Blog

Office Environments, Layouts, Standards and Guidelines

As a contractor or architect, it’s up to you to design a space for your clients that is well suited to the client’s needs and improves the quality of their experience existing in the space. Getting contracted to design office spaces is not always easy, especially today with a rapidly evolving definition of what an office environment could be. Nowadays, most new offices are multidimensional and act as a home away from home- with kitchens, games, and lounge areas that simulate the essence of a living room.

These workspaces are meant to cater to the worker’s needs, boost morale, enhance production, and increase continuity and communication amongst coworkers or “team members”. By designing a thoughtful and considered layout, and installing the right framework, you’ll be able to craft an innovative working environment that your client and their employees will love. Below, we’ve outlined some things to keep in mind during the design process. Much needed rooms, spatial separation, and exciting elements to employ may help inspire your blueprints.

Office Open Floor Plans

Today, open floor plans have become the new staple or standard in office design. More and more companies are recognizing that allowing their employees to freely communicate, work together and experience closeness actually increases productivity and team morale. Open floor plans also increase visibility, natural light, and breathability throughout the office environment. By starting off your design with an open plan, you make room for a lot of inventive spatial solutions and targeted rooms that will add intrigue and excitement to the space.

bright workplace with many glass divided rooms

Office Phone Booths/Call Rooms

A good way to allow for some spatial separation and privacy is to introduce phone booths or “tiny rooms” into the open swath of expansive office space. While these glass barriers are not specifically soundproof, they do provide a spatial barrier that lessens noise and provides increased privacy. This way, when a team member has a long call (or a loud voice) they can quickly step into these quiet spaces and not feel guilty about distracting nearby workers. A new poll by Udemy and Toluna showed that 80% of workers admit to being sonically distracted while at work.

 “Office noise is the second most cited workplace disturbance, with seven out of ten respondents citing noise as a top bother in their day-to-day workflow” (statista.com).

Outside influences on employees’ working environment take a toll on productivity and cause employees a cumbersome mental reset every few minutes. A great solution to introduce with these call booths is to install sliding door room dividers for the call booth so as to save space in an already tiny enclosure, while creating a stylish design that increases the office aesthetic. Our solutions divide the space, curtail foot traffic and provide visual privacy.

 

Bonus Yoga / Stretching / Meditation Room

A new trend amongst trendy office spaces is offering a yoga or meditation room. People become seriously fatigued while sitting for too long a time in uncomfortable office chairs day in and day out. Not only is a desk job physically grueling on a person’s body, but it also takes a mental toll. By designing workers space for some healthy breaks to stretch, breathe, recenter and improve their physical health, you effectively boost productivity, increase mental capacity and increase contentment amongst a workforce. Consider installing sliding glass barn doors for this room – it will enhance the overall look of the room and offer an artistic flourish your client will love. What’s more, you can choose from six different glass opacities to best suit your client’s needs. For the yoga room, perhaps a more opaque glass finish would be the ideal choice, so workers can stretch and meditate while enjoying a bit of privacy. 

conference room with sliding glass door wall, some panels opaque

Think Tank / Conference Room

While open floor plans are a great way to achieve integration, cohesion, and an overall team mentality, any office environment should come equipped with a full-size conference room for important/private meetings and presentations. Some like to think of these rooms as productive think tanks. Not providing one would be a big detriment to any business. People need to be able to gather around a table, bounce ideas off each other, check-in on progress, etc. To engineer a stylistic balance of privacy with visibility, use glass sliding door room dividers to integrate a conference room amongst the rest of the open floor plan. This way, you’ll provide a “separate yet together” feel that your clients will thoroughly enjoy.

Private Offices

Of course, you’ll want to design your office space with at least one to three private offices to provide distinction for the company CEO, manager or owner from the general workforce. By using floor-to-ceiling glass wall partitions and interior sliding doors, you’ll provide enough spatial separation and privacy while assimilating the rooms into the vast open space. An office with four solid walls on each side doesn’t exactly say “teamwork” the way it should. Rather, it segregates the people below and can make employees feel detached from their bosses or those higher up than them. As the designer, take it upon yourself to create a positive, integrative working environment that will improve the working conditions of employees and drive the business in the right direction.

Our glass and aluminum partitions are recyclable and perfect for green construction projects. They also assist architects with earning LEED points which is another selling point when contracting clients. Taking into consideration general layout, office partitions, the use of glass, and introducing inventive spaces, you’ll successfully craft a product that your clients will celebrate each day they come into work. An office should be a productive home away from home. Consult the experts in space optimization and check out Space Plus, a division of the Sliding Door Company.

Have a look at our products gallery for inspiration and product images. Schedule a call with one of our knowledgeable professionals to get a free quote and other information on our many available solutions. Simply find a location near you and ensure your office design a success!

Blog

QubiGlass: The Spatial Solution We’ve Been Waiting For!

Arming your office with invaluable safety solutions will be a crucial part of your business’s game plan heading into the upcoming winter months. Rather than focusing on decorations and outfitting the workplace with seasonal accouterment, your transition to winter may look a little bit different this year!

As a business owner, this pandemic has been rough for many reasons. While the Coronavirus loomed over us, we had to steer the ship in uncertain waters, lead our team forward with little preparation or training, and continue on amidst a global crisis with an undefined end in sight. It has been our responsibility to ensure that our employees are safe and healthy, COVID-free, and comfortable enough to return to a physical office environment. This has become one of our most daunting tasks as leaders, and even more so for those of us ill-equipped to separate our workers from one another swiftly. Many of us leading an entire workforce grappled with this issue and desperately sought spatial solutions to achieve the necessary safety barriers within the workplace. Without the time or budget to completely redesign our office spaces, most of us have felt somewhat powerless- until now.

With the introduction of QubiGlass by Space Plus, A Division of the Sliding Door Company, we’ve now been able to work with what we have in our current office environments and improve the safety and quality of the workday of all of our employees. These systems have become especially important now, as more and more workers return to shared office spaces and the start of flu season is upon us! These new systems are an integral facet for those of us running businesses.

In our modern era, most office spaces and conference rooms enjoy a vast open floor plan with little physical separation or view-blocking partitions. And until this transformative year, open floor plans were celebrated! However, with the current pandemic, it’s completely unthinkable to maintain large sweeping open spaces indoors in which the virus could easily travel from workspace to workspace. That’s why the best way at stopping an airborne viral spread indoors is to put up spatial dividers and limit contact between employees.

How It Works

QubiGlass systems work by wrapping around pre-existing cubicles or walls to upgrade them with a glass protective layer. This new QubiGlass design makes it seamless to work with what you have and enclose your existing spatial dividers in this glass system, with hardly any disruption to the office during installation! This innovative system is affordable, quick, and painless to integrate into office interiors, and can be installed in less than one day! Compared with other alternatives that require abrasive construction taking up weeks or months, QubiGlass Partitions allow you to get back to the normal workday as soon as possible.

The best part? These sturdy glass systems are extremely versatile. Not only do they work as an addition to wall partitions and cubicle walls, but they are also available in freestanding form, with an array of unique configurations available. Spatial dividers and glass office wall partitions should be able to work with your space, not against it, especially in these turbulent times!

Glass VS Plastic

Throughout this pandemic, there has been much debate over the difference between glass and other plastic glass forms such as Plexi or other synthetic acrylics. So, why is it important to use glass for cubicle surfaces rather than fabric material, plastic, or wood?

Glass is much more sanitary, easier to clean and disinfect, and is far more durable than all other materials used for cubicle lining. And while plexiglass and other acrylic alternatives are shatter-resistant, glass will stand the true test of time. Acrylic is very porous, and after months and years of cleaning with harsh chemicals to disinfect, the plastic surface area used in these acrylic glass replacements will begin to wear, yellow in color, and fog while glass will remain unscathed throughout the years. QubiGlass spatial systems are designed for durability and longevity.

Putting these tips into play, you can safeguard your staff, employees, and your customers against this fall flu season! For more ideas, inspiration, and related blogs, head over to Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company for all the best in commercial space-saving solutions! From Bi-Fold doors to swing doors, wall dividers to suspended systems, Space Plus has it all! Schedule a free consultation with one of our showroom professionals and order your very own custom QubiGlass partitions today!

Blog

Shut-downs Present the Perfect Opportunity to Remodel

Last week, California announced another round of restaurant closures due to a recent and troubling spike in COVID case numbers. This comes as the second wave of mandatory restaurant shut-downs, which will result in widespread job loss (both temporary and long term) and will be financially devastating for millions. And while the next few weeks will be exceptionally difficult for both employees and employers, there might just be a silver lining.

This is because customers, clients, and employees will be gone from the business over the next few weeks, allowing you (the owner) a chance to finally make those restaurant upgrades you’ve been putting off for years. Without the ability to serve in-person dining, it’s time to start thinking about the direction you would like to see your restaurant move towards. If you own a food or beverage establishment in a top California city, chances are you’ve been competing with some of the best in the business. And these top restaurants are not only judged by the quality of the food and service, but also the ambiance and aesthetic. With so many competing restaurants to choose from, you have to make your business stand out and pique the interest of passersby.  And if you haven’t put work into your business in over a decade, chances are it’s due for a serious interior upgrade. Luckily, Space Plus, A Division of the Sliding Door Company has the expert know-how and innovative ideas to bring your environs into the modern moment.

To help get you started, we’ve provided a few interior design tips and tactics for your new project.

Expand the Space

These days, we tend to feel most at ease within wide-open spaces and sleek open floor plans that ooze contemporary modernism. And this considered style doesn’t just apply to restaurants but also is integrated into workspaces, retail shops, and homes. The truth is, the decade-long transition to a more light-filled, open-air environment creates a breathable space and allows your patrons to feel included in the greater experience. Providing easy interior visibility broadens the space and creates a kinship between patrons. A great way to achieve expansive interiors is to adopt a minimalist approach and reduce the number of physical barriers and even tables within the space. Though if your restaurant requires a few physical barriers within the dining area, we suggest installing beautiful glass wall partitions or Glass Room Dividers to achieve this medium. This way, you can enjoy some spatial separation between tables or entire dining rooms, all while retaining an open floor plan and the same visibility.

Modernize it

Lately, the interior design industry is promoting the use of natural textiles, rustic materials and timeless pieces. Juxtapositions of natural elements such as wood with metal, or glass paired with earthen materials like stucco create a fascinating narrative for your customers to appreciate while they dine. Integrate metalwork with comfortable opposites like velvet, linen or corduroy to use for upholstery like seat cushions. Also, don’t forget to update your bathrooms to reflect the rest of the renovation. Pair modern Sliding Glass Bathroom Doors with rustic concrete floors and finish the room off with worldly wall textiles. Women in particular will truly appreciate the extra effort

Now that you have a springboard of ideas, it’s time to jump into the interior remodeling. After all, you may only have a few weeks until restaurants are allowed to reopen! By implementing these spatial solutions into your interior space, you’ll be able to compete with your surrounding restaurants and attract the customers you’ll need to emerge from this crisis unscathed. For more ideas, inspiration, and related blogs, head over to Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company for all the best in commercial space-saving solutions! From Bi-Fold doors to Swing Doors, wall dividers to suspended systems, Space Plus has it all! Schedule a free consultation with one of our showroom professionals and order your very own custom Qubi Glass partitions today!

SP 1046 – A

Blog

Wellness Facilities Enjoy Recent Success Amid COVID 19

This year has worked in mysterious ways, birthing and destroying entire industries almost overnight, and defining the new normal for each of us in our daily lives, and in business. It’s true that this year, entire businesses have crumbled while others effortlessly take flight. From the travel tourism industry to restaurants, car sales, and theme parks, these once heavy-hitting industries are experiencing a tremendous downturn while Covid restrictions and fears remain in place. Yet one industry that has positively thrived during this global crisis, is the modern wellness facility. It’s no coincidence that people have health on their mind more than usual this year, though admittedly, the current cultural zeitgeist has, without question, turned towards a more health-centered lifestyle. From vegan food to yoga obsessed

What exactly are wellness facilities?

These modern meccas are any and all health and wellness businesses that promise to improve your physical or mental well-being through a wide range of different therapies, or products that claim to aid your physical self. These businesses range from the now infamous CryoTherapy to Yoga Centers, Immunity Boosting tonic bars, to Stretch Labs (where you pay to be stretched by a professional).

What’s more, many of these health and wellness facilities have managed to stay afloat by assuring their clientele that their facility is safe and responsible during this global pandemic. So what kind of precautions and steps have these cutting edge businesses undergone in order to retain relevance during a panic-driven global pandemic?

Client Screening

One of the best ways that wellness facilities have safeguarded their establishments from spreading the virus has been by extensively screening their clientele. Oftentimes, appointments must be scheduled in advance and the facility will only allow a number of visitors at a time to protect everyone’s safety. And because most wellness facilities require person-to-person contact or at the very least, close proximity to the practitioner, extra steps have been taken to ensure safety for both parties. Pre-screening methods such as temperature checks, extensive questionnaires, recent travel information and symptom assessments have been made to protect against the virus.

Strict Sanitation

Secondly, thriving wellness facilities have made sure that their facility is expertly cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected between visitors to ensure a safe space for people to enjoy. Most facilities now have a full time cleaning staff on each day to keep a well-maintained environment for everyone. Wiping down surfaces often, such as Glass Wall Partitions and glass room dividers is an absolute must during all open hours of the day. Additionally, masks and gloves are worn by practitioners and in most cases, required by clients upon arrival into the facility.

Spatial Distancing

For facilities that allow multiple clients in at one time, they’ve had to implement strict spatial solutions throughout the floor plan in order to cut off potential contamination between patients and practitioners alike. Many facilities are choosing to use state-of-the-art glass wall partitions made by Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company, in order to achieve a perfect medium of “separate but together”. Celebrated for their durability, these free-standing glass partitions are made from real glass, and come in all sorts of flexible configurations and customizable options. With their new line of Qubi Glass wall partitions, Space Plus makes it easier than ever to outfit your wellness facility with the dividers your business needs to survive. These sliding wall partitions and Glass Room Dividers are offered in hundreds of varying configurations, shades of opacity, and unique locking and handle systems. And because they are so uniquely customizable, you can choose a system that integrates flawlessly into your facility and actually improves the overall aesthetic of your interiors with a modern upgrade! The best part? The company delivers and installs your personal systems in less than a day! That means no major construction, no disruption to the workday, and top-notch professionalism every step of the way.

By putting these spatial solutions into your wellness facility, you can ensure the safety of your dedicated staff, employees, and your customers against the winter flu season and COVID-19. For more ideas, inspiration, and related blogs, head over to Space Plus, a Division of The Sliding Door Company for all the best in commercial space-saving solutions! From Bi-Fold doors to swing doors, wall dividers to suspended systems, Space Plus has it all! Schedule a free consultation with one of our showroom professionals and order your very own custom Qubi Glass Partitions today!

SP 1039 – A