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Rooms and Spaces Every Business Office Should Have

5 min read

Your company’s office is more than just the space people work in. In many ways, it’s the home away from home for your hardworking employees.

Just like an ideal home, your office should be a comfortable space that people enjoy being in. It should encourage inspiration, creativity, and productivity – and reflect your company’s culture.

In order for your employees to do their best work (and for you to reach your goals), your office should have different rooms and spaces that meet their various needs.

In this business guide, you’ll learn what rooms and spaces your workplace should have and the benefits each area brings to your staff and company.

Must Have Office Rooms and Spaces

Meeting and conference rooms

Meeting rooms and offices go hand in hand. The number of meeting rooms your company should have depends on your employee count, the layout out of your workspace and the frequency your employees have meetings. Here are some different types of meeting rooms worth considering:

• Large conferences rooms – A big space with a presentation screen and plenty of seating.
• Small meeting rooms – An intimate space for meetings with 5 or so people.
• Brainstorming rooms – An isolated space with a marker board for coming up with great ideas. This space can also double as your small meeting room.
• Videoconferencing rooms – A room equipped with a webcam and monitor for video calls is a must in the modern workplace.

Reception and greeting area

Every workplace needs an area separate from the main workspace that visitors enter. It should include comfortable seating so visitors can wait for their host to take them into the main office.

Phone rooms

If your company has an open office, it’s good to provide your employees with small rooms for taking private calls. These spaces prevent one person from dropping in on a meeting room that might be reserved for use by others.

Kitchen

Some companies have extravagant cafeterias or kitchens stocked liked a 7/11 store. Everyone likes being treated to good food but many companies can’t afford to feed their entire staff.

Your office should at least have a kitchen area where your staff can store and prepare their own meals. No one likes working on an empty stomach so providing your staff with a refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave and other small appliances can make a big difference in your workplace.

Common area

It’s important to have an area in your workplace where people can socialize without distracting others.

An ideal common area should be separate from the main workspace and be a relaxing environment. Just like a common area at home, it should include comfortable seating so employees can take a load off when they need to.

Wellness room

This is a critical but often overlooked space in many workplaces. A wellness room is a private space where employees can tend to their personal health needs. It’s particularly beneficial to working new mothers who need a private space to breastfeed.

Think of this room like the nurse’s office in elementary school. It doesn’t need to be staffed by a nurse but it should include a first aid kit and other health and wellness materials employees may need.

IT room

An IT room serves as the hub for all your office’s technology. If your company has onsite servers, they’ll need to be stored in secure, climate-controlled room.

This room should also be where expensive computers and other electronics are securely stored and properly maintained.

Webinar and recording room

This room is a must if your company is serious about webinar, podcast or video recording. It should be soundproofed to block outside noise, like a music studio. Your recording room should also have professional microphones, headphones and other equipment that helps your employees produce great multimedia content.

Nice to have office rooms and spaces

The rooms listed to this point should be found in most modern offices. Here are a few more bonus spaces that can take your workplace to the the next level:

Outdoor space

Being inside all day can be tough so it’s important for people to take a moment to get some fresh air and sunshine. An outdoor patio or green space next to your building is nice to have but not completely necessary. If your company can’t provide an outdoor space, your employees will likely find a nearby park or pleasant street to walk on for getting their outside time.

Bike storage space

A secure space for employee bike storage is great to have, especially if your workplace is an urban area. More and more people are choosing to bike to work, instead of driving or using public transit, but need to know their bike is safe while they’re working.

Fitness area

Office gyms and company fitness classes have become hip perks to offer. It can seem excessive but remember that healthy employees are more productive, less stressed and generally happier.

It’s great if your company can provide an on-site gym or studio for fitness classes but it’s not a must. There are different wellness programs you can offer to promote employee health.

Locker room and showers

If your office does have a fitness area, it should also include a locker room and showers so your employees can clean up post-workout.

It’s still a nice-to-have room, even if your office doesn’t have a fitness area. Employees who bike to work or go for a run on their lunch break will happily make use of this area .

Give your employees the spaces they need to be great

Offices have evolved from cubicles under fluorescent lights to unique spaces that employees enjoy spending the day in. Ensuring your workspace has the right rooms and spaces creates an environment where your staff can do great work.