In this second part of “Distribution of office spaces”, we will dedicate it to recreational and social spaces. In the modern concept of offices that is imposed today, it is essential to have areas of leisure, recreation and social exchange that allows to create community and that the workers relate to each other. They are also relaxation spaces, without any work pressure, but from where excellent alliances and ideas arise. We now examine the social areas that a modern office project should include.

Dining area with Limobel Inwo furniture: chairs Lira and tables Lara.

Kitchens and dining rooms

For many years the concept of "party time", that forces workers to either go home to eat or go out of the office to a restaurant with a menu. This implies the interruption of the working day between 2 and 3 hours, with the consequent lengthening of the schedule until 7 or 8 in the afternoon. Now there is more advocacy intensive schedule, with small stops for a coffee or lunch. For this reason, the dining rooms with kitchen, where workers can heat up their food or serve themselves a coffee, without taking a very long work break. Depending on the size of the company and the number of workers, this space will be more or less large. But the truth is that, from 4 people, the company must consider that organizing a small space to eat or have a drink within its facilities is absolutely vital to make life easier for workers, maximize the working day and, at the same time, time, create a disconnection space.

Restaurants and cafes

Another alternative to the above are the restaurants and cafeterias managed by the company itself. In these cases, the worker does not need to bring food from home, but the company offers a menu at an affordable price. The worker can toggle between the two options. In these cases, the company must prepare an area for the restaurant management (even if it is catering, you will have to have kitchens or similar to plate or heat), and of course, there must be tables and chairs with the same quality and durability as those used in contract projects of hotels and restaurants. Generally, it is the larger companies, with a considerable number of employees, that opt ​​for this solution, since, although more demanding and probably more expensive, it is easier to manage than 200 workers heating their food at the same time.

The funny offices of effective communication by Limobel

Play and recreational areas

Increasingly common in young companies, these recreational areas not only do they establish a new concept in the workplace, but they also stand out from traditional offices. Here the work spaces are conceived as ccenters of creativity, exchange and interrelationships. Technological, design, advertising or communication companies are willing to cede ground to these playful spaces where the worker can disconnect and apply his mind and concentration on other matters, without stopping thinking/creating. Board games, video games or those that involve a certain body agility, concentration and coordination benefit the mental development of workers and unlock them in times of stress. The variety of game rooms is immense, but there is a special predilection for ping pong, billiards, pinball, basketball hoops, table football, and even mini golf. Also they table games, like chess and backgammon, and of course, video games.

Sports area and gym inside the office

Have you ever run out with your gym bag to go to Pilates, yoga or swimming, and thus take advantage of lunch time? Well, in modern offices it is implanted the concept of well-being, health and exercise at work. Perhaps sports facilities do not have to be as atomic as this image shows them, from a tech hubs in Austin, Texas, where they have even built a climbing wall. There are many different formulas: from Gyms with cardio machines, up to yoga, dance or pilates rooms. The interesting thing about this system is that the worker can exercise without having to travel, with the flexible hours established by the company: before or after the day, or even interrupting their working hours to exercise if they need it to reactivate.

The best sofa designs for offices by Limobel

Rest and relaxation areas

We confess that this already seems to us the sumum of modernity in the new office concept: rest and relaxation rooms, so that workers can lie down to rest, read, listen to music and, why not, take a short nap. To do this, in many work spaces they have placed suspender mesh, Hammocks, giant and ergonomic poufs and even small cubicles with mats that ensure the privacy of the user. We suppose that more than one boss from before would frown at such an "occurrence".

Photos: Limoel Inwo and OfficeSnapShots