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New Eye-Catching Offices Completed in Sydney

October 5, 2017

We recently completed another project in one of Sydney CBD's buildings spreading over 2 levels and hosting over 200 employees. 

The large space was broken into several working zones thanks to our sets of Scape screens and accent of colours brilliantly defining the breakout areas. 

The open office and its eye-catching colour palette features our black Keywork workstations with a selection of white and woodgrain tops paired with our Trak screens, Trak planters and Aim chairs. 

Personal and general storage is provided by individual black Globe mobile pedestals and white Sliding Door Cupboards.

Unsightly power and data cables were cleverly concealed in our black Umbilical cords descending from the ceiling directly into the workstations.

Breakout spaces and informal meeting areas were furnished with our Uno counters, Zorro stools and chairs, Bop ottomans, Hush lounges and Dart coffee tables while private meeting rooms feature Dart meeting tables, Miro chairs and Whiteboards. 

The stunning kitchen was designed to accommodate a large number of staff whilst encouraging communication. A custom Jam counter with Zorro stools is the centrepiece of the space and smaller settings featuring our Zorro chairs and Dart tables provide additional seating.

What started as a vast empty shell was successfully transformed into a modern and exciting work space for all to enjoy and thrive in. 

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In Recent Posts, Projects Tags Krost, Krost Furniture, Krost Business Furniture, Office Furniture, Office Furniture Sydney, Office Fitout, Commercial fitout, Krost project, Office project, Workstation, open plan offices, Meeting room, Office chair, Breakout area

Activity Based Working: the alternative to the open vs closed offices debate?

May 5, 2016

In last week’s blog, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of open and closed plan offices. Although open plan offices have been the popularised choice over the last few decades, both strategies have their benefits and there isn't a one size fits all solution.

Types of work performed by employees vary throughout the day and so does the environment they work in, from needing a quiet private space to concentrate to a collaborative space to brainstorm and think creatively.

With this, the more flexible concept of Activity Based Working has emerged which aims to give employees the best working environment for the task at hand.

What is Activity Based Working or ABW?

Activity Based Working supports the idea that a work space should be based on the type of work or “activity” that is undertaken by an employee. Therefore, the workspace should be designed accordingly and foster a number of varied spaces that allow for different activities to be performed at their best. For certain tasks employees will need to think creatively, for others they will need to collaborate and others to concentrate without any distractions. ABW implies that employees no longer have their own desk and become mobile, choosing their desk, room, work area depending on the work they need to achieve.

What are the benefits of ABW?

  • It allows people to perform at their best, increasing productivity and business efficiency by working in the most suitable space
  • It gives employees a sense of freedom, empowerment and trust
  • It increases interactions and team collaboration
  • Flexibility in where and how employees choose to work
  • Reduction in paper usage
  • Decrease in real estate costs by reducing the amount of desks and floor space needed
  • Increase in activity and chance meetings

What are the disadvantages of ABW?

  • Sense of loss: employees no longer have a space that feels like their own which they can personalise
  • Feeling exposed
  • Frequent desk relocations can waste time
  • Certain employees, often from older generations used to a more traditional work environment, may not respond well

What spaces should be created?

This highly depends on the industry you work in, your company culture and the employees’ needs. Careful consideration should be given when implementing ABW to ensure it meets your business strategy. A mix of collaborative spaces with team desks, quiet concentration rooms, phone booths and meeting rooms are the most common spaces seen in ABW. Other ideas range from leisure areas featuring table tennis and pool tables, media rooms and café style or lounge spaces encouraging impromptu and informal meetings, but there is really no limit to what you can do.

A few things to take into considerations before implementing Activity Based working

  • It is essential to have the right technology to support this model, including a fast and secure Wi-Fi connection so that staff can access the internet from anywhere at any time, a fully mobile telephone system.   
  • You will need to consider transitioning to a paperless office
  • The initial cost of implementing ABW incurred by the office redesign and new furniture purchase

Is ABW for you?

Each business is unique and the reason for adopting ABW should be carefully considered. Activity Based Working presents a lot of advantages and could be the ultimate solution to providing the perfect workspace. Look at whether your current model is working, weigh up the benefits and disadvantages of Activity Based Working to help you decide whether it is the right solution for you. The truth is that most people resist change, it is therefore important to implement this new strategy in stages and to explain the reasons behind ABW and its benefits to the employees to facilitate the transition into a vastly different style. 

Click through our gallery below for more ABW  inspiration. 

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In Recent Posts, General Information Tags krost, Krost Business Furniture, Office furniture, Office furniture Sydney, open plan offices, closed offices, Open vs Closed offices, Activity Based Working, ABW, Hits desking, Breakout furniture

Open vs Closed Plan Offices

April 29, 2016

When designing new offices, one of the main questions concerns the office layout. The open versus closed office debate has raged over the last few years. It seems there is not a “one-size-fits-all solution” but rather a need to understand the needs and functions of employees to design a workplace that will enhance employees’ wellbeing and productivity at work.

We’ve compiled a list of key advantages and disadvantages for each preference to help you weigh up the options for your organisation.

 

Closed offices

Advantages:

  • Privacy:  employees can enjoy complete privacy, take a phone call, conduct meetings
  • Concentration: facilitate concentration by shielding from distractions, fewer interruptions and reducing the surrounding noise
  • Space: closed offices often offer a larger work area

Disadvantages:

  • Space consumption: significantly more space is required, which will impact the company’s spend, particularly in big cities where real estate prices are higher. The cost of building also increases with extra walls, air conditioning and extra lighting required
  • Low supervision: it is more difficult to supervise each employee in private offices, however,  this is often a positive point allowing for greater responsibility, trust in employees and independence
  • Low communication: closed offices do not encourage easy communication and impromptu face to face meetings between employees
  • Isolation: employees can easily feel isolated and not “in the loop” in closed offices

 

Open plan offices

Advantages:

  • Communication and collaboration: the absence of walls in open offices encourages employees to interact regularly in an informal setting, increases collaboration and can also lead to business innovation
  • Team spirit: open offices provide employees with a sense of belonging and being part of a community, improving employees’ morale and productivity.
  • Optimum use of space: more employees can be accommodated in less space therefore reduces the company’s spending

Disadvantages:

  • More distractions: open offices present more opportunities to get distracted and become less focussed on the task at hand
  • Lack of privacy: computer screens are easily visible and phone conversations overheard in open plan offices
  • Noise: offices can become noisy and make it more difficult to concentrate and may require acoustic solutions.
  • Egalitarianism: the hierarchy is less obvious in open plan offices since everybody works in the same space

Today’s workplace seems to be shifting more and more towards open plan offices however this doesn’t mean that closed office plans are dead, indeed they offer many strengths. Recent research suggests that certain personality types are differently suited to closed and open planned working spaces.

Additionally, certain tasks require communication while others require concentration. Therefore, some different models of office design like activity based working have become prominent as a solution to the open vs closed office dilemma.

We will explore Activity Based Working in next week’s blog post. Stay tuned.

In Recent Posts, General Information Tags Office furniture Sydney, Office Furniture, open plan offices, closed offices, office layout, Krost Business Furniture, Krost, Activity Based Working

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