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Commercial Space Interior Design Trends Enrich Every Work Area

COVID-19 has changed the commercial real estate landscape

As we reset our work-life balance, the workplace must also evolve

Home offices, smart amenities, technology, and safety are now all need-to-haves, not on the wish list. Adaptation is key, as many new leases are short-term or sublease in order to keep physical space flexible.

Who is changing how they use their workspace?

  • Architects
  • Engineers
  • Designers
  • School Study Rooms
  • Insurance
  • Medical Collaboration
  • Any commercial office
  • Training
  • Libraries
  • Banks
  • So many more!

Multi-purpose workspaces are still on trend

Even the government has office space and conference rooms that previously were gray, dreary & uninspiring.

Room dividers, sliding glass doors, glass office fronts, suspended barn doors, conference rooms and lockable offices all play a part in multi-purposing commercial spaces to optimize them.

As those returning to work are letting upper management know, disinfection and visibly clean space instills confidence. Glass partitions are a great way to divide and keep spaces open yet separate.

Workplaces have changed dramatically in the last 50 years

Many of the changes ahead of us impact workplace design and functionality. What used to be characterized by productivity and efficiency was changed when personal computers came about.

Then the internet brought information to us real-time and our workplaces were re-shaped again and continued to evolve to drive more innovation.

While productivity is still VITAL, leveraging knowledge and promoting innovation is on the top of the goal list along with collaboration and cross-functional teamwork. Any lost productivity while being at home can be regained as we return to work. Employees are eager to reconnect.

In order to foster innovation, workspaces, conference rooms and consultation areas must provide natural light, places to meet, PLUS more quiet places to think and focus.

Interior glass door solutions including room dividers, swing doors, fixed glass walls and pass-through windows all contribute to the kind of workplace that is ripe for innovation and creativity. Innovation is seen as critical to maintaining a competitive edge.

Sliding glass doors that can stack or lock for privacy provide significant functionality and offer a clutter-free, organized yet relaxed setting.

Conference room dividers that double as dry erase boards

In line with collaboration and innovation, our interior glass door solutions can be designed with different sections of glass. Milky glass for example can be used as a dry erase board in a training room! Focused work requires a lot of attention to detail and concentration. And this is especially helpful in schools and universities. What could be more perfect than a private, calm area to set your mind free to think and create?

Having a room divider that can slide closed and offer privacy when needed is a productive way to utilize your office space.

The combination of an open floor plan to innovate with others and the private areas required to focus is the key to success!

Stacking room dividers open the space for collaboration in seconds while offices fronts close off more private areas for focus and concentration. Check out more options today at spaceplus.com, or get started with a free consultation by calling us at 1-866-536-2113.

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Tips for Building a Coworking Office to Attract Top Millennial Talent

The traditional office structure has been shaken up recently in big ways. The tech-savvy generation by and large is rejecting rigid workplace hierarchies and wants to work with a company, not for it. They appreciate autonomy at work, collaboration, and the free exchange of information and ideas. As some offices return to work and make changes, coworking spaces are becoming very attractive to many millennials.

And since millennials will make up 75% of the workforce by 2030, it only makes sense to create attractive workspaces for this soon-to-dominate group.

Coworking Spaces Continue to Grow in Popularity

Open office layouts have been popular for decades—these millennial-friendly spaces encourage spontaneous run-ins and collaboration. Coworking spaces are similar but are designed to allow employees from multiple businesses to work side-by-side. Many coworking spaces are like gyms in that members pay a monthly membership fee for regular access to the building or unit, as well as its amenities.

Coworking spaces are gaining popularity, and for a good reason. A study by Gensler found that access to coworking is associated with better employee experience and greater effectiveness at work. For those tired of working from home in less than ideal conditions, the coworking space is a welcome change.

Employers like the lower overhead costs and fewer responsibilities of renting a workspace. Workers enjoy the energy of these spaces and the networking opportunities and crossover of ideas shared spaces provide. Coworking spaces have mostly attracted tech startups and entrepreneurs, but they hold promise for other industries as well.

Tips for Creating a Coworking Space That Attracts Millennials

Coworking spaces are popping up all over the country, but if you’re not near a major city, finding a shared space can be a challenge. In this case, you might consider starting your own. Here are some tips for creating an attractive coworking space.

1. Make sure there’s demand

The idea of coworking spaces is still new for many people. If you have an established company, make sure there’s buy-in from your employees. If you’re a startup, you might need to host a few events to generate interest and excitement.

2. Choose your location wisely

You want your space to be conveniently located in a safe area with parking. The beauty of coworking spaces is they work well in all kinds of buildings, from underutilized offices to vacant buildings to old banks and factories. If you’re outside a city center, you might be able to find a landlord or property manager willing to offer you an inexpensive lease or month-to-month arrangement. This will allow you to test out the concept and see if it works for your business.

3. Strategically plan your layout and furnishings

Studies find that employees who had access to a variety of different types of spaces and who had a choice in where to work reported having better workplace experiences.

Workers need spaces to focus, collaborate, learn and socialize. Use this as a guide to map out the layout and design of your coworking habitat. Here are some popular features in shared working spaces:

  • Communal seating
  • Private individual offices
  • Conference rooms
  • Modular interior walls
  • Mobile and stackable furniture (e.g., mobile pods and tables on wheels)
  • Greenery-covered walls and other natural features
  • Tech-enabled spaces
  • Phone booths and nursing rooms
  • Beverage bars and comfortable lounges

If the space is small, an open floor plan can help you maximize space. If you have plenty of room to spread out, experiment with different modular layouts.

To keep the space flexible, choose movable glass walls and partitions, which you can reconfigure as your needs change. Keep in mind that everyone has different temperaments for noise and distractions—office dividers can help you create customizable private areas where employees can retreat for quiet time.

4. Invest in connectivity

It’s not enough to have high-speed Internet these days. To create an in-demand coworking space, create an environment designed for connectivity. Consider adding docking stations, interactive whiteboards, digital wayfinding technology (to help workers find open desk spaces), multimedia displays, virtual or augmented reality tools, and even personalized temperature and lighting controls.

Space Plus: Helping You Build an In-Demand Coworking Space

The modern workplace needs state-of-the-art solutions, and Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company, provides them.

Our office divider walls and sliding doors can help you create dynamic coworking spaces for every need—from conference rooms to sanctuary spaces to “huddle rooms.” Our partitions are sleek and modern, constructed of the highest quality tempered or laminated glass. Our talented team will help you choose from a variety of designs, glass types and frame finishes to suit your space’s aesthetic, as well as the right locks and handles for secure office rentals.

View our gallery for inspiration and learn more about our glass partitions and sliding glass door solutions for coworking office environments. Ready to get started on building your own coworking space? Request a quote today.

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Upscaling Boutique Hotels

As a hotel owner, you’re constantly updating and evolving your facilities to appeal to your clients. With so many competing hospitality options within close proximity to you, your hotel needs to pique the attention of your clients from the moment they see your business online. By offering updated interiors, carefully considered amenities, great staff, and modern architectural design, you’ll make it hard for potential clients to stay somewhere else! Easier said than done, right? Each of these necessities takes time, money, and conceptualization to realize, and oftentimes, as a hotel owner, that’s not exactly your specialty.

Not to fret! There are designers, architects, and curators available specifically for this kind of work. If you want to make an impact in the hotel industry and ensure your establishment is a success even during these uncertain times, look no further. Below we have some of the best tips and design ideas to inspire your hotel interiors and grab the attention of those excited hotel goers in the months to come!

Step 1: Update Your Interiors

Interiors are literally everything when it comes to inspiring future stays. The level of excellence of your hotel interiors reflects your relative value. Are your rooms and spa facilities updated and chic? Is your lobby luxurious and comfortable? Do you have modern furniture and a consistent theme that flows throughout the entire building? If you can’t answer “Yes!” to all of these, you’ve got your work cut out for you. The first impression one gets when stepping foot in your lobby is arguably the most important impression out of anything else. You want your guests to feel excited, wowed, and luxurious when they enter your establishment. Having thoughtful considerations like a sleek coffee bar, a sumptuous alcohol bar or restaurant, beautiful interior design, and a wonderfully attentive reception will make or break their experience from the start.

Modernizing your hotel lobby can be done with a less-is-more mindset. Minimalism and effortlessly uncluttered design is all the rage these days. You can achieve this look by pairing back your interior decor, having bold color choices, and updating your interior technology. Your doors, for example, should be sleek, modern, and buttery smooth to use. The Sliding Door Company makes fool-proof aesthetically beautiful sliding glass doors and floor to ceiling wall partitions. By integrating these throughout your hotel lobby and spa facilities, you’ll level up your facility overnight.

Step 2: Make Their Experience Unforgettable

From the moment they arrive at your boutique hotel, they need to be positively wowed. This includes everything from the little treats and considerations you leave in their suite for them. Beverages in the cooler, chocolates on the pillow, feather-soft pillows, and cloud mattresses all curate an unforgettable experience for your guests. Other amenities such as breathtaking spa facilities, a state-of-the-art gym, a deliciously inspired hotel restaurant, and sparkling clean rooms will all elevate your business, making your boutique hotel a total destination.

Step 3: It’s All About Convenience

From the moment your guests book their stay with you, to the second their car pulls up to your hotel, they should be expertly catered for. Every interaction they have in your facility needs to be tailored to them specifically, offering a personalized experience for each party. People pay a high price for convenience, meaning, your business and staff need to go the extra mile. Have a concierge waiting outside for arriving guests, provide a valet service, and show your guests around the facility so they become well-acquainted with their new environment. Provide suave entry and exit with sleek sliding glass bathroom doors and sliding closet doors in every room to enable quick and easeful use. Use these tips to check the convenience box every guest is looking for and make your hotel an unforgettable experience.

Putting these tips into play, you can begin to retrain your mind and body to have a super focused, productive day, whether at the office or at home! 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 start your educational transformation today!

SP 1028 – A

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Fall Fun with Interior Projects

For many, it might seem a bit premature to assert that summer is over. Though in places like Colorado that have already experienced snow on the ground, it may be safe to say that we have started the slow descent into the colder months- complete with shorter days, winter holidays, and increased indoor time. The transition from summer to fall isn’t always welcomed, especially in colder states where preparing for winter can be slightly depressive. Yet despite those factors, this transition offers a wonderful opportunity to recollect yourself, start the new season off fresh, and reimagine your interiors with your family. We all can expect to stay inside more in the upcoming months, so updating and freshening up your interior environment with your kids in mind is a great place to start!

The majority of our youth are currently homeschooling, which means less social interaction with their peers, no playground time, and perhaps too much of the day spent indoors on technology. Not only are they missing out on much-needed playtime, fun arts and crafts activities, and vital afterschool sports and extracurriculars, but they also miss out on healthy time away from home where they can grow and be entirely different versions of themselves outside the house. As a parent, it can be hard and frustrating to try to fill his void without the tools available to make the best out of this unfortunate situation. And although it may not fulfill the same quality as a school playground, or time with their best friends, making a special playroom for them will help remedy some of the lost fun and play they’ve become so accustomed to while being in school.

children reading a book in a tent

First Things First

To start making a “kid zone” in your home, you’ll need to pick out a space in your home that offers enough space for them to sprawl. A spare bedroom would be ideal, but if you don’t have the good fortune of an extra bedroom, pick a spot in the living room or in some larger open space in the home to develop as their new play space. Added bonus: this kid zone will also help you focus on your work and offer a small reprieve from the daily chaos!

Ask For Help

After you pick your ideal location, decide what kind of things you want in this new space. Enlist your kids as little helpers to create the ideal sanctuary for each of them. Lead with what gives them joy, and what kinds of fun activities they’re currently into! Perhaps they’re heavily into arts and crafts. Or maybe they flourish in a studious computer/tech/gaming environment. And likely, if you have more than one child, you’ll have to share the space between all of your children. Make this space work for them and divide it up into special zones where they can each have their own fun activity corner. A drawing and painting area for her and a video game zone for him, for example.

Keeping the Peace by Creating the Space

Next, you’ll want to make sure you have spatial dividers. A great way to achieve some physical separation is to install floor to ceiling sliding room dividers or glass wall partitions that you can easily install and takedown. These are a breeze to set up, and also offer invaluable flexibility without the commitment of real walls and major construction. What’s more, you can choose between an array of different glass opacities if you and the kids want some visual privacy rather than a more openly visible play area. You can also choose between a plethora of different handles, locking mechanisms, frames, and accessories to create the perfect aesthetic to suit your home!

sliding interior door to hide television

Once you’ve chosen your ideal glass wall partitions, the fun can begin! Fill the space with all the best things. Arts and crafts supplies, toys, puzzles, board games, hang artwork the kids have made on the walls and pictures of them and their friends to make the space feel like it’s theirs. We can’t underestimate how much this time has taken a toll on all of us. Kids need extra attention and love during these strange and uncertain times so filling their play space with little love notes or personal items will help them feel considered. The best perk of setting up the awesome play please for the kids is knowing that you can enjoy some of your own time while they have their zone to be wild in. Sliding glass doors and wall partitions help create a contained environment that they can clutter and cause messes in rather than overflowing the living room and shared spaces with toys, crafts, and general clutter.

Give yourself the gift of calm this fall with awesome space optimizing solutions offered at the sliding door Company. Hop online and check out our viewing catalog of sliding glass room dividers,  beautiful sliding glass barn doors, and more! Schedule a free initial consultation with one of our knowledgeable experts to get started on your exciting project today! With home delivery and online ordering, it’s never been easier to create a space out of nothing. Don’t wait to enjoy your interiors this fall, call today!

SP 1022 – A

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Co-Working Spaces and The United States

Working on the go is a fixture of modern life. We’re no longer limited to 9 to 5 desk jobs. Ultra-compact laptops and tablets and wireless hotspots make it possible for people to work on public transport and turn an idle commute into productive time.

Now, countries like Indonesia and the Netherlands are incorporating coworking spaces into train stations to help commuters stay productive during layovers.

In Indonesia, the state-funded railway operator provides free coworking spaces with proof of boarding pass. In Europe, private companies like Seats2Meet take advantage of unused space in train stations, libraries, and even hospitals to create free coworking spaces for thousands of people.

But, there’s really no such thing as a free lunch. Private companies make it work by allowing some members to pay with “social capital”—that is, the sharing of knowledge and expertise. These members support paying and non-paying members by offering up strategic advice in their area of expertise, and through beta testing. Other members pay a daily fee for seats in meeting rooms and private offices.

Coworking spaces have exploded in the U.S., too, although coworking spaces in public transport stations haven’t taken off quite yet. But some companies, like Workbar, have opened coworking spaces near subway stations.

Why People Love Coworking Spaces

Researchers from the University of Michigan who study what makes employees thrive conducted a comprehensive study on coworking spaces. They surveyed hundreds of workers from dozens of coworking spaces and found that people who use them:

  • Feel their work is meaningful (because they tend to choose projects they care about)
  • Feel more in control (because they have more autonomy and more control over their schedule)
  • Feel like part of a community (because they’re able to make connections with others in the communal space)

Coworking spaces are good for worker satisfaction, morale, and productivity. Not surprisingly, this has gotten the attention of employers across the U.S., including giants like Google and Zappos, both of which are known to use coworking spaces.

The open-flow design of coworking spaces—with communal seating and interior glass partitions and glass doors in place of confining walls—give these spaces their visual appeal.

Coworking spaces are popping up across the U.S. and around the world. It’s likely only a matter of time before they’re incorporated into train stations, subway stations, and airports to accommodate the new mobile workforce.

Space Plus: Helping Companies Build Coworking Spaces

How, where, and when we work is changing, and coworking spaces are helping meet the demands of the new workforce.

Thinking about building a coworking space? Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company, specializes in interior door solutions for commercial buildings and office spaces.

Our moveable wall panels and sliding glass doors are sleek and modern, constructed of the highest quality tempered or laminated glass. Our talented team will help you choose from a variety of glass partition designs, glass types, and frame finishes to create a functional, appealing coworking space.

View our gallery for inspiration and learn more about our glass partitions and sliding glass door solutions for office environments here.

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Beyond Doors: Transform Your Workspace with Space Plus Solutions!

At Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company, we don’t just build the sturdiest, safest, most beautiful glass partitions and doors on the market. We also help businesses cut costs, improve health, boost, productivity, comply with government regulations, and become more sustainable. In other words, we provide so much more than doors; we transform space and elevate offices.

So, what makes our sliding glass doors so special?

They’re People-Friendly

At Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company, we love people. That’s why we make doors that are easy to buy, easy to install, and easy to use. Starting with our safe-tempered glass and easy-glide track systems, we put safety and usability at the top of our agenda. We also offer a wide selection of ADA-compliant handles, so that organizations never have to worry about compliance and people with disabilities never have to worry about access.

They’re Environmentally Friendly

Our doors are easy on people and on the environment. Not only do we use eco-friendly materials, but our room partitions reduce energy use by allowing light, air, and heat to circulate from one space to another. That helps businesses save money and set themselves on a greener, more sustainable footing.

They’re Easy to Install

In most cases, if you want to install new doors or walls, you have to call in a construction team. You have to tear down existing walls and throw up new structural components. Not with glass office dividers and sliding glass doors from Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company. Since they don’t require  any structural support to the building, you don’t need to put your business on hold while you gather construction permits and gut your building.

They’re Custom Built

We don’t mass-produce our office partitions and glass door cubicles. Instead, we build each one to meet our client’s specific needs. The result is that our doors aren’t cookie-cutter “products.” They’re unique, custom-built interior design elements designed to fit the style and function of any work environment. By specializing only in manufacturing interior design solutions, we’re able to devote all of our time and energy to crafting the perfect door for any workspace.

They’re Versatile

Whatever kind of door you want, we make it—sliding, stacking, swinging, suspended. Need fixed glass walls? We make those, too. We also serve a diverse set of clients in nearly every industry.

Emergency rooms, doctor’s offices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities use our sliding doors and office partitions to create a clean, hygienic space. Patients get privacy when they need it, and the staff gets maximum visibility when they need it.

Hotels, restaurants, and conference centers and other hospitality venues install glass walls and room partitions to offer the best customer experience—a flexible mix of elegance, privacy, and visibility. Offices, schools, and government buildings use them to increase openness and versatility.

They Come Straight from the Factory

Most manufacturers suffer from a fragmentation problem. One company designs the products, another builds them, and yet another sells them. The problem is that one hand never seems to talk to the other. Quality suffers. The customer experience becomes a nightmare.

When you order from Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company, you can be sure of one thing: We never subcontract our work out to others. All we do is cut out the dreaded middleman—we manufacture each one of our sliding doors in our own facility. That allows us to ensure quality, offer customized options, and provide personal service.

They Come with Real Service

From the moment you step into The Sliding Door Company showroom, you’ll come face-to-face with an incredible support team made up of inside and outside account executives. They’ll be there to offer guidance at every step of your interior design journey, helping you select the doors that are right for your project.

Contact Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company, to experience the difference that quality, safety, and service make.

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Why the Glass Office Is Here to Stay

Every year, offices get smaller—by at least 30 percent—and, every day, they get more transparent. Sliding glass doors have replaced solid hunks of wood and metal. See-through partitions and glass walls now rise up where tiny cubicles once stood. Welcome to the glass office of the 21st century: small and sustainable, bright and beautiful.

The Space Challenge

Businesses today face a tough challenge: maximize space in an increasingly cramped world. As square footage gets scarcer and scarcer, finding extra leg room becomes more and more difficult. How do you downsize without giving your employees a bad case of claustrophobia?

For one, you can install sliding room dividers and doors. Not only do they make an office look and feel bigger; they also cut down on wasted space. Gone are those large “dead” zones in front of swing doors. Sliding glass doors open with an easy horizontal movement.

Replacing conventional office doors with glass allows designers and their clients to skirt common design challenges. It means they can place private workspaces and conference rooms in previously taboo places like hallways or other confined spaces that can’t accommodate the clearance zones needed for swinging doors. In an era when every square foot matters, that can make all the difference.

The Light Challenge

If space is scarce, then light is a precious commodity. Particularly in North America, where offices often cover a large plot of ground, it’s hard to get natural light into the deep nooks and crannies of a building. The only alternative is to install expensive lighting fixtures—and lots of them.

That’s a deal breaker for many executives and entrepreneurs. Electric light (of any variety) is no substitute for natural light, which has been proven to elevate mood, promote health, and raise productivity.

Then there are energy costs to consider. It takes a lot of money to illuminate an otherwise dim office—unless you can find a way to bring sunlight into the deep, dark recesses of your office. The easiest way to do that is to replace solid, light-blocking walls with glass. With a simple change of materials, you get more light and less sticker shock.

The Privacy Challenge

As time goes on, more employers realize the benefits of glass. That has led to an explosion in the popularity of glass office walls and doors. Still, some have concerns. What about privacy? How about echoes?

Enter the privacy wall—a partition made of frosted or smoked glass. The best part is that each wall can be customized to meet particular needs. Some businesses choose fully frosted office partition walls. Others opt for a half-and-half arrangement.

Another popular strategy is to put a frosted strip across the center of glass room partitions. That way, employees get plenty of light and visibility, without the complete openness that comes with full transparency.

Embracing the Glass Office

There are as many reasons to embrace a glass office as there are offices in the world. Every business has its own unique set of concerns—health, privacy, productivity, energy costs, sustainability, openness, collaboration.

The popularity of glass fixtures owes largely to the fact that they satisfy such a broad spectrum of needs. Only with glass can you balance privacy and openness, collaboration and individuality, aesthetics and economics. Only with glass can you economize on space while getting an expansive design—all of which is why the glass office is here to stay.

Want to know how you can take your office space from humdrum to spectacular? Contact the friendly interior glass door experts at Space Plus, a division of The Sliding Door Company, to learn more about our workspace solutions for the 21st century.

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Exteriors and Interiors Do Matter

Interior and Exterior spaces matter and here’s why sliding glass doors make a difference!

Many commercial building owners started with interior modifications such as sliding glass door room dividers, barn doors and locking office fronts to follow the trend of open designs with simple clean shapes. Then moved to focus on the exterior too.

Trend #1: More Work is Getting Done Outdoors.

Commercial office building owners want to do everything they can to fill existing vacancies & attract new tenants. That includes providing interior and exterior spaces that tenants crave. More meeting areas & face-to-face social networking areas are popping up in hotels, workplaces, shopping centers & other commercial properties. Sliding glass doors give an inviting feel with the modern look cross-sectors of people love.

The US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is transforming the way commercial building owners think about how buildings are designed, constructed and maintained inside and out!


Trend #2. LEEDing the Way

LEED is continuing to come on strong in many major metropolitan areas.
Building owners continue to rely on LEED ratings as the upper most way to prove sustainability of their structures. LEED is showing up in landscape maintenance protocols too. Commercial landscape companies now use more fuel-efficient equipment & equipment that reduces noise pollution. They rank higher with municipalities that have regulations in these categories.

Interior glass door solutions made in our very own factory never use any chemicals that may be harmful to the environment, keeping the air quality high.
In addition, there is no waste at the time of installation, keeping project sites clean and minimizing down time! Being environmentally friendly is extremely important to us!


Trend #3. Effective Water Use & the associated ROI

Using recyclable glass and aluminum doors & paying attention to water conservation & responsible water use has become a hot topic for commercial properties. Using fewer water-dependent plants is part of the solution. That’s why Mediterranean-style landscaping, inspired by places like Spain, Italy and Greece, has become popular. Some designs use drought-resistant plants like lavender, Mexican sage, rosemary, star jasmine, citrus and juniper that bring fragrance and color to the project. Plants that thrive in the dry, sunny climate of the Mediterranean, such as citrus and juniper, also provide great aroma and visual appeal!

More spaces to socialize, collaborate and enjoy natural light are popping up everywhere!

Both inside and outside of medical facilities take environmentally friendly design into consideration allowing for a lot of natural light, open spaces to get things done and an uplifting feeling!


Trend #4. Multifamily Properties Are Booming

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, construction of multifamily units has been growing faster than construction of single-family homes. Comparing 2014 to 2013, builders have built structures with 5 or more units at a six percent higher rate per the National Association of Home Builders.

The multi-family residential market is becoming more competitive. People who have a choice to live in one place over another look deeply at the amenities each place offers as a driving factor in their final decision. Now multi-family properties are including cyber cafes near outdoor pools with self-serve coffee and drinks in addition to amazing outdoor living areas with cabanas, gaming and entertainment centers! These spaces use sliding glass doors to unite the indoors with the outdoors.

Pleasing interiors and exteriors boost morale!
Interior glass door solutions contribute to the increase!

Outdoor meeting areas are growing, giving properties a differentiation factor from other office parks nearby.

“Building owners and managers recognize people can’t sit in their cubes for eight hours each day,” explains Gib Durden, vice president of business development for HighGrove Partners, Austell, Georgia. “They need to get outside and disconnect—in sitting areas and picnic areas or on walking trails and while going through exercise stations.”

To find out more about why Interior and Exterior spaces matter, call for your FREE consultation today or find one of our showrooms nearest you!
spaceplus.com

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Optimize your Work Space with Interior Glass Doors and Partitions

“Phone booth” work spaces give plenty of room for a team of 2 or 3 to create, collaborate and solve! The open air design allows for the sharing of lighting, heating and air conditioning, saving energy costs year over year.

According to Jory MacKay, “few things affect our productivity as much as what we surround ourselves with. Yet most of us rarely take the time to step back and really analyze our working environment.”


http://lifehacker.com/five-ways-to-optimize-your-workspace-for-productivity-1784310012


We couldn’t agree more and that is why we designed our interior glass door solutions to optimize your work area and uplift any occupants of the space. This row of offices includes our floor to ceiling sliding glass doors with designer handles and recessed bottom tracks. There are wide open collaborative work spaces and the perfect balance with some private offices that lock when needed.

Clutter-free, organized work spaces boost productivity

The results of the study showed that physical clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228167

Glass room dividers with combo glass provide a unique work space with a ton of natural light. The space saving glass wall and aluminum frames are all recyclable and perfect for green construction projects.

Optimize your space & allow natural light to come in while stopping unwanted foot traffic with sliding glass doors.

Similar to what multi-tasking does to your brain, physical clutter overloads your senses, making you feel stressed, and impairs your ability to think creatively. Set time aside each month to assess your work space and ensure it is not too cluttered. This will lead to increased productivity and morale.

Architecture can have a huge impact on our productivity. That’s why we feel inspired by large spaces or refreshed from sitting by the window.

Author James Clear gives great examples: http://jamesclear.com/jonas-salk

Space changed the way he thought:

“The spirituality of the architecture was so inspiring that I was able to do intuitive thinking far beyond any I had done in the past. Under the influence of that historic place I intuitively designed the research that I felt would result in a vaccine for polio. I returned to my laboratory in Pittsburgh to validate my concepts and found that they were correct.”

Jonas’ example is just one of many.

Optimize your modern school study environment with glass sliding and swing doors is another example of places that impact our productivity! We know every inch of space counts!

Optimize Functionality:

A serious consideration when planning out your space is functionality.

This space shows:

  • How our interior glass door solutions optimize every inch of floor space.
  • Lighting, air conditioning and heating can be shared, eliminating the need to move or re-do the HVAC system…saving tons of money.
  • Each work area can be re-purposed on the fly if needed as the business evolves. Talk about flexibility.
  • Offices with glass sliders or swing doors can be locked and even master-keyed to the storefront or building door.

We make our interior glass doors in our own factory where safety & quality are carefully fabricated into every single glass door.

The selection of glass types, frame color finishes & ADA compliant accessories provide our clients with sustainable, functional and stylish options to suit their specific project needs.

Optimizing every fraction of your floorplan by creating spaces that can be re-purposed as technology changes and as the business grows is essential. Functional glass office dividers, storage enclosures, glass partitions and conference room dividers are our specialty.


Call us for your free consultation today!

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Healthcare Facilities Benefit from Interior Glass Door Solutions

According to Health Facilities Management in partnership with the American College of Healthcare Architects:

Today healthcare facilities offer more accessible designs for patients and staff.   These facilities are highly complex and function-specific structures that must respond to multiple conflicting demands over their lifetimes. At the same time, the nation’s health care systems have a high level of future unpredictability. Hospital buildings, therefore, face an indeterminate future in which they must function with a high degree of accuracy yet remain viable for a period of time even as technology and patient needs change.

Chapter 1 – Adaption to Change

Flexibility Built into the Design from the Beginning

Buildings along with processes need the flexibility to change and adapt to new needs and conditions. Healthcare architects have been good at working around the edges of this issue through a series of techniques to address flexibility or adaptability in buildings. They include:

One-hundred-year site. This considers the very long-term outlook for the community, access, utilities and other elements from the beginning of site selection.

Empty chair. This leaves an area on the campus to start incremental replacement of obsolete buildings.

Multiuse spaces. This plans space and building configurations for flexible uses over time.

Modular planning. This organizes multiuse space in clinics and other areas with repetitive designs.

Relevance of Interior Glass Doors

Interior glass doors are relevant because they are functional now and can be used later with no modifications. Glass room enclosures, dividers and partitions can be configured to mark off specific spaces for future use while blending seamlessly into the current floor plan. Additionally, interior glass door solutions can be designed to offer multi-use or shared spaces such as consultation areas in the morning and employee conference room spaces in the afternoon.
Interior glass door solutions may seem like a small part of the building interior design. However, they play a huge role in optimizing every inch of usable space, provide energy saving options and improve patient and staff comfort too. These are vital just as the exterior, HVAC and electrical systems are vital.

Hospital study findings – related to CHANGE

In an unpublished survey sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the early 1970s, 10 hospitals in the private sector and 10 within the VA system were studied in detail to document changes and costs of change.

In one facility, as much as five miles of telephone wire was installed during the first three years of occupancy (this was before computers). In another example, an older hospital had moved its central supply department five times. The survey provided clear evidence that the main inhibitors to change and contributors to the disruption of patient care, downtime and cost were the mechanical-electrical-plumbing (MEP) systems.

Any building planned to accommodate change needs to have adaptable MEP and structural systems. Many designs do not accomplish this adequately. In the VA survey, for instance, approximately five times the original construction cost (not counting inflation) was spent on major renovations of an acute care facility over a typical lifespan of 50 years. In today’s high-tech environment, one can assume that the rate of change has increased substantially.

  • The VA research study went on to develop a proposal for strategic integration of MEP and structural systems using modules that could be reorganized to accommodate almost any architectural The VA calls it the VA Hospital Building System and recommends its use for major VA hospitals. In the private sector, it is better known as an Integrated Building System (IBS). The details of the IBS periodically have been updated and may need to be brought up-to-date again to reflect technological and operational changes.
  • The IBS can be thought of as a set of rules and a kit of parts, with the rules being the most Project team members should:
  • Identify permanent adaptable elements. This requires identifying building elements that cannot be economically changed versus those that can be changed easily without excessive cost or disruption. Elements considered permanent should be designed for a probable range of uses rather than for a specific first use. For example, air trunk ducts might be oversized so they will not have to be ripped out if the air supply needs to be increased in the future.
  • Utilize modular The building should be planned as a series of modules, each with the same organizing principles. Each module’s utilities mostly will be independent of others. This way, one module can be shut down to upgrade services without affecting other parts of the building. Some modules can function on a 24-hour-a-day schedule and some on a reduced schedule to save energy!
  • Minimize structural One example of this is providing a long- span structure in at least one dimension to allow sufficient flexibility in functional plan layout and to accommodate any future changes without interference from columns or shear walls. When the study was developed, 40 feet was considered a minimal structural span. Floor loading also should be designed to accommodate a reasonable range of functions in each building module. The functions and resulting floor-loading criteria may vary in different areas of the building.
  • Organize utility operations This includes organizing vertical and horizontal zoning for all utilities so that each utility has a defined zone in both directions. Zones also should be provided for services that are not needed initially but might be required later. For example, include a zone for a return air duct where initially there is only a need for an exhaust system.

Separate function from utilities. Clinical and other functions should be separated from utility distribution with a walk-deck ceiling system. This way, tradespeople can work above and below the walk deck simultaneously, compressing the overall construction time.

Subsequently, utilities can be changed or upgraded above the walk deck as functional needs change, with minimal disruption to patient care or other essential activities.

Plan for service bays. Vertical risers in each module should be reduced or eliminated. They can be clustered at the perimeter of the module in a service bay. This way, it is possible to change the functional plan layout without having to accommodate plumbing stacks that pass through to other floors.

Adapt the construction process. Integrated Building System construction allows significant savings in labor and fieldwork by maximizing repetitive modules and speed of construction. Training of cost estimators and potential construction general contractors is reduced too.

  • At the end of four years’ research, development & acceptance, the team comprising two health care design firms (Stone, Marraccini and Patterson; & Building Systems Development) and two technical consultants (Rutherford + Chekene; and Ayres, Cohen & Hayakawa) was awarded a design contract to implement the research findings with a 500-bed demonstration project at VA Loma Linda Healthcare System in Southern California.
  • It was completed more than six months sooner than a conventional project with substantial reductions in the cost of some building components, including mechanical systems & interior partitions. However, there were offsetting additional costs for the exterior skin & the walk
  • Construction cost was within the prevailing norm at the time & change orders were reduced to almost none. In fact, the contractor had nothing but praise for Significant savings accrued to the contractor & the subcontractors that were not recognized in the bidding process and, therefore, were not passed on to the owner due to the experimental nature of the project. Operationally, the amount of patient & workflow disruption was reduced substantially & the ability to accommodate change was enhanced greatly.

Maintenance costs were less than the prevailing norm, subsequent remodeling costs were reduced substantially and the ability to change space as needed was enhanced.

Moreover, sustainability was increased because the building’s ability to adapt has extended its useful lifespan. The project now has been in operation for more than 30 years and, during that time, has been changed frequently and continues to perform well. In fact, an estimated 30 percent cost reduction reportedly was achieved in the IBS building during renovations where the MEP (mechanical-electrical- plumbing) systems were involved. These savings do not include the cost of downtime and loss of functionality during renovations, which also can be considerable.

  • The cost reductions come from several sources. For example, if there is a need for a new 220-volt outlet in a patient room, there is a zone above the walk deck for electrical Moreover, power sources have been designed for a range of uses so adequate power likely will be available. Access to the correct circuit can be obtained easily above the walk deck and the wires in a conduit can be dropped down in the wall into the patient room. Finally, only a small opening need be made in the patient room wall for a back box and plug that can be installed quickly.
  • Using this example in a conventional building, a circuit would have to run from a panel box through the corridor’s existing ceiling space and any connections would need to be made in the corridor on a ladder and then fished into the patient room where the ceiling and wall would be
  • It is easy to imagine this example played out in an IBS building at a larger scale when changing out radiology or surgical equipment, converting from recirculate to total exhaust air systems or expanding an existing emergency department while maintaining day-to-day

Affordable and Uplifting at the Same Time!

 Interior glass doors, sliders, stationary panels, swing doors, barn doors and pass through windows are all affordable options to doing full room re-configurations. Further, there have been a number of studies that have shown that seeing natural light during the day is uplifting and positively impacts a person’s life. Uplifting surroundings have shown to improve mood, reduce depression and give a person an sense of calm. All of this is possible with our interior glass door solutions, room entrances, dividers and barn doors.

Challenges of IBS: (Integrated Building System)

 So, if IBS is so good, why has it not been used more in the private sector? Largely because IBS design, construction and operations require a new way of approaching design and construction by the entire team.

For one thing, the owner must be on board and supportive of a somewhat experimental design and construction process. The design of the architecture, MEP systems and structure also must be accomplished simultaneously in an interactive environment as opposed to designing first and stuffing the MEP systems in afterward. Additionally, designing each component for its lowest cost will not work — lowest overall system cost is the goal.

Modest additional fees also must be considered for the design team to allow for the learning curve and a higher level of documentation. Building information modeling will enhance this process. Rigid redesign requirements will make the team wary of taking on something new, so these expectations may need to be modified depending on the team’s past experience.

  • Conventional cost-estimating methods based on quantity takeoffs will provide an inflated cost estimate. Study of previous IBS projects and construction methods is required to obtain accurate The contractor and subcontractors must be educated prior to bidding on these buildings about how to save time and money in their construction. Fortunately, there are enough examples of facilities around the country to visit and learn from.
  • There may be some additional first construction costs, but these can be In studies by the VA, the cost of the many completed IBS buildings generally falls within the 75 percent median of the Reed Construction Data Inc.’s RSMeans cost data for hospitals. The demonstration project in Southern California did not cost any more than a conventional VA hospital. However, that was a period of high inflation and the savings in construction time offset any increased cost of materials.

In some cases, when adding to existing conventional buildings, the greater floor- to-floor height of IBS imposes constraints that make this approach impractical. For others, a system of gentle ramps or skipping some floor connections will work to establish a new level of floor-to-floor heights for the hospital’s addition and other additions and replacements in the future.

  • A changing world
  • The Affordable Care Act is generating new health care building types, not all of which are suitable for IBS projects or the longevity they
  • For acute care facilities, however, lowest first cost should not be the main motivation for design decisions. In fact, any such facility should be planned to last for 50 years or
  • An IBS approach will not solve all the problems of premature obsolescence, but it will go a long way toward extending the building lifespan and lowering the costs of renovation as time passes.

Patient flow

  • At some point in our lives, each of us will experience a change in With a boom in aging demographics worldwide, ophthalmology has become a rapidly growing medical field. According to the Advisory Board, ophthalmology is one of the largest growing healthcare services and, in 2015, North America accounted for the largest share of the global ophthalmology devices market.
  • As healthcare facilities across North America work to keep up with the latest technological advances and build new ophthalmology facilities, there are several factors that both healthcare facility operators and designers should keep in
  • The day-to-day operations of an ophthalmology facility are much like a Seeing into a patient’s eye requires more than the simple one-two-three sequence of arrival, exam, and discharge. A series of rooms and a progression of steps must all be choreographed for efficient diagnosis, benefiting both patient and provider.
  • Adding to this complex rhythm is the variation in ophthalmic specialties where the composition of rooms and diagnostic steps can vary The playbill for ophthalmology can encompass eight subspecialties, and this article will focus on the operational steps designers need to consider for quality eye care across all specialties.
  • This unique choreography poses a challenge when it comes to designing ophthalmology Setting the stage for a successful facility can entail many different room types & these rooms can be grouped into four functional categories: waiting, consultation, diagnostic and exam.
  • Waiting & consultation tend to be “soft” spaces because they house less medical equipment, while diagnostic & exam rooms are heavily dependent on medical equipment, more so than in any other outpatient Waiting functions include not just post-reception, pre-clinic waiting, but also alcoves & rooms strategically dispersed throughout the clinic proper for sub- waiting between diagnostic procedures or treatments.

Diagnostic functions have a wide range starting with the initial intake to testing, which can entail simple colorblind tests to more invasive measurements such as electrical stimulations; diagnostic imaging can be as diverse as measuring the visual field to ophthalmic computerized tomography; and finally, diagnostic optometry provides a benchmark for visual acuity when needed.

Exam rooms can accommodate many of these functions from waiting and diagnosis to exam and consultation depending on the room configuration and a clinic size limited to only a few rooms. Consultation functions focus on person-to-person activities such as surgery scheduling, pre-op preparation, post-op observation & discharge.

The arrangement of exam and diagnostic rooms need to accommodate a smooth back-and-forth for patient and staff. If necessary, waiting as a function can happen in any room type, but offering a separate waiting area as a room in itself gives patients a sense of progression in what can sometimes be a long visit. These sub-waiting areas are ideal for medications to take effect, such as eye injections or drops for desensitizing or dilating the eye, and can also serve as holding areas for either pre- or post-diagnostic procedure.

Why is Being Modular Relevant?

The modular planning is clearly a way to be more efficient and functional. Interior sliding doors allow a place for both healing and work to achieve optimal functionality. Our product complements the greater scope of the each building project with flexibility.

One of the biggest challenges here is that there is lots of red tape, regulations and approvals required that all go into planning.

Interior glass doors are more affordable, require less planning and can easily provide flexible spaces based on function!

    • In any clinic, exam rooms are the most replicated rooms and their configuration will set the standard for clinic Diagnostic rooms vary the most in terms of medical equipment and functional need, but a highly efficient clinic will find a common module that aligns with the standard exam room.
    • In general, the diagnostic functions of intake and testing can easily be combined into one room setup for
  • Exam rooms and diagnostic rooms can then be identical in size, shape, and layout and may even house the same equipment; it is how the room is used that classifies it as an exam or diagnostic Diagnostic rooms accommodate initial eye screening generally undertaken by visual technicians, while exam rooms offer the option for follow-up testing by the physician and lengthier eye exams with medical consultation.
  • Keeping these two room types similar in shape and layout will allow the clinic to flex up and down with patient volumes and accommodate a variety of ophthalmic specialties where testing may be minimal and exam consultation may be more involved or vice

•          Incorporate light and color

    • At some point in an ophthalmology visit every patient will have limited vision depending on the exam, treatment, or procedure; taking the stance that any patient may be “blind” requires the designer to set the stage for all patients to be Ophthalmology practices should consider the following:
    • Uninhibited spatial arrangements that allow for numerous people moving from room to room; including wider hallways & unimpeded furniture layouts
    • High contrast furniture and fixture color schemes; this includes a sharp contrast between furniture and carpet, door frames and wall color, as well as higher contrast cues near balcony edges Strategically placed natural light; some procedures require natural light for part of the intervention, while other procedures require a no-light, black-out condition; patients receiving dilation, need to be shielded from natural or artificial light glare, while staff appreciate access to natural light throughout their work

Today healthcare facilities offer more accessible designs for patients and staff. These facilities are highly complex and function-specific structures that must respond to multiple conflicting demands over their lifetimes. The nation’s health care systems have a high level of future unpredictability too.

Hospital buildings, therefore, face an indeterminate future in which they must function with a high degree of accuracy yet remain viable for a period of time even as technology and patient needs change.

 Our product line lends itself fully to the changing needs of patients & staff at these important hospitals throughout the nation. Safe, sustainable, flexible and clean.