CORT, the nation’s leading provider of transition services and furniture rental for businesses large and small, announces the 2014 office workspace trends. The trends that are determining how businesses design their office spaces in the new year are collaboration, flexibility and mobility.
“From integrating the latest technology to increased collaboration among coworkers, work environments are changing and so must the way offices are furnished,” said Ann Sennewald, vice president of merchandising at CORT. “Offices designed in 2014 must reflect the needs of modern-day employees and invoke collaboration, flexibility, mobility and more.”
These are some examples of how the new office trends merge with furniture and workspace designs to make offices more functional and employees more productive:
Collaboration
Collaborative workspaces are open, welcoming public spaces that encourage individuals to share and learn from each other by mixing and mingling. Lounge seating areas are a key furnishing and office design trend that enable collaboration. Lower walls and cubicles foster a team environment. Unassigned tables put between work spaces are also enabling employees to meet and collaborate spontaneously.
Flexibility
Work surfaces have become much more flexible and designed to fulfill a number of needs. It is not just a “desk” anymore. Examples of flexibility in offices include gathering areas for spontaneous meetings, a variety of seating and works surfaces designed to varying work styles. Unassigned workstations are also becoming commonplace for employees who telecommute and only occasionally come into the office.
Mobility
Today’s workforce is mobile, offices should be also. Most chairs have wheels, but stools and standing height tables are also becoming popular. Seating that can move with employees is fostering the collaboration and flexibility mentioned above. Today’s employee is also increasingly aware of the health effects of prolonged sitting, hence the focus on ergonomic chairs for employees at all levels and stand up desks.
CORT, a style and design expert, is focused on the needs of companies and employees. Today’s companies seek furnishing and workspace solutions that look good while optimizing space and employee productivity. CORT recently revamped its workspace product offerings to introduce its new Staks collection. This collection provides entire workspace systems that meet the needs of today’s customer by promoting collaboration, flexibility and mobility.
