The millennial workspace

It wasn’t a sterile office with fluorescent strip lamps and almost identical bland furniture to the office next door, or to the one across the hall. The visitor was met with a pleasant aroma, and a feeling almost akin to homeliness.

Open offices and common areas

In the age of the millennials, communication across all departments is foremost, and as such, open doors to colleagues and management is key.

Common areas invite people to take a seat and talk to one another, while custom lighting and mobile furniture allow for multi-functional meeting, lunch and presentation spaces. Moveable partitions, well-thought-out spacial design, original furnishings and greenery all create an inspirational atmosphere where people actually want to spend there time.

An air reminiscent of public libraries or university common rooms is apparent, albeit with an added comfort and coziness.

Industrial, minimalist design

Monochrome colour-schemes and raw wood and metal. Minimalist design has become that of millennial design. The millennials are moving more often than the generations before them, at a time when housing prices are at peak levels. With space at a premium, minimalist multifunctional homes and offices have become something of a commodity to them.

Foliage is fashionable. No millennial office, or home, is complete without greenery. Hanging terrariums, sills of succulents and low maintenance pot plants are commonplace in the workplace.

Natural lighting

Bright artificial migraine inducing light has long been an office staple. But with increasing amounts of research underlining its detrimental effects, millennials are striving to capture as much natural light as possible. Expanses of glass, airy loft-like spaces and effective floor plans all help. And where natural light is sparse, advances in lighting technology provide beams of mood friendly luminance.

Technology

The technology of today allows an almost cable-free unplugged freedom – wireless keyboards and mice, smart phones and bluetooth headphones remove unwanted noise and allow the user to move around as needed. The practical use of the latest technology in life, and offices, is something of a millennial pastime.

Tasteful and functional comfort

Millennials are well aware of the time they spend in the office: at a desk, in a chair, in front of a screen. They require, therefore, comfortable ergonomic seating snd suitable screen size and height – all the details should be fine-tuned to fit with their health requirements.

With nothing superfluous, in a space akin to a sitcom set, taking a timeout is commonplace – whether it’s on a beanbag in front of a games console, stretching out on a yoga mat, or catching up on daily happenings. With the importance of work / life balance at the forefront, it makes sense that the workspace creates a similar blend of work and play.
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Author: Míša Benešovská

I’m a freelance journalist and copywriter, mainly covering IT industry. I’ve been fascinated by it for nearly a quarter of a century (or since I dismantled my first computer). I worked for Seznam.cz, Unicorn Systems or Mafra publisher. In my spare time, I love game consoles and keep perfecting a recipe for the best pumpkin risotto in the world.