How Today’s Interior Design Merges Technology and Psychology, Old and New
Note: This is the second part of a blog series focusing on interior design trends to consider when seeking to create healthier, person-centered workplaces. Read part one: How Do You Create a Healthier Workplace Through Interior Design?
As much as corporate leaders want to put people’s needs at the center of interior design considerations, they are also exploring ways to best create spaces that effectively merge today’s ever-advancing technology with long-term human psychology.
Ways Interior Design Can Positively Impact Employees
With employees on their computers and phones most of the day, interior designers can be helpful in creating office spaces that enhance personal connectivity and lift employee morale. This includes factors such as color, lighting, textures, and spatial composition of a room – all of which can positively impact on how people enjoy working in a space.
When it comes to color choices, it has been found that when people are surrounded by calming hues such as blue and green, they feel relaxed. Loud, vibrant tones such as red, maroon and orange create more energetic and passionate feelings. Greater serenity is created by neutral colors such as white or gray.
A prime example of how color can play a central role in a company’s interior design decisions came to the fore during SSP’s renovation of Kickcharge Creative Offices in Washington, New Jersey. This advertising agency with a “passion to create disruption” required a design that further boosted its staff’s positive energy. It was clear that the Kickcharge creative minds would not be able to do their best work in a generic, monochromatic, beige office.
Stemming from the newly rebranded company’s color palette of yellow, black, and grey, the interiors were outfitted with a dark field color and pops of color, leading to an energetic yet cohesive design. Bold graphics were introduced throughout walls and other surfaces within this color palette, which has proven over time to further enhance creativity and satisfaction amongst Kickcharge’s design team.
Adaptive Reuse to Save Our History and Environment
The invasiveness of technology in our lives – often giving people additional pressures — has caused more companies to consider spaces that incorporate more serene, historic settings. Many of the company leaders who are open to this concept are environmentally concerned corporate citizens looking for creative ways to adapt older spaces for modern use. Adaptive reuse of such buildings is both a carbon friendly way to build and an opportunity to preserve our state’s history.
This was the case with SSP’s work for Asbury Carbons, which acquired an historic Asbury Graphite Mills building in Asbury, NJ. SSP worked with this company to give new life to their expanded home. Our team selected tones (including reuse/refinishing of existing pumpkin pine wood floors), combined with interior and exterior glass panels to enhance clarity, visibility, and natural lighting.
Over the years, Asbury Carbons’ staff and clients have told us how much they enjoy the way the building’s interior design seamlessly links the present to the past – providing a warm, upbeat atmosphere for everyone who comes to the space.
With most of us once again spending a third of our lives at work, there is an understandable desire for employers to safeguard the health and wellbeing of its staff and clients. Creating interiors that promote wellness helps attract and retain staff and gives comfort to clients visiting the office. It’s both the right thing to do – and good for business.
Contact the Interior Design Architects at SSP Architectural Group
If you are interested in working with an architect that prioritizes interior designs that focus on your employee’s wellbeing – a key aspect to your business success – contact SSP Architects today for a free conversation about your commercial interior design project.
By Tammy Stouchko, Principal, SSP Architects