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At home in the office?

January 10th, 2019

Where do you go when you need to get work done? Employers might hope that most people would say the office, but we all know that isn’t always the case. People spend their most productive hours in unique places, on their porches, on the couch, in the kitchen, at a cafe, and, sure, maybe the office. The idea that productivity can occur outside the confines of a cubicle or conference room isn’t revolutionary. Researchers in workplace strategy and design have known for a while that the traditional office may not lead to higher productivity. Today’s workforce is dominated by hustlers who grew up knowing that work can happen anywhere and anytime with the right technology and inspiration. The ability to find productive spaces in and out of the office has been translated into a new way of thinking about what the office should look and feel like. These ideas about work and productivity have manifested in incorporating residential and hospitality design into the workplace.

For industry insiders, there is a term for this new wave of workplace design. Resimercial refers to residential-inspired features in corporate offices, challenging the cold and formal aspects often seen in traditional workplaces.

According to WorkDesign Magazine, resimercial design can positively impact employees’ well-being and productivity, but it needs to be well-executed. Here are three ideas to remember if you want to incorporate resimercial design in your office.

Customize

You can’t just place residential objects in a traditional office and assume it will transform the space. Resimercial design should be customized to the employee’s needs and the company’s culture. For example, suppose a company wants to encourage employees to spend more time in the office than working from home. In that case, more features must be incorporated than just adding a few house plants and expecting the energy to change.

Options

Employees have a lot of elements to their workday. Team meetings, social interactions, and heads-down work are all different scenarios that deserve separate spaces. You wouldn’t want to catch up with a co-worker in a conference room or have a collaboration meeting at the water cooler. By creating a variety of spaces for employees—personal seating niches, casual huddle areas, conference rooms—you’re facilitating their creative needs.

Make it Lively

Resimercial design allows a company to add friendliness to its space without sacrificing professionalism. Empty, unused space, like blank conference room walls, can be used to showcase art, murals, or even some of the company’s products on display.

You’ll succeed with your resimercial design aspirations if you keep in mind that the space should ideally serve as a home-away-from-home for dedicated employees to flourish during the 9-5.

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