BE Furniture

Companies make the choice to go Green and reduce their environmental impact for a number of reasons, from their corporate vision and philosophy to cost-savings. But there’s one more important reason that is often overlooked –greener  workplaces can boost employee productivity . In fact, studies have shown that employees working in green-certified offices boast a 26% boost in cognition, and 30% fewer sickness related absences, and improved sleep quality. The right way to reduce your company’s environmental impact  As with anything, there is a right and a wrong way of going green. For example, if your company wants to improve its energy usage, the answer is not to turn down heating and cooling – this will likely result in unproductive and unhappy employees. The trick is to hit the sweet spot, ecologically-speaking, and this results in a positive change in your company’s direction and in employee happiness. Here’s how. Air quality:  Poor air quality is bad for th...

The New Year is about fresh starts and embracing new innovations, and our  workplaces  are no exception! Here are some of the latest trends that are making splash in the world of office design this year. Unconventional workspaces:  There’s a strong global trend to think outside the rules and ideas of a traditional office and make spaces more creative, inspiring and functional. Casual meeting rooms, collaborative spaces and breakout areas are common, as are unique features like yoga spaces, wellness areas, outdoor spaces and snack bars. Dynamic spaces:  Office square footage is still at a premium in many parts of the country, so companies are increasingly thinking about how to use the space they have for multiple functions. With flexible furniture like  sit stand desks , hot desking and movable walls, employees have a wider range of working options – and companies don’t have space sitting idle. The home office space:  This encapsulates two trends –...

Amazon is the world’s biggest retailer, so it’s no surprise that cities are clamoring to have the new headquarters located in their own backyard. The giant will bring in over 50,000 jobs, investing $5 billion in the construction project and growing in time to equal the status of the Seattle HQ. Here’s some insight into the bidding war. Amazon’s requirements  Only certain cities in the USA and Canada will be able to qualify to make a formal bid, but these restrictions are fairly minimal and include that the city has at least a million residents, an international airport, and a stable, business-friendly environment. These generous terms have led to a huge list of over 238 contenders. Which cities are leading the fight to be Amazon’s next HQ?  Major players in the bidding war stretch far and wide, and include: Boston – With its home-grown talent, transit and great real estate. Atlanta – Focusing on its location as an international air transit hub, affordable hous...

Collaborative workspaces are known for positively influencing innovation, productivity and creativity, making communication easier and more effective. Creating a workspace like this means bringing two elements together, namely a culture of collaboration and the physical office environment that supports this. Here’s how the right  modern office design  and contemporary furniture can help you achieve this. Flexibility:  Collaborative office environments have a workspace that incorporates a wide range of features that encourage employees to move around and work where it best suits them. This includes easily re-configurable desks or share work tables, private meeting rooms for client calls and stimulating areas for brainstorming sessions. Good lighting:  Closed-in office spaces with harsh artificial lighting are the opposite of what collaborative spaces are all about. Think of ways to maximize natural light through the space with glass partitions, use color for ...

First developed in the 1970's,  office cubicle systems  are still the most popular means of designing and planning an office space to accommodate a workforce. In fact, they account for around $2.27 billions of office furniture sales in the USA! It’s not difficult to see why they’re so popular – cubicles are affordable, use space efficiently and modular, making them easy to fit into a wide range of spaces and floorplans. So, what types of cubicles are available? Panel-attached cubicles:  These are ready-made work areas where the walls are attached directly to work surfaces like filing cabinets, shelving and other customizable features. They can also contain their own power outlets to make installing computers and other electronic hardware easier. Free-standing cubicles:  In these models, the cubicle panel stands alone and is not attached to the desk, shelving or cabinets. These are useful for temporary office requirements or where you would like to combine you...

Workspaces aren’t just about having a room and furniture where you can sit down at a computer, they actively affect employee job satisfaction and productivity. This makes creating the right kind of modern office workspace vital to the success of your business. Here’s a useful breakdown of what the most popular options have to offer. The open-plan office space This is a very popular option for businesses because it works out to be very cost-effective. Organizations do report better communication, easier supervision and increased collaboration as a result, but in reality, the real gains are in the cheaper construction that requires fewer walls, can accommodate more people and require less servicing (including air conditioner venting etc.). Generally, these office spaces work well when businesses are looking to enhance teamwork and a great option to incorporate collaborative office furniture. Private office spaces These offer the quiet and privacy that many people find optimal t...

A collaborative office space has been shown to improve colleague relationships, work-flow and overall productivity. When it comes to transforming an office space into a new-age collaborative set-up, the heart of it all will be the collaborative furniture that you choose.  Collaborative office furniture  needs to complement the design of the space and, most importantly, promote efficiency within the workplace. Using Collaborative Furniture to Build the Space Most will agree that the main consideration to keep in mind when creating a well-functioning office space lies in finding a steady balance between work areas and storage areas. While most traditional offices keep these two aspects of the business separate, most collaborative furniture will offer built in storage options in order to accommodate both. Another consideration to keep in mind is investing in the right sizes when it comes to collaborative workspace furniture. The sizes which you select should depend on the...