Community Based Design

For many organisations, an office is still a place to sit at your desk. We think differently. Community-Based Design, a method developed by Steelcase, translates the dynamics of a lively city into a working environment.

A community doesn’t arise by itself. It requires conscious choices in space, culture but also leadership. Do you invest in this? Then you will reap the benefits. A good working environment is more than a nice look, it is a strategic move for growth, commitment and sustainability.

At OCS+, we help organisations apply these principles: from strategy to implementation. So that you don’t just have a beautiful office, but a working environment that connects and strengthens people.

Why Community-Based Design?

More and more organisations are struggling with engagement and productivity. Research shows that when your employees are connected this also has a positive effect on not only the organisation but also on people.

• Productivity increases by 18%
  With this, profitability increases by as much as 23%
  Sickness absence falls by 41%

(source: Gallup and Steelcase) steelcase.com

This while currently 87% of employees do not feel connected to their workplace and/or employer. A missed opportunity, not only for the organisation but also for the people.

So what is Community-Based Design?

It is a design method that designs offices like a city does. Steelcase distinguishes five functional work zones, inspired by urban ecosystems.

1. City Centre – vibrant meeting place central to the organisation. Think central spots for coffee, informal meeting rooms. A place to come together.
2. Neighbourhoods – familiar work zones for focus and team spirit. Fixed working areas close to the City Centre.
3. Business District – flexible spaces for creation & innovation. Think project spaces for intensive collaboration with all the necessary technology.
4. University District – learning spaces, from workshops to mentoring. From quiet spaces to presentation areas.
5. Urban Parks – green, quiet places for recovery. This doesn’t mean you can’t work here but it is an answer to overstimulation and stress.

When you combine and mix these “districts” it supports different working styles and gives people control over where and how they want to work.

How does this enhance well-being and engagement?

Your environment has a direct influence on your physical and mental health. By organising this as thoughtfully as possible with flexible zones, you give your employees freedom of choice, and that freedom of choice ultimately leads to more engagement. So employees can recover in “urban parks”, build relationships in “city centres”
or grow in ‘university districts’

The combination of different districts lead to less stress, more motivation and higher employee satisfaction.

Wondering how we approach this at OCS+?

At OCS+, we translate these insights to your situation:

Analysis of work patterns and needs
Design of a “city floor plan” with tailored zones
Step-by-step implementation including measurement and optimisation

Read more about our approach here; From Design to Build