How to design a breakout space and why they’re important

Breakout areas are an important part of any office environment. Providing a comfortable space to relax, socialise and host creative meetings and discussions, breakout spaces provide a change of scenery from the desk-bound tasks of the working day. Ideal for allowing your employees to escape from their desk and switch off, these comfortable retreats can do wonders for optimising morale, reducing stress at work and enhancing productivity. Here’s our guide to everything you need to know about designing a breakout space and why they’re so important.

What is a breakout area?

Breakout areas come in all shapes and sizes. They’re essentially a space where you can escape your desk to chill, socialise, hold an impromptu or informal meeting or bond with colleagues. Promoting wellness in the workplace, breakout areas aim to provide a change of scenery for employees who are restricted to their desk for the majority of the working day. Often boasting comfy social seating, working and eating tables, and even gaming areas and entertainment spaces, the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating an inviting breakout area for your business.

What are the benefits of breakout areas?

Breakout areas offer a host of benefits. It’s not surprising that they’re increasing in popularity amongst businesses of all types. A valued investment for employee wellbeing, breakout spaces not only provide a comfortable space for interaction and collaboration, they also create additional workspaces, promote movement in the office and have been proven to enhance productivity.

How to create a breakout area

An office breakout area needn’t be extravagant, take up a lot of space or even boast the latest, all singing, all dancing technology. These areas can be effective with nothing more than comfortable chairs and tables. Allowing employees to relax, socialise or even host an informal meeting away from the desk, breakout areas can be designed in a way that works for your business. For example, you might want to use a screening system to separate your breakout area from the rest of the office. You might want to integrate a chill zone, as well as an informal meeting area, or you might even add a gaming area. Then you can consider colour schemes, lighting, textures and even whether or not you want to integrate a kitchen. Before you start to choose your furnishings, it’s important to decide on the purpose of your breakout area so that you can choose suitable furniture and tackle any noise pollution issues. You could even use a survey to gauge what your employees would like to see within a breakout area.

Why are breakout areas important for productivity?

One of the major benefits of breakout areas is that they provide a much-needed space for employees to have a break from their screens and escape the constant flow of digital information that often comes hand in hand with the working day. A break from any screen, face to face conversation and a change of scenery has been proven to do wonders for productivity and morale in the workplace.

How to create a breakout space quickly

The key to creating a successful breakout space quickly is definitely in the planning. Knowing the type of space you want to achieve and what it will be used for will allow you to quickly create a space that enhances your business landscape. From soft seating, modular seating and sofa meeting pods through to lounge chairs, entertainment systems, tube seating and dining chairs, there’s a whole host of breakout furniture to choose from. So, set the scene, pick your furniture, create a space and you’re good to go!

Example plans and layouts

We’re expert at office space planning and design, planning and installing breakout spaces is something we regularly undertake. Here are some examples of plans and layouts we’ve provided, click on the image to see the downloadable breakout space layouts.

Why choose BT Office Furniture and Interiors?

Here at BT Office Furniture and Interiors, we supply and install flexible office furniture throughout most of the UK, perfect for creating the ultimate breakout area. With almost 50 years’ experience, our team of professionally trained installers have extensive product knowledge when it comes to finding the best office furniture for your business needs. If you require further information about any of our products, please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team.