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Summer Sanctuary 5 tips to upgrade your outdoor productivity
25 Jul 2021
Workspace design has long since tried to bring the outdoors in, after all we spend the majority of our waking hours in a building of some sort. The need for biophilic design has primarily arisen to keep our connection to the outdoors alive.
Sure, the Middle East isn’t the poster child of outdoor events, but we can definitely squeeze four months of the year to be able to “Work from anywhere”. Understandably the weather doesn’t allow for too many balconies or open areas in the region, however if you were lucky to have one, here are our thoughts on how to make it the hottest workspace out there! (no pun intended)
Ingredients
Cool Workbench: We love the Extremis Amai bench that allows two modes (sit/stand) with a shade structure to match & its sticks collection to create some additional privacy
Soft Seating: The outdoors needs soft spaces as much as the indoors. Ensuring your products have the right outdoor fabric to match the colour stripping strength of the sun is key. Our favourite is the tried and tested “Grid Collection” from Gloster with its oversized parasol aptly named “Halo” to go with it.
Water Features & Plants or Trees: The UAE has its share of buildings and sand to see; if you aren’t facing an ocean sunset, it may help to create your very own Oasis. They help reduce the heat island effect while naturally absorbing sound to take away some of that city hustle.
Flooring: This can be easily overlooked as you may be tempted to use the existing flooring. If the budget does allow it, look at options for a wood decking or patterned tile (terrazzo) that can help bring the outdoor space to life.
Lamps: If you are burning the midnight oil at the office and need an outdoor break, make sure to kit out the outdoors for ambient lighting. It can help create a different setting while still allowing you to work comfortably without any strain on the eye.
If you still aren’t convinced that a fabulous outdoors will help turbo charge your productivity, here are 4 facts to help you on your way.
1. Increased Happiness, Engagement & Talent Retention. Many studies show that our moods take a positive shift when we spend time outside. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to join a company with a cool outdoor space!
2. More Energetic. A series of studies published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology reveals that being in nature makes people feel more alive and suggests its better than reaching for a cup of coffee!
3. Improved memory. Research from the University of Michigan found that walking in a park or even viewing pictures of nature helped improve both memory and attention span.
4. Stress relief. Spending time outside has been shown to lower stress levels and has similar effects on your brain and body as meditating.
5. Concentration & Focus. An average office worker is interrupted every 11 minutes and takes twice as long to revert back to their original work. Outdoor spaces can help reduce the distraction commonly connected with indoor spaces.
The Total Office:
As a provider of workspace solutions, The Total Office helps elevate the work experience of its customers by addressing collaboration, acoustics, environmental sustainability and well being at the design stage using globally recognized products and tools. This enables its customers to raise their productivity in the workspace laying a foundation for innovation and a sound work culture. The Total Office is Headquartered in Dubai, UAE serving the country and the wider Middle East region. For more information visit: www.thetotaloffice.com
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2018/06/25/5-data-backed-ways-working-outdoors-can-improve-employee-well-being
https://www.workdesign.com/2019/05/outdoor-workspace-designing-for-long-term-impact/