Blog

Bringing Remote Workers Back to the Office

Our life since the pandemic began has evolved dramatically. For some employees, making space on a cluttered kitchen counter for kids to participate in their remote learning (while pets are running around and barking) was a less than ideal solution. If you sent your staff home to quarantine during the peak of COVID, but are now ready to get them back into the office, there are some best practices emerging on how to get workers excited to return to work.

fixed panel office partitions

Overhaul the Office 

Yes, really. Your office may be long overdue for an overhaul. Better furniture, lighting, and a space that offers true comfort and productivity can beat a cubicle in the corner of a dark room (or a cluttered kitchen) any day. While you might have gotten away with less in the past, now is the time to rethink the setup of the space you offer to your workers. If you can add plants, windows, break down barriers and let people thrive, they will enjoy coming back in. Offering new and creative solutions to offices, like QUBIGLASS®, can lighten the mood, and bring the spirit of collaboration back into your space. 

Perk Up

Gyms are back! Snack bars! All the things we might have taken for granted in the past are real treasures now. Are you offering unlimited coffee, the occasional social event or maybe happy hour? The little things are big again and will be appreciated by those who enjoy spending time with their peers and coworkers. On a tight budget, you might just improve parking or childcare, popcorn breaks and anything that can beat the ‘covid-fatigue’ for those tired of being at home. 

Think Hybrid

Chances are not everyone will be thrilled if you make the office 100% mandatory 100% of the time. Think flexibly and ease everyone in. Maybe every other day is a work-from-home day, or maybe you can let certain departments stagger time to skip rush hour. Rotate staff members’ schedules so there is still a safe environment as opposed to max capacity. We’ve seen many businesses let remote work become an incentive or earnable reward for great work. 

Stop, Collaborate and Listen

Not just pop song lyrics, but smart business advice. Asking your employees how they envision their future with your business could surprise you. Try anonymous surveys to ease the pressure and hear more honest feedback. If you’re open and receptive, your employees will tell you what they truly want. We are seeing many offices add large meeting rooms. You may want to add bigger and safely spaced conference spaces, places where teams that missed collaborating can work on the big picture and have group meetings.

Many major companies feel they have delayed their return to work long enough, and more and more businesses are eager to get the gang back together again. By thinking through the logistics and maybe making some key improvements, you will get your team excited about seeing each other again with vaccinated high fives all over the office.

If you need to reimagine, refresh and make key upgrades to improve your space, reach out to Space Plus now.

Blog

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!

Blog

Keeping The Workplace Safe This Season

As we head into a new season, there is a collective worry that this flu season will be far more devastating than in years past. With no sign of this virus slowing down, and a vaccine still months out, workers are becoming even more aware and considerate about how to keep their workplace safe and comfortable for everyone. Managing an office space and leading a team can be difficult during these uncertain times. But arming yourself and your workplace with the right solutions will make all the difference in the fight against COVID.

So what are some methods to introduce into the workplace to safeguard employees, visitors, and clients alike this fall flu season? Above all else, you and your workforce should use the known and proven-to-work sanitation standards, which should be regularly followed and unwavering. Your employees need to ensure the safety of everyone in the building while coming and leaving work even if they have individual offices, which is why asking everyone to mask up while at work is another simple solution that guarantees safety for all. All communal areas should be socially distanced and mask-required in order to be safe for employees of all ages.

This information is probably not anything new, but before we get into other safety methods, we thought it important to mention those above, though most people by now are well-versed with the standard safety precautions in place. The following fall solutions list a number of new and inventive systems that really help eliminate unnecessary surface contact, potential airborne contamination, and general fear within your commercial establishment.

Keyless Locking Systems

Considering how often we open and close doors, it only makes sense that locking systems should evolve to meet the modern moment and utilize the available technology. Space Plus, A Division of The Sliding Door Company offers innovative keyless locking door systems that connect right to your smartphone! Rather than carting around a set of dirty keys and touching handles and doorknobs unnecessarily, you can unlock your doors with the tap of your finger.

All you need is your smartphone and the locking app. Simply unlock the door and push open, cutting the contact in half. Especially useful in office settings for utility rooms or individual office doors that open and close regularly, these systems make entering and exiting a total breeze.

Sanitizing

The importance of consistent sanitation cannot be overstressed. Your company should have already created a job for one of your cleaning staff or contracted a team of sanitation experts to consistently and professionally clean, disinfect, and sanitize your commercial space. Door knobs, elevator buttons, kitchen counters, and other communal spaces within the office must be wiped down and sanitized often. Providing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes throughout your commercial building is also highly recommended in order to help keep employees cleaner and safer for all.

Space dividers

Aside from masks, large outdoor spaces, and self quarantines, space dividers are the newest solution of choice. Many of you have likely seen pop-up plexiglass or glass dividers in restaurants, banks, or any other business that comes in close contact with customers. And as a commercial business, it is your responsibility to outfit your facility or office space with top-grade spatial dividers to keep your employees and your customers a safe as possible. Sliding Room Dividers (floor-to-ceiling and smaller sizes), as well as sliding glass doors and Office Partitions, make it possible to welcome back workers safely without risking the health of everyone indoors. You can choose from countless customizable options, handles, accessories, and even glass transparency when you order your sliding office dividers from Space Plus!

Putting these tips into play, you can safeguard your staff, employees, and your customers against this fall flu season! For more ideas, inspiration, and related blogs, head over to Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company for all the best in commercial space-saving solutions! From Bi-Fold doors to swing doors,wall dividers to suspended systems, Space Plus has it all. Schedule a free consultation with one of our showroom professionals and start your educational transformation today!

SP 1031 – A

Blog

The Architect’s New Normal

Designing and engineering a home is already a massive undertaking, especially on a commission basis, in which the client has specific needs and wants. Under normal circumstances, producing something both aesthetically striking and livable can be a difficult medium to reach. So without a doubt, this tumultuous year of 2020 has been no friend of the modern architect. Building for clients with the pandemic in mind, the modern architect must address the client’s potential need for extra rooms, larger spaces, and flexibility like it’s never been done before. With new guidelines being adopted almost every week, people seek homes that they can easily transform and alter to suit needs by the day, even by the hour.

As a modern architect, engineer, or space designer, how can you offer smart solutions for the current struggles of life during COVID-19? One thing is for sure, people will be craving larger spaces (so much time spent indoors these days), more rooms if possible, and helpful flexibility so entire rooms can be transformed within seconds. Staying on budget and maintaining a modern aesthetic can be hard enough, so how can you successfully integrate these novel design considerations into your blueprints?

Indoor/Outdoor Living

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, people were starting to design homes to achieve a fantastic medium of indoor/outdoor living. Bringing in natural elements like plants and water features is something that has been adopted by the interior design industry for decades. But even more than that, we were just beginning to notice flexible living spaces integrating into new interior architecture.

Flexible living spaces? What does that mean?

Examples of this would be floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls that the homeowner could easily slide opener closed within seconds to create a through-line to other rooms in the home, as well as to the outdoors. And now more than ever (as most of our day is spent indoors) people are craving nature within their living environments. So design that brings the outside in will become vital within the coming months and years.

Larger Shared Spaces

Another design aspect to keep in mind is the need for larger shared spaces within the home. With more people indoors during the day, there is a need for more space and cozy family areas for the whole family to enjoy, and be able to comfortably sprawl. In years past, children would be at school, parents would be at work, so there was lesser need to share spaces or consider our living environs so carefully. But this year, the entire family (or roommates) are home, sharing the same space and it can quickly become cramped and cumbersome. So, in order to retain the same square footage, consider downsizing bedrooms and upsizing living rooms and TV rooms. Again, Sliding Glass Wall Partitions come in handy for creating a flexible living space.

The Ultimate Space Savers

As previously mentioned, the main design take away from this year is the need for flexibility. As an architect or a space designer, you’ll be tasked with creating options and flexible environments within your client’s interiors. For example, a great way to achieve a malliable living room is to install large glass sliding room dividers that can be opened and closed within seconds, enabling the homeowners to enlarge or reduce their shared living spaces.

For example, if the kids have a tutor or a Skype session and want privacy, free from distractions this is a great way to instantaneously create a second or even a third room within a matter of minutes!

Space Plus expertly crafts modern, durable, sliding glass doors and floor-to-ceiling glass wall partitions in a range of different styles and customizable options. For the living room, Sliding Glass Barn Doors complement the space beautifully with a stylish aesthetic with a nod to rustic times of the past. The best part? The company will even send their team of installation experts to swiftly install these space dividers within less than a day! As an architect or engineer, you can even afford to integrate these special solutions all the way at the end of your design process, allowing you to flawlessly integrate these solutions into near-completed homes!

Using these pointers and keeping the pandemic close in mind while designing, you can create well-functioning spaces your clients will love and value. For more inspiration and spatial solutions, don’t hesitate to check out the best space-optimizing sliding glass doors, Sliding Closet Doors, and sliding room dividers offered at Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company. Visit Us online to browse our viewing catalog and enjoy a free Consultation from one of our team members to actualize your vision today!

SP 1040 – A

Blog

Arming Up With Qubi Glass

The holidays are quickly approaching, meaning the onslaught of festive engagements will undoubtedly put a pause on normal work schedules. Veterans Days, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Hanuka, and Christmas all provide for multiple employee days off, meaning an empty place of business. And as the owner or manager of such an establishment, November and December are perhaps the perfect months to make those interior upgrades you’ve been putting off all year. With the holidays just around the corner, you have enough time to finally plan those interior remodeling/upgrades your business needs in order to meet the demands of the current crisis while everyone is out on vacation. And regardless of what industry you’re in, as a business owner, you can probably guess this pandemic isn’t going away anytime soon. So in order to keep your business afloat during these turbulent times, the best means of survival is preparing your business for the long haul. Ensure that your customers, clients, and employees are all spatially distanced and socially safe when they enter your establishment.

So whether you run a restaurant, an office space, own a salon, or manage a gym, the #1 can’t-do-without staple of your business is your ability to welcome customers in through the doors. And if people don’t feel safe, chances are they’re going to bypass your business and go with one of your competitors. Creating a safe space, offering a clean environment, and installing adequate spatial barriers throughout your floorplan are now your best assets for attaining customers! Unsure how to achieve these? Look no further.

If You Manage a Workspace

If you manage an office environment or a business that requires your workers’ attendance “in-house”, this virus has been anything but easy for you. And with millions across the globe experiencing the same frustrations, being proactive is the best way to get your business thriving again. After all, your workplace should be a safe and comfortable environment for all of your hard-working employees! One of the best means for protecting your employees from the Coronavirus, as well as the seasonal flu, is to implement spatial barriers throughout an otherwise open floorplan. And although in recent years there’s been a trendy transition towards the modernized aesthetic of an open floor plan, most workers are already accustomed to the idea of cubicles or free-standing walls to separate work stations and maintain focus in the office. Installing these pop-up walls should be no tough sell!

The Sliding Door Company has just released a new line of extremely durable, meticulously made Qubi Glass wall partitions. These free-standing wall dividers are a top-grade replacement for cheap cubicle walls. The best part? You can wrap existing cubicles with easy-to-clean Qubi Glass for a swift, inexpensive office upgrade, without needing costly and disruptive construction. This new line of Qubi Glass is offered in an array of different sizes, glass opacities and configurations, so finding the perfect Qubi Glass office divider for your unique space is no problem!

If You Run A Restaurant

If you manage a restaurant, the daunting task of outfitting your restaurant for these unprecedented times is no easy thing! And with many states in the U.S. still banning indoor dining, the future of restaurants looks exceptionally troublesome in the coming winter months, especially for those states with months of foul winter weather on the horizon.

Yet despite the undulating circumstances, one way that you can safely prepare your indoor restaurant is to use these slower times to outfit your interiors with Standing Wall Partitions, and Qubi Glass Dividers. These are absolutely fantastic at breaking up space, while still allowing visibility between patrons and restaurant staff. Plus, with glass partitions, you won’t risk closing off spaces and visibility within your restaurant like standard wall partitions which can otherwise shrink floor size. People want to feel comfortable surrounded by others while also being safely distanced, and Qubi Glass is a great solution for achieving this medium. These glass dividers are also a total breeze to clean, sanitize, and continuously disinfect, which, these days, is a total necessity in the restaurant industry!

By putting these spatial solutions into your place of business, you can safeguard your staff, employees, and your customers against the winter flu season and COVID-19. For more ideas, inspiration, and related blogs, head over to Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company for all the best in commercial space-saving solutions! From Bi-Fold doors to swing doors, wall dividers to suspended systems, Space Plus has it all! Schedule a free consultation with one of our showroom professionals and order your very own custom Qubi Glass partitions today!

SP 1037 – A

Blog

The Science of Plants: Why Integrating These Leafy Greens into Our Interiors Could Change Lives

In the past couple of years, there has been a trending resurgence within the interior design world to bring plants and other natural elements indoors in order to create a sanctuary within living spaces. As humans, we sometimes fail to recognize how impactful the natural world has on our daily lives. Neglecting this very basic human need can result in disharmony from being so disconnected from nature. We truly need a healthy dose of greenery each day in order to feel wholesome, renewed, and healthy.

Now more so than ever, the need for plants, trees, and other natural elements in our living spaces has become invaluable for our collective well being during a worldwide health crisis. With an unprecedented amount of time spent indoors this year, we must recognize the need for nature indoors, and begin to design our interiors with this in mind. Not just in our personal homes, but also in our places of work, hospitals, medical centers, and educational institutions. By integrating the outside indoors, we can provide health sanctuaries for our clients, customers, and patients and help everyone remain as healthy as possible.

So why plants?

Many of the invaluable health effects of plants and the environmental benefits of these leafy greens are lost on the general population. Most of us are not educated on the importance of plants and what they provide for our planet, what they do for our indoor and outdoor air quality, and their ability to enhance human moods. Countless studies have shown that the integration of indoor plants into an interior space has improved the indoor air quality and become a natural system of filtration that keeps everyone breathing healthy air and getting the oxygen we need.

“Studies have proven that house plants improve concentration and productivity (by up to 15%), reduce stress levels, and boost your mood. To create your perfect green haven, it’s worthwhile spending a little bit of time researching the plants that are best suited for each room and what kind of environment.” -Sophie Lee, NBC News

In addition to the elemental benefits that plants provide, they also have shown to be mood-enhancers and concentration boosters through scientific studies. Whether our human needs show that we truly feel happier and more comfortable in an environment that mimics the outdoors, or if there is actually some chemical benefit that increases our serotonin, the emotional effects on our health are unquestionable.

Plants in Our Interiors

Where are plants best used?

Of course, it’s wonderful to surround yourself with plants in your own home, but even better is integrating these beautiful beings into otherwise sterile environments that could be elevated to enhance the occupant’s experience. Hospitals are one of the best places that we should begin to integrate more plants and greenery into. The invaluable asset of good interior design on one’s ability to heal and recover is huge. Not only do plants freshen the air, but they also create harmony within an indoor environment that is otherwise devoid of life. Artificial lighting, little visibility to the outdoors, and in general, a meek surrounding can oftentimes lead to patients’ dissatisfaction, length recovery times, and general sadness while in medical facilities.

“Not only do plants enhance oxygen levels but some studies indicate a plant nearby can lower blood pressure, reduce the need for painkillers, and enhance the overall mood of a patient. Incorporating indoor and outdoor viewing gardens into hospital plans has been undertaken for several years now, and the evidence is clear regarding healing plants and their uses.” -Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist, Gardening Know-How

How can plants thrive indoors?

Most interior house plants are not exactly designed to survive in completely dark, shaded indoor environments. Indoor plants still need plenty of secondhand indoor light, which is easily provided through light-allowing windows and full-sized Glass Wall Partitions, for example. If you have a medical facility and would like to begin integrating more greenery into your interiors, you also must take into account the available light you’re working with. Installing easy to clean, medical-grade Sliding Glass Wall Partitions and floor to sliding glass room dividers will help to bring in tons of natural light that will excite not only the plants but also your patients.

By providing a more health-centered medical facility complete with beautiful greenery and increased natural light, you can improve the quality of life and health for your patients and staff. Make your wellness facility as safe as possible for everyone involved. With full hospitals and medical facilities due to COVID 19, ensure your facility a safe place by integrating glass room dividers and glass partitions. 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.

SP 1013

Blog

New York Hospitals Face Extreme Conditions

It’s no surprise that the city of New York would be one of the most affected by this crisis, and would suffer the most severe damage from the general design of New York City and the sheer amount of citizens living in a 2.3-mile wide territory. The inevitability of this catastrophic disaster was so abstract that for many, our largest fears surrounding this situation in New York have now been realized. With the exhaustive conditions of overcrowded hospitals and a current death toll of around 2,000 people, New York is by far the most severely hit state by Coronavirus.

Offices

Because these hospitals are so overcrowded, reports and imagery of patient living conditions within the city hospitals are confounding. Images of patient-lined hallways and hospital beds scattered throughout empty floor space in medical centers have many of us wondering what solutions may exist. Unable to enjoy the comforts and privacy of a hospital room, most patients are currently placed wherever there is room available. With the number of cases rising every day, news of nurses and doctors coming to help from neighboring states gives some hope in these dire moments.

Creating a healthy hospitalized environment for patients, front-line care workers, families and communities has become our top priority at Space Plus. Within the context of the all-encompassing coronavirus outbreak, we’re now offering our Wellness Walls to accommodate the increased needs for time-sensitive medical facilities, with minimal disruption and no major construction.

office wall partitions

Our Wellness Walls are essentially glass wall partitions that hospitals can install and integrate into the hospital floor plan to create spatial separation and the confinement of patients being treated. These act as small-scale care rooms that can be deployed almost anywhere you have available space. Below is a comprehensive list of all of the potential uses and situations where our Wellness Walls could be deployed.

  • Situational waiting rooms
  • Infection control prevention
  • Mitigation Isolation System
  • Protection of Staff
  • Customizable and Convertable (can adjust depending on the number of sick vs. healthy patients)
  • Exam rooms
  • Triage rooms
  • Helps Increase Patient Flow and Available Rooms
  • Isolation rooms (positive and negative pressure)
  • Diagnostic labs
  • Easy to Clean
  • Doctors and Nurses can write on the glass walls (great for indicating arrival times and numbers, as well as labeling immediate attention patients, etc. Can be erased easily)
  • Administration spaces
  • Glass is Impermeable to Infectious Virus
  • Sliding pass-through window great for medications and paperwork
  • Perfect for testing and lab stations
  • Interior construction for temporary facilities
  • Can be installed in unused administration spaces that could be transitioned into overflow areas
  • Existing lower acuity units that could transition to high acuity units

sliding door in a medical office space

With the integration of glass partitions and wall dividers, hospitals may be able to stabilize and care for all of the incoming patients in need. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo approximates that we have not yet hit the “Apex” of this Virus and that by the end of April we will have reached the high point of the pandemic in New York, with a hopeful drop-off and decline to ensue thereafter. This indicates that the time for action is now and that we are currently in a race against the disease spreading further. Spatial separation is the most crucial element in this process to safeguard our citizens against this deadly virus.

Make your wellness facility as safe as possible for everyone involved. Stop the spread of COVID 19 within hospitals by integrating glass wall partitions and increased patient separation. 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.