Commercial
Resimercial Design: Everything You Need to Know
January 21, 2020
Remember Dorothy from the 1939 classic Wizard of Oz famously declaring “there’s no place like home,” at the end of the film? Fast forward to 2019 where millennials may be tempted to add “except for the office,” to Dorothy’s statement.
Do you ever feel like you spend too much time at your workplace that you may as well be living there? For the modern workforce, it is true to a certain extent.
So, it is important for employers to have specific offerings and amenities in place to meet the needs of their workforce.
A decade back, employee expectation in terms of office design and amenities were quite different. Today, it will take a lot more to keep your employees loyal to your organisation in the long term.
Therefore, whatever changes you choose to make, the end impact should be a positive one which should influence employee performance and satisfaction.
This brings us to resimercial design, which when executed well can have a progressive impression on welfare, relationship, ideation and overall productivity in the workplace.
What is Resimercial Design?
A term which basically came into existence after coining residential and commercial, resimercial designs are being adopted by various companies and are quickly gaining popularity in recent times.
At the heart of resimercial design is the concept of layering your workplace with design elements that are commonly cherished on the home front. Think cosy fabrics, think natural materials, think soft furnishings that are streamlined and has the potential to be multi-purpose.
The bottom line is about designing environments that are comfortable and transforms the workplace into something that your employees actually look forward to working in.
What’s the Draw?
The primary objective of implementing resimercial designs to highlight the workplace into more comfortable, welcoming environments. Remember that employees spend close to 90,000 hours of their life working.
So, it is just plain common sense to make the space that you devote this much time to as inviting and inspiring as possible. Having this is a definite value add as it certainly incentivises employees to spend more time and be more engaged while they are at work.
But to think resimercial office design as a fleeting trend would be a mistake. In fact, it is quite the opposite. And to be honest, the trend is here to stay.
Experts are of the opinion that resimercial designs are the next logical step in workspace evolution. The need is there. Here’s why?
Always-On Work Culture:
Today, employees do not want to be limited to regular 9 to 5 schedules. Often, most millennials work hours which can be claimed are unconventional. Sights like late night brainstorming sessions or connecting with clients located halfway around the world are now more commonplace.
With such demands, the overall effect of the employee can be quite exhausting, and demotivating. More so, if he or she is stuck in a stuffy cubicle that is unpleasant, all day long.
Varied Roles Through the Day:
Employees are expected to master so many trades in a modern work environment. They are adept at performing multiple tasks, almost every day. Therefore, it is just natural to stay away from monotony as much as possible.
So, when millennials progress from one role to the other, it is important to develop suitable spaces to correspond with the various tasks that they perform throughout the day.
Changing Attitudes at Workplaces:
It is good advice to separate your personal life from your professional one. In the 21st century, it is no longer relevant. Millennials who form the majority of the workforce today don’t want to work with barriers in place. Building meaningful relationships with their co-workers is what employees today want out of their workplaces.
Modern day employees treat their colleagues more like extended families. Sharing meals, drinks and laughs happen frequently. This changing attitude at the workplace has the potential for resimercial designs to make their mark to create a space with a positive vibe and energy.
The logic on which resimercial design is based is to have a workforce that is largely happy and satisfied. And research definitely points to the direction of increasing productivity and creativity along with it.
What you actually end up with is a stronger and more cohesive community.
Designing for A Culture of Comfort and Choice
When designing your office space, it must reflect its authentic culture. While the goal should be to support your workforce with their assigned roles through sustainable office design, there isn’t any one size fits all solution.
Instead, look towards layering in the space with familiar elements. The idea is to make your employees feel more secure, valued, connected and at home. Looking after their well-being not only does a lot to make them feel happy but also keep them productive and motivated. Overall, you will see that your employee retention spikes high that boosts your organisation’s profitability in the long run.
Here is what you should focus on in terms of office design.
Focus on Adaptability:
Two key elements are the driving forces in resimercial design – comfort and character. Think of ways to make the design more adaptable by creating a palette of places to suit your staff that strives to accommodate their work style.
Consider a combination of open rooms that accelerates collaboration and communication to secluded, quiet zones that can help your employees to either deep dive into projects or spend some quality ‘me’ time.
Focus on Endurance: Furniture typically used in the residence are not designed for long term usage by high traffic. Quite unlike an office environment. Luckily, trends in resimercial design are driving more furniture designers to come up with dedicated lines of residential-inspired office furniture.
Unquestionably, using fabrics and materials that are more durable for the upholstery, soft furnishings and furniture is the key to endurance and longevity.
Focus on Ambiance:
In the majority of situations, the feeling of comfort is dependent on the ambience of the space rather than its features or layout. The lighting, acoustics, temperature, décor are some key feelers that add to the ambience of a resimercial office design.
Even the tiniest of transformations in any of these key elements can substantially alter the overall feel of the place. In fact, it can make the environment more structured and stiffer.
Focus on Collaboration:
A resimercial office design movement is a key contributor to how your employees collaborate at the workplace. Concentrate on the layout and features such as open floor plans and creating long farmhouse tables with multiple workstations and pod groupings.
What you can indeed achieve through this is an interconnection and a positive movement via an open flow of ideas and team collaboration.
There’s No Place Like the Workplace
There has also been a significant rise in flexible workspaces attributing this transition to more organisations adapting to resimercial office designs in 2018. The focus was for companies to adjust to the ever-changing needs of their workforce.
The traditional space was redefined to accommodate various activities, similar to how a residence would through the incorporation of a combination of tactile textures, materials and accessories. The end goal was to arouse a sense of warmth, well-being and closeness.
But that’s not all. Some companies went beyond their means to integrate elements that were multi-sensory and encouraged a more human centric culture.
But the question is - do you really want your workspace to look like your home?
There have been logical debates from both ends. However, most believe that the solution lies in a ‘best of both worlds’ kind of an approach that springs creativity and helps businesses to accomplish their goals.
What Have You Got to Lose?
Is there a fine line between bringing too much of the home to your workplace? Because homes are spaces where you are free to express your personality and individuality by filling it up with your favourite colours, themes, styles and things.
Be cautious as you do not want to step into that zone and go overboard when considering your design choices for your workplace.
But do not be afraid to try because what have you really got to lose by it?
The key to getting resimercial design right, lies in your understanding that the home is a concept, not a destination. It is a feeling and a state of mind.
Using resimercial elements in your office design does not imply that you are trying to mimic the home. What you are attempting to achieve is to recreate that state of mind where your employees feel safe, happy, calm and connected to their environment.
But the reality is that the lines between the home and work continue to blur. So, you have to ensure that you offer your employees a home-away-from-home surrounding where they can discover their productive selves.
And resimercial is a big step in that direction.
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