As a company, it’s important to take care of your employees however you can. That’s because happy employees tend to be more productive and engaged, ultimately leading to less turnover and a more cohesive company. One important part of the employee experience is the building in which they work. If you’re getting ready to build a new company building, here are some employee-friendly elements that you should incorporate into the design.
Natural Light
An employee shouldn’t feel as though they’re working in a dungeon when they enter your building. Instead, the entire workspace should be flooded with natural light to create a positive and engaging atmosphere that everyone can enjoy. Although clear windows are great to have, it’s important to also use diffused natural light through translucent windows to ensure the sunlight is spread evenly across the entire building.
Reminders of Home
Although your building may be large, that doesn’t mean it has to feel overwhelming. By including some reminders of home in your commercial building design, you can give your employees a greater sense of belonging and relaxation. One way to create a feeling of home is to create smaller spaces within the larger space that employees can use as “living rooms,” “game rooms,” and other common spaces that you’d find within a home.
Zoned HVAC System
If you have more than one employee working in your building, there’s a good chance that there will be a disagreement about the temperature of the building at one point or another. Therefore, it’s important to split your building into multiple HVAC zones so that employees have more control over the temperature of the space where they’re working. Although this adds some complexity and cost to the construction, it will save on energy costs in the long run because individual employees won’t be running fans or space heaters to try and stay comfortable.
Mixed Materials
Although drywall and concrete are certainly reliable in their role as interior building materials, they aren’t the most inspiring materials to look at day after day. By adding mixed materials to your building’s interior, you will create a much more welcoming and inspiring space. Brick, wood, plastic, and a host of other materials can be used creatively to create a unique space that people will be proud to call their own.
Throughout the building process, it’s always wise to solicit employee feedback to ensure you’re on the right track in terms of design. After all, it’s these employees who will be using the new space. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that their ideas are incorporated so that they can take more ownership in the property.
