Office kitchens are no longer spaces adequate enough to wait for your lunch heating up in the microwave or to make a cup of coffee. There is increasing demand for the office kitchen to become a social breakout zone, an informal meeting area and in some instances, fundamentally where the wow factor needs to be. So what is driving this trend? There are many reasons attributed to the desire for these spaces to become multi-purpose social hubs, a few are explored below.
A true ‘break’ out zone
It is no secret that a happy employee = a productive employee. These large kitchens and breakout zones are a space to enrich an employee’s enthusiasm for the workplace. They are essentially thought of as a place to host after work drinks and encourage a social environment. A well designed area also offers staff a true break from their working days, especially in café inspired designs where one can feel as though they’ve left the office in just a few short steps.
Motivated by the Millennials
Studies show that in a few short years, the Baby Boomers who accounted for the majority of the workforce will be outnumbered by the Millennial generation (1). This is the same ‘café culture’ generation who are aspirant, tech-savvy and notably have diverse working habits and preferences to other generations. As Millennials are so comfortable with technology, they may be more inclined to utilize a large breakout zone not only to eat and socialise, but as a non-traditional workspace.
Changing Trends in Office Design
Technology also plays a key role in logical terms of how the social breakout zone is able to be allocated such an expansive space. Simply put, the rise of IT has led to the downsizing of many areas within a workplace; from offices to archive rooms (2). Businesses are investing this gained area to social zones due to their advantageous flexibility and employee gratification (3). Their multi-purpose quality means that they are adaptable to all types of employees, with no one group or person with principal possession (2).
This trend will undeniably continue and potentially gain even more momentum. In our work at TKO, we see the necessity of a social breakout zone in the brief for projects of any budget scope. These areas are more than just aesthetically pleasing, they offer an array of purpose to benefit any business.
1. https://www.bdcnetwork.com/workplace-design-trends-make-way-millennials 2. http://www.marketingfundamentals.com/rise-social-space-offices/ 3. http://www.fm-world.co.uk/good-practice-legal/explainer/social-space-in-the-modern-office/
