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Commercial Space Interior Design Trends Enrich Every Work Area

COVID-19 has changed the commercial real estate landscape

As we reset our work-life balance, the workplace must also evolve

Home offices, smart amenities, technology, and safety are now all need-to-haves, not on the wish list. Adaptation is key, as many new leases are short-term or sublease in order to keep physical space flexible.

Who is changing how they use their workspace?

  • Architects
  • Engineers
  • Designers
  • School Study Rooms
  • Insurance
  • Medical Collaboration
  • Any commercial office
  • Training
  • Libraries
  • Banks
  • So many more!

Multi-purpose workspaces are still on trend

Even the government has office space and conference rooms that previously were gray, dreary & uninspiring.

Room dividers, sliding glass doors, glass office fronts, suspended barn doors, conference rooms and lockable offices all play a part in multi-purposing commercial spaces to optimize them.

As those returning to work are letting upper management know, disinfection and visibly clean space instills confidence. Glass partitions are a great way to divide and keep spaces open yet separate.

Workplaces have changed dramatically in the last 50 years

Many of the changes ahead of us impact workplace design and functionality. What used to be characterized by productivity and efficiency was changed when personal computers came about.

Then the internet brought information to us real-time and our workplaces were re-shaped again and continued to evolve to drive more innovation.

While productivity is still VITAL, leveraging knowledge and promoting innovation is on the top of the goal list along with collaboration and cross-functional teamwork. Any lost productivity while being at home can be regained as we return to work. Employees are eager to reconnect.

In order to foster innovation, workspaces, conference rooms and consultation areas must provide natural light, places to meet, PLUS more quiet places to think and focus.

Interior glass door solutions including room dividers, swing doors, fixed glass walls and pass-through windows all contribute to the kind of workplace that is ripe for innovation and creativity. Innovation is seen as critical to maintaining a competitive edge.

Sliding glass doors that can stack or lock for privacy provide significant functionality and offer a clutter-free, organized yet relaxed setting.

Conference room dividers that double as dry erase boards

In line with collaboration and innovation, our interior glass door solutions can be designed with different sections of glass. Milky glass for example can be used as a dry erase board in a training room! Focused work requires a lot of attention to detail and concentration. And this is especially helpful in schools and universities. What could be more perfect than a private, calm area to set your mind free to think and create?

Having a room divider that can slide closed and offer privacy when needed is a productive way to utilize your office space.

The combination of an open floor plan to innovate with others and the private areas required to focus is the key to success!

Stacking room dividers open the space for collaboration in seconds while offices fronts close off more private areas for focus and concentration. Check out more options today at spaceplus.com, or get started with a free consultation by calling us at 1-866-536-2113.

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Tips for Building a Coworking Office to Attract Top Millennial Talent

The traditional office structure has been shaken up recently in big ways. The tech-savvy generation by and large is rejecting rigid workplace hierarchies and wants to work with a company, not for it. They appreciate autonomy at work, collaboration, and the free exchange of information and ideas. As some offices return to work and make changes, coworking spaces are becoming very attractive to many millennials.

And since millennials will make up 75% of the workforce by 2030, it only makes sense to create attractive workspaces for this soon-to-dominate group.

Coworking Spaces Continue to Grow in Popularity

Open office layouts have been popular for decades—these millennial-friendly spaces encourage spontaneous run-ins and collaboration. Coworking spaces are similar but are designed to allow employees from multiple businesses to work side-by-side. Many coworking spaces are like gyms in that members pay a monthly membership fee for regular access to the building or unit, as well as its amenities.

Coworking spaces are gaining popularity, and for a good reason. A study by Gensler found that access to coworking is associated with better employee experience and greater effectiveness at work. For those tired of working from home in less than ideal conditions, the coworking space is a welcome change.

Employers like the lower overhead costs and fewer responsibilities of renting a workspace. Workers enjoy the energy of these spaces and the networking opportunities and crossover of ideas shared spaces provide. Coworking spaces have mostly attracted tech startups and entrepreneurs, but they hold promise for other industries as well.

Tips for Creating a Coworking Space That Attracts Millennials

Coworking spaces are popping up all over the country, but if you’re not near a major city, finding a shared space can be a challenge. In this case, you might consider starting your own. Here are some tips for creating an attractive coworking space.

1. Make sure there’s demand

The idea of coworking spaces is still new for many people. If you have an established company, make sure there’s buy-in from your employees. If you’re a startup, you might need to host a few events to generate interest and excitement.

2. Choose your location wisely

You want your space to be conveniently located in a safe area with parking. The beauty of coworking spaces is they work well in all kinds of buildings, from underutilized offices to vacant buildings to old banks and factories. If you’re outside a city center, you might be able to find a landlord or property manager willing to offer you an inexpensive lease or month-to-month arrangement. This will allow you to test out the concept and see if it works for your business.

3. Strategically plan your layout and furnishings

Studies find that employees who had access to a variety of different types of spaces and who had a choice in where to work reported having better workplace experiences.

Workers need spaces to focus, collaborate, learn and socialize. Use this as a guide to map out the layout and design of your coworking habitat. Here are some popular features in shared working spaces:

  • Communal seating
  • Private individual offices
  • Conference rooms
  • Modular interior walls
  • Mobile and stackable furniture (e.g., mobile pods and tables on wheels)
  • Greenery-covered walls and other natural features
  • Tech-enabled spaces
  • Phone booths and nursing rooms
  • Beverage bars and comfortable lounges

If the space is small, an open floor plan can help you maximize space. If you have plenty of room to spread out, experiment with different modular layouts.

To keep the space flexible, choose movable glass walls and partitions, which you can reconfigure as your needs change. Keep in mind that everyone has different temperaments for noise and distractions—office dividers can help you create customizable private areas where employees can retreat for quiet time.

4. Invest in connectivity

It’s not enough to have high-speed Internet these days. To create an in-demand coworking space, create an environment designed for connectivity. Consider adding docking stations, interactive whiteboards, digital wayfinding technology (to help workers find open desk spaces), multimedia displays, virtual or augmented reality tools, and even personalized temperature and lighting controls.

Space Plus: Helping You Build an In-Demand Coworking Space

The modern workplace needs state-of-the-art solutions, and Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company, provides them.

Our office divider walls and sliding doors can help you create dynamic coworking spaces for every need—from conference rooms to sanctuary spaces to “huddle rooms.” Our partitions are sleek and modern, constructed of the highest quality tempered or laminated glass. Our talented team will help you choose from a variety of designs, glass types and frame finishes to suit your space’s aesthetic, as well as the right locks and handles for secure office rentals.

View our gallery for inspiration and learn more about our glass partitions and sliding glass door solutions for coworking office environments. Ready to get started on building your own coworking space? Request a quote today.

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Office Environments, Layouts, Standards and Guidelines

As a contractor or architect, it’s up to you to design a space for your clients that is well suited to the client’s needs and improves the quality of their experience existing in the space. Getting contracted to design office spaces is not always easy, especially today with a rapidly evolving definition of what an office environment could be. Nowadays, most new offices are multidimensional and act as a home away from home- with kitchens, games, and lounge areas that simulate the essence of a living room.

These workspaces are meant to cater to the worker’s needs, boost morale, enhance production, and increase continuity and communication amongst coworkers or “team members”. By designing a thoughtful and considered layout, and installing the right framework, you’ll be able to craft an innovative working environment that your client and their employees will love. Below, we’ve outlined some things to keep in mind during the design process. Much needed rooms, spatial separation, and exciting elements to employ may help inspire your blueprints.

Office Open Floor Plans

Today, open floor plans have become the new staple or standard in office design. More and more companies are recognizing that allowing their employees to freely communicate, work together and experience closeness actually increases productivity and team morale. Open floor plans also increase visibility, natural light, and breathability throughout the office environment. By starting off your design with an open plan, you make room for a lot of inventive spatial solutions and targeted rooms that will add intrigue and excitement to the space.

bright workplace with many glass divided rooms

Office Phone Booths/Call Rooms

A good way to allow for some spatial separation and privacy is to introduce phone booths or “tiny rooms” into the open swath of expansive office space. While these glass barriers are not specifically soundproof, they do provide a spatial barrier that lessens noise and provides increased privacy. This way, when a team member has a long call (or a loud voice) they can quickly step into these quiet spaces and not feel guilty about distracting nearby workers. A new poll by Udemy and Toluna showed that 80% of workers admit to being sonically distracted while at work.

 “Office noise is the second most cited workplace disturbance, with seven out of ten respondents citing noise as a top bother in their day-to-day workflow” (statista.com).

Outside influences on employees’ working environment take a toll on productivity and cause employees a cumbersome mental reset every few minutes. A great solution to introduce with these call booths is to install sliding door room dividers for the call booth so as to save space in an already tiny enclosure, while creating a stylish design that increases the office aesthetic. Our solutions divide the space, curtail foot traffic and provide visual privacy.

 

Bonus Yoga / Stretching / Meditation Room

A new trend amongst trendy office spaces is offering a yoga or meditation room. People become seriously fatigued while sitting for too long a time in uncomfortable office chairs day in and day out. Not only is a desk job physically grueling on a person’s body, but it also takes a mental toll. By designing workers space for some healthy breaks to stretch, breathe, recenter and improve their physical health, you effectively boost productivity, increase mental capacity and increase contentment amongst a workforce. Consider installing sliding glass barn doors for this room – it will enhance the overall look of the room and offer an artistic flourish your client will love. What’s more, you can choose from six different glass opacities to best suit your client’s needs. For the yoga room, perhaps a more opaque glass finish would be the ideal choice, so workers can stretch and meditate while enjoying a bit of privacy. 

conference room with sliding glass door wall, some panels opaque

Think Tank / Conference Room

While open floor plans are a great way to achieve integration, cohesion, and an overall team mentality, any office environment should come equipped with a full-size conference room for important/private meetings and presentations. Some like to think of these rooms as productive think tanks. Not providing one would be a big detriment to any business. People need to be able to gather around a table, bounce ideas off each other, check-in on progress, etc. To engineer a stylistic balance of privacy with visibility, use glass sliding door room dividers to integrate a conference room amongst the rest of the open floor plan. This way, you’ll provide a “separate yet together” feel that your clients will thoroughly enjoy.

Private Offices

Of course, you’ll want to design your office space with at least one to three private offices to provide distinction for the company CEO, manager or owner from the general workforce. By using floor-to-ceiling glass wall partitions and interior sliding doors, you’ll provide enough spatial separation and privacy while assimilating the rooms into the vast open space. An office with four solid walls on each side doesn’t exactly say “teamwork” the way it should. Rather, it segregates the people below and can make employees feel detached from their bosses or those higher up than them. As the designer, take it upon yourself to create a positive, integrative working environment that will improve the working conditions of employees and drive the business in the right direction.

Our glass and aluminum partitions are recyclable and perfect for green construction projects. They also assist architects with earning LEED points which is another selling point when contracting clients. Taking into consideration general layout, office partitions, the use of glass, and introducing inventive spaces, you’ll successfully craft a product that your clients will celebrate each day they come into work. An office should be a productive home away from home. Consult the experts in space optimization and check out Space Plus, a division of the Sliding Door Company.

Have a look at our products gallery for inspiration and product images. Schedule a call with one of our knowledgeable professionals to get a free quote and other information on our many available solutions. Simply find a location near you and ensure your office design a success!

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Integrating Separation in the Workplace Following COVID 19

Admittedly, this all sounds rather paradoxical; integrating separation. Yet, this is essentially the new norm moving forward and out of our economic crisis spurred by COVID 19. In order to regain footing in the work world, many are asked to return to the office perhaps a little sooner than feels comfortable. Of course, there are plenty of safety measures in place, precautionary disinfecting, and routine temperature checks. Yet, to spend an entire workday indoors is a frightening commitment for many. So, as an employer, how can you ease the wary minds of your valuable workforce? Below are some of the most ideal spatial integration techniques to ensure you’re providing a safe environment for everyone to enjoy.

Rotating Schedules

In addition to implementing guidelines for enhanced personal hygiene and deep cleaning within the workplace, consider a rotating schedule method. With this system, a select group of employees will work in-office half of the week, while another group works from home, with the two groups switching throughout the week. This way, you can successfully lessen the chances of viral spreading from close quarters and reduce the overall impact within a newly occupied office.

Installing Glass Partitions

Our contemporary business leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees are now transitioning into collaborative, flexible work environments, seeking something different, fresh. Of course, this means that most newer office spaces are designed to be open-air, communal, and unfortunately, not conducive to protecting employees from a deadly virus. It’s not often we find modern-day offices equipped with closed-in cubicles, isolated offices, and physical privacy. Rather, these offices boast sweeping open floor plans, and rows of desks rather than cubicles.

How does one then craft separation within a vast open floor plan without compromising necessary natural light flow, or the essence of togetherness? Seamlessly integrating flexible solutions for the modern workspace includes installing folding glass doors, interior sliding doors, sliding glass walls, office wall partitions, stacking sliding doors, as well as many more glass options. These modern office partitions are not only easy to clean, a total breeze to install, and aesthetically pleasing, but they also provide the protection employees need to remain safer during this time. The key is to maintain a well-lit environment that still offers flexible spatial separation, visual integration, and, (during the current circumstances) protection.

6-foot Feng Shui

Many employers are beginning to welcome their workforce back into the office, equipped with some necessary safety precautions. Because this virus is mostly transmitted through physical contact and one-on-one close interactions, it is crucial in any indoor environment that staff continues to practice social distancing, and remains at least six feet apart. Not only should employees be mindful of the six-foot rule of thumb, but as an employer, it is your job to reconsider the office environment and redesign the space accordingly. Consider moving desks further apart, creating mandatory seating positions, and spacing out communal necessities.  Asking employees to wear masks in more communal spaces such as the break room, the kitchen, or during meetings, comes highly recommended.

With the above methods in use, you should be prepared to receive your hardworking staff with little fear or risk of contraction within the office. Spatial separation, schedule rotations, and for enhanced safety, integration of glass office dividers will be the most crucial element through this reintegration process to safeguard employees, managers, and yourself. Ensure your establishment is as safe as possible for everyone. Visit Space Plus, A Division of the Sliding Door Company online to view our online catalog, and Get a quote from one of our professionals today.

1002 – SP – A

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Salon Partition Ideas

Boutique hair and beauty salons are popping up everywhere across the country and surprising us with their stylish lounges, evocative interior design, and amenities. This attention to the fine details has raised the bar for these businesses and drawn many new customers in, as enjoying a top-notch salon can be an unparalleled experience. Beauty gurus across the map are realizing just how in-demand luxurious salons have become. The customer will happily pay the extra cost of an aesthetically pleasing salon over an outdated, underwhelming one any day. Going to a salon is a self-indulgent gift, and as customers, they want to feel that they were carefully considered during the designing process.

Now, to the How.

If you are ready and able to begin your salon transformation (or design an entirely novel one) set aside some healthy time to visualize, design, plan and lastly, take action. Below are some of the most crucial considerations to think about during your design process.

Plenty of light

Above all else, your salon should proudly boast tons of natural light. This will not only help aid the hairstylist in color decisions and acute visibility during cuts but also create a warm and vibrant indoor environment for everyone to enjoy. A dark salon can appear smaller, more boxed in and uninviting. To achieve the most natural lighting, install floor to ceiling windows, especially on the street side of the parlor. This will also attract curious passers-by and give clients the opportunity to people-watch while waiting.

salon with office dividers

Consider using transparent office partitions to achieve spatial separation throughout the salon rather than minimizing the open space with light-blocking partitions. The space will breathe better and light will flow freely with this space optimizing solution.

Consistent design theme

A crucial aspect of great interior design is maintaining a consistent design theme throughout the hair salon. There are so many exciting themes to choose from- the trick is not mixing and matching them. If too many themes are employed, the design can appear muddied and confused. Some classic interior design schemes are:

  • Modern (contemporary),
  • Luxury
  • Vintage
  • Chic
  • Rustic
  • Earthy
  • Industrial

Once you pick your theme, aim to stay within the borders of that look to successfully evoke the emotional response and vibe you’re after.

Mirrors

Mirrors effectively expand space and reflect crucial light. By integrating mirrors throughout your salon, you’ll enlarge the interior space and provide more visibility for your customers. Everyone loves a good full-length mirror. Try installing full length sliding closet mirror doors to hide your unkempt closets and backrooms. This solution is an all-around win- these sliding mirror doors will conceal mess, reflect natural light, expand the space, and provide your clients with better visibility!

salon with sliding door entries

Lounge Area/ Comfortability

One of the areas many salon owners and designers fail to acknowledge is the lounge or waiting area. This is a crucial facet of any salon business, as you will inevitably experience an influx of clients in and out with overlapping appointments and customers waiting to be seen. Those who are awaiting their appointment may very likely be in a hurry, anxious with anticipation and overall, inpatient. It’s necessary that you provide them with a comfortable and inviting lounge area that will smooth their nerves, provide some healthy distraction and cause them to feel excited about their big makeover, not nervous. Your lounge should have all the essentials- comfy couches and chairs, a coffee table, magazines, perhaps a tea/coffee bar and a place to hang their coats and personal items. This first impression will make or break the client’s overall experience and perception of the business. Set yourself up for success and return clients by catering to their every need.

Amenities

Anytime a customer sets out to spend a healthy amount of money on beauty, they expect to be taken care of from the minute they walk through the door, to the second they exit the building. A comprehensive approach should be employed, and you as the owner need to ensure your salon exceeds their expectations. Your customers should be greeted with a warm welcome and a beverage- be it tea, coffee, sparkling, wine or water. Bonus points for offering snacks and up-to-date magazines for them to pore over. Your receptionist should check in with your clients regularly and ensure them that their wait time is limited. A sparkling clean bathroom is also a must. Some hair appointments can take up to 5 or 6 hours and your clients will need that convenience! For an extra artistic touch, install opaque glass barn doors as the bathroom door. Interior sliding doors will save your salon space and offer a design flourish they weren’t expecting.

Again, it’s all about the fine details. These little facets to your overall design will be subliminal yet effecting and will leave your clients impressed and eager to return month after month. Word of mouth is a huge marketing platform for any salon- make it easy for your clients to refer you to their friends and family by carefully considering these tips and tricks.

To get started on your salon transformation, check out our products gallery for inspiration and product images. Schedule a call with one of our knowledgeable professionals to get a quote and other information on our many available solutions. Simply find a location near you and get that much closer to optimizing your beauty business for success!

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Optimize your Work Space with Interior Glass Doors and Partitions

“Phone booth” work spaces give plenty of room for a team of 2 or 3 to create, collaborate and solve! The open air design allows for the sharing of lighting, heating and air conditioning, saving energy costs year over year.

According to Jory MacKay, “few things affect our productivity as much as what we surround ourselves with. Yet most of us rarely take the time to step back and really analyze our working environment.”


http://lifehacker.com/five-ways-to-optimize-your-workspace-for-productivity-1784310012


We couldn’t agree more and that is why we designed our interior glass door solutions to optimize your work area and uplift any occupants of the space. This row of offices includes our floor to ceiling sliding glass doors with designer handles and recessed bottom tracks. There are wide open collaborative work spaces and the perfect balance with some private offices that lock when needed.

Clutter-free, organized work spaces boost productivity

The results of the study showed that physical clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228167

Glass room dividers with combo glass provide a unique work space with a ton of natural light. The space saving glass wall and aluminum frames are all recyclable and perfect for green construction projects.

Optimize your space & allow natural light to come in while stopping unwanted foot traffic with sliding glass doors.

Similar to what multi-tasking does to your brain, physical clutter overloads your senses, making you feel stressed, and impairs your ability to think creatively. Set time aside each month to assess your work space and ensure it is not too cluttered. This will lead to increased productivity and morale.

Architecture can have a huge impact on our productivity. That’s why we feel inspired by large spaces or refreshed from sitting by the window.

Author James Clear gives great examples: http://jamesclear.com/jonas-salk

Space changed the way he thought:

“The spirituality of the architecture was so inspiring that I was able to do intuitive thinking far beyond any I had done in the past. Under the influence of that historic place I intuitively designed the research that I felt would result in a vaccine for polio. I returned to my laboratory in Pittsburgh to validate my concepts and found that they were correct.”

Jonas’ example is just one of many.

Optimize your modern school study environment with glass sliding and swing doors is another example of places that impact our productivity! We know every inch of space counts!

Optimize Functionality:

A serious consideration when planning out your space is functionality.

This space shows:

  • How our interior glass door solutions optimize every inch of floor space.
  • Lighting, air conditioning and heating can be shared, eliminating the need to move or re-do the HVAC system…saving tons of money.
  • Each work area can be re-purposed on the fly if needed as the business evolves. Talk about flexibility.
  • Offices with glass sliders or swing doors can be locked and even master-keyed to the storefront or building door.

We make our interior glass doors in our own factory where safety & quality are carefully fabricated into every single glass door.

The selection of glass types, frame color finishes & ADA compliant accessories provide our clients with sustainable, functional and stylish options to suit their specific project needs.

Optimizing every fraction of your floorplan by creating spaces that can be re-purposed as technology changes and as the business grows is essential. Functional glass office dividers, storage enclosures, glass partitions and conference room dividers are our specialty.


Call us for your free consultation today!