Designing Flexible Workplace Neighborhoods for Hybrid Work Models
At Red Thread’s Workplace Innovation Hub located at 55 Hartland Street, we’ve embraced a hybrid work model that gives our people the freedom to decide how, where, and when they work. We carefully designed our new office to foster a welcoming atmosphere that enhances our connections with one another, our clients, and the community. To achieve this, we thoroughly considered how we spend our time, where we perform best, and how we can create valuable work experiences.
Our office design reflects our culture, which we molded through input from our team. We used surveys, workshops, and collaborative sessions to better understand the types of work our team performs and the challenges they face while working in a hybrid mode. We discovered the importance of providing quiet areas for focused work as well as collaborative and social spaces. This allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of how work modes change throughout the day and the necessity for different flexible workspaces, amenities, and tools.
NEIGHBORHOODS CREATE VIBRANT COMMUNITIES
To reimagine the future of our office, we combined insights from employee workshops with inspiration from the vibrant communities in which we live – neighborhoods.
Why neighborhoods?
Neighborhoods are where people form relationships, feel a sense of belonging and build trust. Organizations can establish varied and diverse neighborhoods within their workplace, which can serve as a concrete means to convey their values and transform their culture.
The workplace has the potential to generate the same level of liveliness and camaraderie that individuals experience while sitting in a local coffee shop, as well as provide the same degree of seclusion found in a library or the privacy of one’s home.
What are office neighborhoods?
Like the neighborhoods people live in, office neighborhoods serve as a home base for individuals, teams, or departments. They consist of various interconnected spaces that facilitate different types of work and a seamless transition from one space to another. Neighborhoods become a destination, where people feel comfort and confidence, they can find their teammates and the tools they need to do their work.
OUR WORKPLACE INNOVATION HUB NEIGHBORHOODS
Our Workplace Innovation Hub is divided into four distinct neighborhoods designed to support various work styles and task types. Each neighborhood is an ecosystem of open and enclosed spaces built using our demountable walls so we can modify as we continue to gain insights into how our work patterns evolve over time. They include:
Tranquil (Quiet & Focused)
This is the perfect spot for quiet, undisturbed, focus work, as well as an escape for thinking, reflecting, and being creative.
Enclosed Spaces:
- (2) Phone booths
- (3) 1-person enclaves
Dynamic (Collaborative & Flexible)
This is a dynamic neighborhood for teamwork. Whether you’re working on a bid or trying to solve a problem, group settings, flexible furniture, and technology make collaborating easy.
Enclosed spaces:
- (2) Phone booths
- (1) 1-person pod/office
- (1) 1-2 person lounge room
- (3) 3-5 person enclave
- Large war room
Organic (Social & Lively)
An organic extension of the work café, this open and social working environment is perfect for catching up with colleagues and casual collaboration. Connect with elements of nature and each other.
Nearby spaces:
- Work café that serves as social hub of the office
- Treehouse meeting room perfect for clients and groups of 4-12
Inspired (Traditional & Blended)
This engaging neighborhood supports individual work with impromptu conversations. Provides a great ergonomic environment with height adjustable desks and the right tools to get your best work done. It includes open and enclosed spaces for individuals and small groups.
Enclosed Spaces:
- (2) Single occupancy enclaves
- (2) Team rooms for 3-5 people
The design elements, such as color palette, textures, lighting, and furniture applications, indicate the intended use of each area.
FLEXIBLE OFFICE DESIGN
Our employees don’t own an individual workspace; they have access to the entire space. They can select the workplace neighborhood that is best suited for the task at hand and work beside whoever they need to collaborate with. Since we see our hybrid workspace as a living laboratory, we designed a flexible infrastructure that enables us to adapt and change easily as our needs change. The office cleverly balances an inspiring and sophisticated aesthetic with open and adaptable planning concepts to support our work now and in the future.