Category: Office Design

Home office design has always been an important topic when we talk about remodeling a house, because it’s the space where we work. If we think that the nature of employment has change a lot lately and probably will continue to modify, more and more people are taking advantage of opportunities to work from home. Whether we are our own employer or we have the option of working at home, it’s essential that the workspace combine practicality and creativity in order to motivate us, encourage us and help us stay organized too.

Photo ©TZS Design

It’s not quite easy to find the right place and incorporate it into the home environment, but of course it isn’t something impossible and boring, if we have a good plan, some creativity flair and keep in mind some important aspects. Home offices just like corporate ones should embrace dynamic and inviting concepts that increase productivity, inspire and stimulate to have better professional results, be more happy during your working hours, as well as reflect our taste and personality or even our domain identity. Here are some basic tips to set up a more productive and enjoyable home office.

1. We don’t want our office to be that unfriendly place where one stays because it has to, not because of the pleasure of working. Thus, a workspace needs definitely special attention to every detail in order to be comfortable and versatile, and feels more like home rather than an office. Functionality is the first thing to consider no matter how large or small is our room dedicated to such a space, but isn’t enough. These days, a succesful home office design comes from the smart combination between functionality and great aesthetic, the appearance and style of furnishings, decorations, accessories being extremely important.

Photo © Anne Fletcher; Nirmada Interior Architectural Design

2. To have the stuff organized, the basic things you’ll need is a desk, an great office chair, interesting filing cabinet, bookshelfs and a white board. Starting from here, you’re free to add whatever you feel it’s necessary for your work to be carried out as you want. But before purchasing any of this item, think about the style you like to achieve for your home office environment and then, it will be much easier to find the things you want with a clear picture in mind. In this way you’ll save time and you won’t get lost among searching for unimportant things that don’t match your tastes.

3. The desk must suit your needs, offering adequate storate and surface space. Depending on the nature of your work, there are many types of designs- L-shaped, U-shaped, etc., with or without drawers that doubles as a filing cabinet. In a similar style to the desk, buy a comfortable office chair. It’s vital to put health benefits above any others, when choosing it, knowing that negative consequences can arise. The most important aspects to consider: healthful back support, organic shapes and curves, armrest, adjustable height, easy movement. If you have the financial possibility, look for those type of chairs with the latest technology and materials, which automatically adapt to your spinal curves, postures and body shape. You’ll enjoy their benefits after a busy work day at computer.

Photo © Zack|de Vito Architecture + Construction

4. If you are luckly to have a large working space, then you can opt for an additional filing cabinet or bookshelves to hold your files, documents and materials, or other things you love, things that inspire or motivate you. Besides its storage purpose, the top of a filing cabinet for example can be used as a table top for pictures and plants. Regarding the whiteboard, you don’t have to purchase one if you don’t really need. But it’s very good when you need to write something on and it helps you not to clutter up the office with paper, because it can be utilized again and again. Another inventive idea to keep your desk withou papers and easy-to-lose Post-its, consider adding a hand bulletin board to keep important papers and quick ideas. Graphics, photographs, colorful pictures and diplomas will personalize the office space, giving it an original look. No matter what and how many furniture and decorations item you want to have, they must complement each other so that the room is harmonic and allows you to move freely.

Photo © Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

5. One of the most important step in the design process are colors. They are not just something that make your office environment look amazing, but they have a real impact on our mood, so search for colors’ features before using them. Light brown, neutrals, purple which stimulate creativity, orange which is associated with enthusiasm seems to be right for this kind of room.

6. Let in the light. Lighting is a very important feature and should not be neglected. Your home office space should have plenty of natural light during the day, so be sure to have large windows and if possible, move your desk close to them. Make sure to have a mix of adequate taks lighting directly above the desk and ambient light for moments when you want a softer and calmer one.

Further to our posts related to great companies’ offices design, today we want to share with you another appealing and colorful office design belonging this time to Ebay- GittiGidiyor in Istanbul, Turkey. We don’t know if you have noticed an interesting fact, namely that one of the elements that great international companies’ offices have in common when we refer to their office designs is playfulness translated through colour as well as through creative and ingenious ideas of decorations, graphics and furnishings.

Unlike other offices belonging for example to Google or Facebook where it’s obvious that this side we are talking about is very developed, according to their business concept and activity field, the relatively new office of Ebay-GittiGidiyor in Istanbul embraces a fun and joyful concept which is manifested only by eye-catching combinations of colours that create a sense of dynamism and reflect the company’s corporate identity.

Imagined by Turkish design and architecture practice OSO Architecture, this office space of one of the most players of e-trade in global and local markets is located in My Office Building in Istanbul Atasehir where it occupies one floor of 2000 m². As you can see from the images, it displays a modern and inviting design emphasized by bright colorful accents on walls, carpets and random pattern panels on suspended ceilings. The natural wood work at the floor and ceiling combined with the black wall representing a stylized world map is an original design idea that creates an impressive visual relationship between the entrance hall and social areas.

The social facilities, meeting rooms and open space working area are connected visually through a lovely circle carpet pattern which is also used in other branch offices applied and reflects the company’s corporate identity. The open space working area can have up to 164 people working on 1.100 m2 with a maximum of 225 seats and stands out through the chaotic and colorful design of this cavernous suspended ceiling which enables to perceive the full height of the space and helps with the acoustics too. The office of Ebay- GittiGidiyor in Istanbul features 12 meeting rooms with different sizes and hi-tech infrastructures exported from UK, each one having a name and a digital door print symbolizing a historic place in Turkey.

 Photos © Gürkan Akay

 

Project details:

Design Team: Okan Bayık, Serhan Bayık, Ozan Bayık
Client: eBAY Int.
Location: Atasehir – Istanbul
Project date: 2012
Area: 2000 m2
Building type: Office

 

 

Companies’ offices, especially sustainable offices are a real inspiration source for everyone in terms of interior design or architecture as they are trully amazing and we are delighted to discover such impressive projects and to share with you on DesignLike. This time it’s about San Pablo Group Corporate Offices located on Insurgentes Avenue in Mexico City, Mexico, which drew our attention by its new playful contemporary workspace full of vivid colours. Responsible for this wonderful and creative project completed in March 2011 is the interdisciplinary team of highly talented professionals from international design studio Space Architecture, who develop a new way of seeing architecture where sustainable solutions are part of all project to some degree.

Relaxed, spacious and open, the interior design of the San Pablo Group Corporate Offices exudes casual, friendly atmosphere. Once the user open the elevator door, you’re pleasantly suprised by the circular-shaped reception area imagined as a generously-sized modern space, defined by two stained-glass windows in blue tones with abstract graphics of medicines, a central green wall featuring the logo of the company, all in a white background with plenty of artificial lighting. The reception area reveals also a particular interesting detail such as the exposed pipes in the ceiling which definitely give the interior a genuine industrial touch. A large corridor connects the main work areas  and lets the user explore each one’s function and identity.

They embrace playful decorations, natural hardwood, bright colours, each room having its own personality and uniqueness, very subtly framed by the variation of the pitch and intensity of the contemporary lighting. Open vistas, natural light and exterior views are a few other highlights characterizing  the offices. The green, the red and yellow invoke energy and passion, in order to let the employees think free and creative. As we mentioned before, these offices in Mexico of San Pablo Group besides the fact they are very modern and original, they are also sustainable offices including environmentaly friendly features. Thus, the project is registered with the USGBC and LEED GOLD certification is sought. Check it out and tell us what you think!

 Photos © Huguette Ampudia, Paul Czitrom via adelto.co.uk

Dynamic, ultra-modern and with a touch of fun, that’s how can be described in a few words the relatively new office design for the Microsoft Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. As you can see in our previous articles Awesome Google Offices Designs Around the World and Creative Modern Design: Facebook Office in Palo Alto, offices of the largest international companies are renowned for their creative and innovative design concepts that inspire, encourage and stimulate people to have better professional results and be more happy.

Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker and one of the world’s most valuable companies, seems to make no exception when it comes to its offices, joining the trend in this kind of offices’ design. The competition to design this project for Microsoft Headquarters in Vienna was won by Austrian architects INNOCAD and completed in 14 months, in 2011. Guided by their device: “Work with your brain and act with your heart”, INNOCAD Architektur ZT GmbH manage to create unconventional concepts for every client they have and this one we show you is a great example.

They teamed up with the Microsoft project team during the subsequent project realization phase to create a design related to Microsoft’s ‘Workplace Advantage Concept’ which makes “a custom-tailored interior programme” based on the employee structure’s analysis of every branch office. So the design approach of the Austrian architects was carefully tailored to the needs of the 330 people who work there and the result is a transparent and collaborative 4,500 sqm work areas which impresses by a futuristic, fresh and even fun style.

The three-storey offices feature amazing meeting rooms designed around three major themes: ‘flow’, ‘nature’ and ‘New York”, which besides the ultra-modern furniture and inspiring style, are also reinforced by direct and indirect lighting with pendant, floor-standing and table luminaires which creates an atmospheric undertone. High-traffic areas connected by striped vinyl flooring by Bolon gives a sense of dynamism, encouraging circulation, whilst each floor has its own green wall of living plants and vegetation, which provides a soft and natural appearance and contrasts very nice with the high-tech working environment, where we’re sure anyone of you dreams to work in such an environment, isn’t it? Find more inspiring details in the pictures below.

 Photos © Paul Ott

 

Project details:

Architects: INNOCAD Architektur ZT GmbH
Location: Vienna, Austria
Completion: 2011
Floor Area: 4,500 sqm
Cost: 2,800,000 Euro

Highly appreciated nowadays in any domain, innovative designs are meant to improve our lives and make it easier. They are a result of an extraordinary combination between designers’ creativity and the latest techniques and materials. Everyone is looking for such products these days and quite many of us have also the financial possibility to enjoy their benefits. Of course, not everything which is new and make use of the latest technology means that is also very good and we bet you know enough examples already, so it’s vital to put health benefits above any others that they could bring you.

Thinking about that, we searched for innovative design solutions that improve the way that people work and we find some excellent office chair designs from Herman Miller, a recognized innovator in contemporary interior furnishings, solutions for healthcare environments, and related technologies and services. “Most admired” and one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” according to Fortune in 2010, Herman Miller company is operating in more than 100 countries and for more than a decade has been working with some of the most remarkable and talented designers to create furniture collections which become new reference point for performance, aesthetics, sustainable design, and value.

1. Embody Office Chairs

 

Herman Miller chairs for office are quite outstanding, redefining practically this piece of furniture. Imaginative modern designs which adapts naturally and adjusts automatically to a wide variation in the sizes, shapes, postures, and spinal curves of different people, textiles that are meant to enhance, not cover up, great finishes with color combination that appeal to universal tastes – all with an extremely small environmental impact, because the facilities were these items are made uses nothing but renewable energy.  We all know that whether we are in the office or at home making our daily tasks, a large part of our time is spent sitting and there is nothing surprising anymore. Sitting for hours every day in front of a computer is nowadays a fact of life which seems it won’t change any time soon, on the contrary, which unfortunately has very bad consequences on our health.

We don’t need to read or to listen to medical research that tells us how long hours of sitting contribute to obesity and to many other negative outcomes associated with it, because many of us have experienced already these kind of effects.  So, being aware of these things, we must come up with other solutions to keep us in good heath conditions like exercise more, walk anytime we have the possibility, eat healthy and make sure you choose highly ergonomic products for your work environment.

We need chairs that  literally keeps our bodies and minds in motion in order to be more focused and functional, and not ending up stiff and tired after a work day. With such descriptions, Herma Miller’s office chairs with innovative designs go certainly beyond expectations, totally new kind of chairs. Here are some example for office environment. For more photos and details for eachh product, please check out their website.

2. Aeron Office Chairs

 

3. Mirra Chairs

 

4. SAYL Chairs

 

5. Ergon 3 Chairs

Photos © Herman Miller.

Created by Italian designers Alessio Roscini and Marco Maturo of the Milan-based Studio Klass, Petra and Tegola take lighting options to a new level of creativity. These two awesome pieces were shown this year during Milan Design Week and got a lot of attention thanks to their simple and modern design, yet unconventional.

Produced from a single block of stone (limestone) to avoid in this way any type of waste, Petra and Tegola are two table lamps consisting of two parts which easily fix together and simplify also the manufacturing process:  a main body with the light source and the upper body which reflecst and directs the light in a manner that creates ideal situations for a reading in the evening or for the study. Sculptural, yet functional, these lamps are something new, original and attractive and they are a very good alternative to the old boring lamps. Must say they will indeed be a unique addition with a highly modern design in your home decor.

Photos: © Pietro Cocco.

 

Associação Fraunhofer Portugal has a new research area starting with 2011. The non-­‐profit private research association is part of  Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the largest application-oriented research organization in Europe which develops technological innovations and novel systems solutions for their customers. Pedra Silva Arquitectos were commissioned to design the new Porto headquarters located at the Technology University Campus.

In designing this concept, there were taken into consideration the workplace layout and organizational elements from Fraunhofer Office Inovation Center in Stutgard (Germany). The project’s design approach is modern, innovative and dynamic, being in a strong relationship with the company’s philosophy.  With a total area of 1660 sqm., offices are divided into two floors. According to The project’s backbone is the movement, circulation and all spaces appear along a distribution route located next to the glass façade. From this main axis makes the access to various spaces of offices which vary in functions and sizes. Strong lines, bold colors, minimalist and high quality furnishing describe the overall appearance of this new research area. The offices spaces emanate positive energy, where creativity plays an important role.

 

Photos: © João Morgado.

 

Project details:

Architect: Pedra Silva Architects
Location: Porto, Portugal
Project Coordination: Luís Pedra Silva
Project Area: 1,660 sqm
Project year: 2011

As mentioned in a previous post, mobile and modular solutions that work in a variety of configurations and adapt to the changing working environment are today’s office furniture. RIFT Collection from Darran, which will show you today, is a great new Made-In-America casegood collection launched this month at NeoCon -North America’s largest design exposition and conference for commercial interiors.

This exciting new office furniture collection is a result of a collaborative work between DARRAN team and design industry superstar David Allan Pesso who holds licenses for more than 300+ furniture designs, and has been awarded 18 design patents. Created for modern times and with a design inspired by Mies Van der Rohe’s Seagram’s Building and the tenants found in the 20th C. International Style, the furniture collection’s goal is to meet clients’ needs who require functional solutions for individuals who have different attitudes and work styles and share the same space. RIFT Collection offers highly flexible and modular solutions that places functionality, advanced technologies for materials and the modern, liniar aesthetics of minimalism at the top of its priority list.

Its manufacturing style allows it to support multitasking, focused individual work, knowledge sharing, and collaboration in private offices as well as in open spaces offices. With material rich options ( reconstituted [tech-grain] veneer, steel, aluminum, glass, paint, etc.), clients can for example to create their own sophisticated table configurations with integrated sit mechanism depending on their desires and of course the available workspace. What is even great at these beautiful pieces of furniture is that they are designed to have a minimum environmental impact, making use of Environmental Urethane Technology, which it’s a high-end furniture coating with superior performance in appearance and durability that meets today’s environmental standards, improves indoor air quality and assists with LEED requirements.

 

 Photos: © Darran.