Flex office: the 7 commandments of a successful layout
Putting an end to the traditional office, the flex office rethinks the organization of work by providing employees with a variety of spaces, guaranteeing freedom and autonomy. It is becoming a matter of course as we emerge from this period of health crisis, and helps optimize the company's occupancy rate, while encouraging exchanges and creativity. But to reap the benefits, there are a number of key principles that need to be respected during the design phase.
1. Draw inspiration from tried-and-tested projects
For a company, the transition from a "classic" work organization to a flex office can represent a leap into the unknown. To limit any grey areas and get off to the right start, it may therefore be useful to take a look at some emblematic development projects. The challenge is multi-faceted: to draw inspiration, of course, but also to determine the formula that best meets the needs of the company and the expectations of its teams. In this respect, a number of initiatives are worthy of your attention.
- BETC in Pantin : located in a former wasteland, the building has been completely refurbished to suit new uses and working methods. With a surface area of 20,000 m2, this advertising agency has office floors and flex office spaces. This layout encourages exchanges and coworking thanks to open spaces, while allowing employees to isolate themselves in dedicated areas.
- Société Générale in Fontenay-sous-Bois: the 126,000 m2 Les Dunes Campus has also opted for collaborative flex-office spaces. Société Générale called on a group of employees from the new generation to co-construct the new offices and meet everyone's expectations.
2. Surround yourself with planning experts
The preceding initiatives can - and indeed should - help you identify the keys to a successful flex office. But there's one thing you need to bear in mind: every project is unique. That's why it's vital to call on a range of experts to provide you with customized solutions. Architects, QWL (quality of working life) specialists, space planners for office layouts... all profiles are essential to build every facet of the project, including :
- compliance with legal obligations (safety standards, labor laws, etc.);
- taking into account employee expectations;
- consideration of all sources of comfort (light, sound, heat, etc.);
- the balance between different work areas;
- use of the premises by employees ;
- or optimizing space occupancy.
3. Take account of new work organization
Today, the layout of a flex office no longer responds to the same issues as it did just a few years ago. Not so long ago, there were two main types of organization in the world of work: the closed office and the open space. Today, we need to take into account all the new ways of working, which have become unavoidable due to the health crisis. The challenge? Making flex office cohabit with telecommuting, coworking and even digital nomadism. To achieve this, it's essential to look at a number of elements.
- The aim of the flex office : increase occupancy rates, better juggle between face-to-face and remote work, improve employees' QWL, etc.
- The organization of the flex office : obligation or not, balance between telecommuting and presence in the company, planning, etc.
- Flex office management : remote support, avoiding isolation, meetings, empowering teams, etc.
4. Design different types of space
The flex office is more than just the absence of a dedicated office. It is also characterized by the availability of different work spaces, with a view to meeting all needs. To achieve this, you need to imagine and combine different types of space:
- individual work areas: closed office, cubicle, etc. ;
- collaborative spaces ;
- informal workplaces ;
- face-to-face and remote meeting areas ;
- or relaxation areas.
5. Think small units
The design of a flex office should not resemble an accumulation of workspaces. On the contrary, it's important to think of the entire workplace as a whole, made up of small units that interact with each other. The coherence and cohabitation of spaces are essential to bring the new organization to life. Once again, this requires a number of reflexes:
- propose different atmospheres to give character to each space;
- think about the harmony between different locations;
- segment spaces to create demarcations (partitions, colors, decoration, etc.);
- create a layout that makes it easy to understand the use of a particular unit.
6. Provide flex office equipment
In the absence of dedicated offices, the question arises of the equipment made available to teams. Employees must be able to access the equipment they need for their work, without it being stored on their workstations. With this in mind, new solutions are essential:
- create individual storage spaces, such as lockers ;
- invest in technologies that guarantee mobility: laptops, cloud services, etc.
- make shared tools available ;
- Provide modular, scalable furniture that teams can transform as they wish;
- enable employees to identify vacant spaces and easily find a colleague, using connected work smartphones for example.
7. Test and learn
In the early stages of the project, it's essential to involve teams in the move to a flex office. Consultations, idea boxes, information meetings, surveys... these are just some of the methods that can be used to obtain employees' opinions and gain a better understanding of their expectations. Despite this, it is rare for the new work organization to be immediately perfect and tick all the boxes. This is whya "test and learn" approach is so important. test and learn This is why a "test and learn" approach, based on experimentation and adjustments, is essential to continually optimize spaces. This work can have several objectives:
- quickly identify problems: reduced sense of belonging to the company, difficulty finding a suitable workspace, employees' attachment to a particular space, etc. ;
- carry out short-term experiments to identify those that meet a need ;
- regularly gather feedback from teams to assess the relevance of the organization and its evolution.