Designing Uplifting Commercial Spaces

In a commercial context, we’ve become used to reliving stale experiences. Entering your office building becomes like walking into the dentist’s – a certain familiar smell hits you, along with the impression of dreary days gone by. And this feeling follows you around, even when you travel, because the same characterless office furniture exists wherever you go. Hotels and restaurants are no different; we encounter the same designs in slightly different configurations.

Good Design Responds to Need

If a space stifles its occupants, is it fit for purpose? There is more to creating an uplifting space than simply placing a potted plant in the corner. Renowned designer and architect, Charles Eames, once said the role of a designer is that of a good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of the guests. This is as important in a commercial space as it is within the home. It means the way in which the space will be used must be considered during every step of the design process.

Chairs and tables aren’t plonked down wherever they will fit once the building’s done; the architect considers where the future users will sit, what they will see, how their bodies will be positioned, how this relates to the exterior. This is a holistic process, where the client, designer and craftspeople come together. Only then can a room be used and enjoyed intuitively – when all its dimensions, features and furnishings are working harmoniously together with both its users and its natural environment.

Design Facilitates Wellbeing

Small design details can have a large impact on people’s lives. When compared to workers in offices without windows, those with windows in the workplace received 173% more white light exposure during work hours and slept an average of 46 minutes more per night (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine). In contrast, the glare from the white walls in a new office building caused headaches in the people who worked there; the walls had to be repainted with a subtly different shade. Common sense tells us that rested people are more likely to be happier, more productive, and generous with their time, than people blighted by daily headaches.

Through thoughtful design, the beneficial effects of dwelling in beautiful spaces can contribute to business success. This not only means increased productivity and health outcomes. It means creating a space that offers a crisp sense of freedom and inspiration to everyone who steps inside it.