The ergonomics of collaboration

Almost a third of our lives are spent inside the office environment. As such, office design needs to support and enrich the lives of the employees as well as their productivity.

According to Steelcase’s Work Better research, the modern workplace has four foundational space typologies: personal spaces, collaborative spaces, social spaces and learning spaces. So, how do we best address the specific demands of each space?

The answer lies – as many do – in the realm of ergonomics.

Personal Spaces

Personal spaces are perhaps the best understood in terms of ergonomics. There are clear ergonomic guidelines which dictate the ideal arrangement of a personal space; for example, height adjustable desks and adjustable ergonomic seating allows individuals to create their own personal environment tailored to their specific physical needs and what brings comfort to them.

Approximately 70% of offices today use open plan layouts. This creates the need for a clear delineation between personal and collaborative spaces so that employees can concentrate without distraction when necessary. Private spaces can be achieved through privacy screens, call booths or enclosed seating.

Our suggestions

Choosing ergonomic furniture is a crucial part of designing an office environment. To create supportive personal spaces, we recommend tried and tested ergonomic products such as the Konfurb Sense, Konfurb Luna and Buro Elan office chairs. Informed and engineered using the latest ergonomic technologies, these chairs feature synchro mechanisms which support the body’s natural movement to encourage circulation, easy breathing, and boost musculoskeletal comfort.

Collaborative Spaces

Collaborative spaces need to support and inspire creativity. It is much easier to do this in a flexible space. Multiple seating options such as stools, chairs, sofas and desks can help to stimulate the flow of ideas and maintain a steady productivity drip.

There are a number of strategies which can help to boost socialisation and stimulation while also maintaining good posture and comfort. Some of the highlights include:

• Padded and comfortable seats with a good waterfall edge to encourage optimal hip and pelvic angles
• Appropriate heights for work surfaces
• Chairs with comfortable backrests, particularly if seated for longer periods of time
• On-hand accessories such as laptop risers, extra monitors, external keyboards and mice
• Sofas with knee high seats and an accessible backrest

Our suggestions

Konfurb is an exceptional brand with an established dedication to improving collaborative spaces. The Konfurb Star Series features eight different ottomans with customisable fabrics, seating, and back dimensions, which can create booth-like settings for breakout focus rooms.

In a similar vein, the Konfurb Block Series is a customisable soft seating range with a variety of options to choose from which encourages activity-based teamwork. The Konfurb Eightby4 Series is an innovative combination of geometric shapes which can be slotted together and adapted to the specific demands of the space. Konfurb Halo Ottoman is a series of three circular collaborative soft seating ottoman which add versatility and style into a workspace.

Social spaces

Social spaces are something of a delicate blend between personal and collaborative. They need the comfort and luxury of a private space, while still providing the foundational support for a collaborative and communicative environment. Comfortable sofas, booths and tables harness the café charm which sets people at ease and allows them to relax among their coworkers.

Our suggestion

The Konfurb Fly Sled chair is a light, multipurpose chair which mirrors the human body to maximise flexibility and comfort. The Konfurb Selene is an architecturally-designed chair featuring a sled base which embodies the picture of elegance as well as providing a strong frame capable of withstanding rigorous daily use.

Learning spaces

Learning spaces are perhaps the most fun to furnish with supportive, ergonomic design decisions. These types of spaces often need big screens or whiteboards, along with moveable stools, chairs and desks to encourage creativity and teamwork.

Our suggestions

Buro Peekaboo Stools are exceptionally lightweight and stack together with ease, making them an ideal choice for small or temporary spaces as they can be packed away with ease in between their use for team sessions.

The Konfurb Fly Sled Barstool features padded seats with dedication to the highest possible level of comfort. In fact, designer Claudio Bellini had both office and personal use in mind when he designed this chair to mirror the human body and maximise comfort. The Konfurb Flare is another exceptionally stylish product with a modern shell designed and winged elbow rests.

Learn more about the evolution of ergonomics with Buro here.

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