Post-pandemic offices, a new reality

It’s no longer news that the pandemic has changed the way we work forever. The lockdown meant that permanent work areas had to be set up at home, proving not only that human beings’ capacity for improvisation and adaptation was huge, but also that the comfort, efficiency and performance of workers who telecommuted increased exponentially.

Even after we entered normality, this practice was gaining ground and we saw a decentralization of the office in its own facilities and work began to be seen as a busier and more hybrid activity. Obviously not all companies have gone through these processes, but there is a new reality hanging in the air. There is no doubt that the future will see a change in the way teams work and function, and that we are already in the reality of teleworking without barriers or borders.

A real estate market researcher confirms that today only a third of professionals go to the office to carry out tasks that require high concentration.

In this area, there is an obvious problem for companies that want their employees to be constantly present and to keep their physical spaces active. To deal with this issue, to help plan and design new spaces in detail, entrepreneurs turn to the services of interior designers and architects as specialists in transforming and organizing environments in order to give them new functionalities, prioritize comfort and highlight their aesthetics.

It is in this context that our studio has been called upon to intervene and work together with companies to design the offices best suited to the new dynamics.

In general, our focus and starting point is the connection with the other. The importance of humanizing the office as a form of inspiration and empowerment for transformative collective work.

Our work and our contribution is always aimed at transforming the office into a more welcoming and captivating space that will attract your employees.

Through techniques and plays on light, colors and textures, our office interior designs create environments that stimulate employee motivation and consequently increase productivity in general.

Likewise, and knowing that comfortable, calm and welcoming environments evoke a mood conducive to well-being, we are always focused on bringing elements to offices that stimulate the sharing of ideas, creative capacity, inspiration and innovation.

Lighting is one of the aspects to take into consideration when carrying out an interior design project for modern offices because it helps us to create environments with different scenic effects. It’s enough, for example, to use cold or warm light, diffused or direct light on different decorative elements to completely change the environment.

We use warm lighting, which encourages creativity and concentration on innovative ideas, and we regulate its intensity or incidence depending on the activity.

We can also control it remotely, depending on the area, number of people or task.All these factors, which seem like details, are fundamental when designing an office interior, as they influence behavior and help to attract employees.

Concern for the environment is another important aspect that I always keep in mind when creating an interior design for a workspace and when thinking about its decoration, because it’s a necessary theme that transports us to the world of nature. Bringing nature close to us is transformative and a great way to restore energy in the office. I love plants and designing green offices with trees or vertical gardens is a privilege because we can create calmer environments, with positive energy, a sense of vigor and a good mood for employees.

I’m constantly motivated by the thought that breathing the air renewed by plants increases the white blood cells that fight infections and diseases, and the aromas of flowers and plants have the ability to stimulate our bodies.

Living with plants is so beneficial that we can’t help but use them and integrate them into our architectural and interior design projects.

It is the duty of architecture and interior design professionals to maintain the balance between these two worlds and to bridge the gap to help us understand and “love” everything that is alive.

In addition to all these elements that coexist in the psychological world or that influence space, it’s important to think that today’s offices also have to prioritize new technologies.I often say that today’s offices must be highly technological places to meet new demands, but they must also be highly humanized in order to be more welcoming, safe and shareable between colleagues. As an architecture and interior design studio, we equip the spaces we design with the latest technology to meet new demands and enable an interactive experience.A modern office that wants to attract its staff must fundamentally be a smart office with state-of-the-art technology that allows meetings to be held remotely and that can be adapted to different audiences wherever they are, which is why our office interior designs always focus on this aspect.

Noise is another element to take into account when thinking about the interior design of new offices, not least because it is one of the main reasons why business organizations call on us to design the interiors of their workspaces. A well thought-out acoustic design concept, although invisible to the eye, can exponentially improve the user experience, leading to healthier, more engaged and high-performing employees.

Our interiors studio carefully analyzes noise disturbance trends, how noise travels through space and the absorption coefficient, so that we can then work out the methods and tools needed to block or reduce noise disturbance. In our interior design and decoration projects for offices, we often use modular furniture, which is essential for flexible working and can be adapted to changes in tasks and the number of people.When necessary, we also design and supply certain equipment to better integrate into the space and always in accordance with all occupational safety rules.

This is how we revolutionize the workspaces entrusted to us. We reinvent modern offices, ensuring that people feel good and want to come back. With airy areas, good light and decorative objects that have a direct impact on people’s mood, we provide healthier, more welcoming, fun and interactive environments.

We pride ourselves on creating interior designs for humanized offices, where socializing is done in a pleasant and happy way with a lively, dynamic and constantly changing aesthetic.

Margarida Bugarim

Interior Architect