovative and modern downtown Minneapolis – with an office to match, too!

With a renovated office complete with branded interior, open concepts, collaboration and communal spaces, artwork and unbeatable views, we’re stoked that our office is considered “cool.”

But wait. What is a “cool” office anyway?

Let’s look at some of the most popular office trends of 2018 that make an office “cool.”

The Emerging Trends

Some of the main emerging office trends include increased collaboration and communal spaces, improvised working stations and brand visibility. Let’s break these down.

• Increased collaboration: Many offices now designate spaces that are meant for collaboration between co-workers. This includes pop up seating areas, technology-infused conference spaces and even bean bag chairs and ping pop tables to foster comfortable working environments. Take a look at one of our communal spaces – called the UP Park – for example.

• Hoteling: This trend reflects the fast-paced and flexible environment that working professionals oh so crave today. As more professionals have the option to work remotely, our clients channel efficiency and fiscal responsibility with a concept known as “hoteling.” This practice employs unofficial seating arrangements where employees don’t have an assigned cubicle, but rather come into the office and work anywhere for the day. This trend eliminates unnecessary office space and thus, reduces costs and allows room for efficiency and flexibility for busy employees. Huh, what a concept.
• Brand visibility: Ah, what a trend branding has become in the last decade. It’s now common – and almost expected – that a company’s office integrates brand elements throughout its space. Take a look at our brand wall below that features our signature work and key messages:

But wait, there’re more. Consider the following:

• Biophilic design elements: Oooh, fancy word. Biophilic basically means any natural elements incorporated into a design space whether that’s greenery, water features or rooftop gardens.
• Accessibility improvements to better suit employees with physical disabilities. This includes translation devices for employees who are hearing impaired, adaptive desks and wellness/meditation rooms.

Keeping Up with the Office Trends

As these office space trends normalize, we continue to imagine possibilities of providing comfortable and high-quality working environments for our clients, helping foster collaboration and teamwork.

We’re proud that we have imagined these possibilities and cultivated an inclusive, collaborative – and “cool” – office that matches our drive for innovation and desire to not only strengthen our own community, but the communities we serve, as well.