8 Office Layout Design Ideas

Your office layout design is a key part of your business operations. To ensure your team is productive, you must set up your space to support your unique working practices, and this can require a lot of planning depending on the size and nature of your business.

In this blog, we explore different kinds of office layout and give examples of successful companies who are currently using them. From a sports tech company operating with a hybrid approach to an advertising agency with an office specifically for creative tasks, you’ll find plenty of layout ideas here.

1. Open Plan Departments

The traditional open plan layout is still very popular due to its simplicity and the way it supports collaboration and skill sharing. This is particularly beneficial for businesses with employees that need to work closely together throughout the day.

For example, one of Rap Interiors’ private clients, a corporate insurance company based in Manchester, operates with multiple tight-knit teams and required a departmental office layout. Rap achieved this with an open plan formation using banks of desks, with the departments broken up by storage planters.

Further to this, the company’s office contains a soundproof phone both for brokers and a glass boardroom for private meetings. These additions ensure private conversations aren’t carried out in the open, giving peace of mind to employees and clients alike.

See more of the open plan design here

2. Agile Work Zones

Unlike an open plan office, the agile office layout consists of different work “zones” rather than banks of desks segregated into departments. Employees can choose which zone they want to work in depending on their task, whether that be collaborating with colleagues or working independently in quiet areas.

London-based sports tech company Hudl embraced agile working several years ago, and its office design layout reflects this. The space contains work zones throughout, including an open plan desk area for focused work, multiple Zoom booths, and a laptop lounge.

The office design is also an important part to Hudl’s flexible working approach, which allows employees to choose between home and the office. With a luxury design like this, however, many of Hudl’s employees choose the office over the home environment.

See more of Hudl’s office here

3. Creative Suites

As Ignition Creative’s name suggests, creativity is a central part of the company’s offering. The London-based agency crafts advertising campaigns for the international entertainment industry, so its office layout is geared for creative tasks like video production.

To create the ideal space for its team of creatives, Ignition implemented a number of soundproof creative suites alongside a standard open plan office. These have helped Ignition to expedite workflow, which is extremely important when working on projects for high-profile clients.

In addition to the suites, Ignition brought in a number of aesthetic elements to reflect the company’s identity. These include a Michael Caine wall mural, a branded reception desk and framed posters of projects the company has worked on.

See more of Ignition Creative’s office here

4. The Hybrid Approach

One approach to work that has boomed as a result of the pandemic is the hybrid model. This supports a blend of in-office and remote work, giving employees more flexibility to work in a way that suits them.

With employees using offices less and for different purposes, this shift has challenged businesses to rethink their office layout and design. The key question for those businesses is how do you set up a space for success?

For Social Finance, it was a case of setting up the space for hotdesking, video calls and specific in-office tasks. With employees working without a fixed desk space, the London-based firm introduced a robust locker system for personal items and created various work zones, such as a 22-person collaboration area, a focused working zone, and a team meeting space.

Crucially, the space also includes eight Zoom soundproof booths to connect office and home workers. These are also ideal for speaking with the company’s partners, ensuring that the conversations are kept private.

See more of Social Finance’s project here

Find more hybrid office design ideas here

5. Private Executive

For some businesses, privacy is one of the most important aspects of their office design. One such example is soda ash producer WeSoda, which wanted a suitable office for its executives.

To achieve a private layout design for quiet working and focused collaboration, WeSoda made use of glass partitions with manifestation. Positioned around the perimeter of the space, the partitions create multiple private executive offices without blocking out natural sunlight.

To make use of all the available space, WeSoda also introduced shared desking solutions next to the glass offices. These are ideal for employees who work closely with the executives, offering the perfect balance between privacy and collaboration.

See more of the WeSoda project here

6. Mezzanine Office

A mezzanine is a steel structural unit that’s typically installed in an industrial unit. These are perfect for businesses that need to keep production and office operations close together.

For example, Simpsons Wine Estate produces wine at its Kent-based vineyard, so the company made use of a mezzanine within a dilapidated barn nearby. The mezzanine houses the office employees, while the wine is stored and fermented in the vats under the same roof.

As for the office layout within the mezzanine, this is a combination of open plan and glass-fronted working areas. The glass is key in maintaining an open feel within the space, resulting in Simpsons Wine Estate naming it the “Glasshouse”.

Not only does the mezzanine floor provide a space for office employees, it doubles up as a visitor attraction. Visitors begin by taking a tour of the vineyard and end the tour on the top floor of the mezzanine, which contains a high-end wine tasting facility.

See more of the Simpsons Wine Estate Project here

7. The Breakout Floor

These days, there is a trend amongst large companies to create breakout spaces across entire floors. In addition to providing employees with a place to dine and reboot, breakout floors double up as an alternative place to work with a laptop.

For example, Classic Collection in Worthing created a stunning breakout space on the floor below its main open plan office. The stunning breakout area contains coffee-shop style banquet seating with integrated power, a lounge with modular furniture, and an auditorium for presentations.

Kent-based tea producer Blends for Friends used a similar design, using the ground floor to build a breakout space / cafeteria for employees and buyers. Like Classic Collection, the space contains a range of furniture for both dining and working, including a Wagamama-style bench and a deli bar with stools.

See more of the Classic Collection project here

See more of the Blends for Friends project here

8. Something Bespoke

Each company is different, so it’s a good idea to contact an office space planning company before making concrete decisions. The space planners will advise you on the best layout based on your team size, unique working practices, available space and design preferences, giving you the best solution for your needs.

The design will typically come in the form of a 2D plan (as per the examples above), but some design practices offer isometric 3D visuals for a life-like representation of the space. For more examples, take at look at Rap Interiors’ space planning page here.

Thank you for Reading Our Office Design Layout Blog

While every space is unique, we hope that the examples here will give you plenty of food for thought. For a final tip, list what you want your space to achieve and let that inform your design decisions. Whether that be a faster workflow, improved team morale or a combination of many things, the early stages of the design process are crucial.

Are You Thinking of Re-configuring Your Office Interior Design?

Established in 1988, Rap Interiors is an experienced workplace design and build company with offices in Kent and London. With a team of in-house office designers, Rap can guide you on the best configuration for your space and bring the idea to life using cutting edge CAD and rendering software.

To discuss your office layout design with a member of our design team, please call 0333 600 1234 or fill out the form below.