Emily Sheehy
Interiors Manager, M2 Office Interiors
Rosemarie O’Callaghan
Operations and Interiors Director, M2 Office Interiors
With constant video calls and spontaneous collaboration, employees need noise controlled micro-environments to reduce disruption and ensure privacy.
The Future of work is set to reshape office interiors considerably, driven by tech, employee expectations, sustainability and agility. At M2 Office Interiors, we’re seeing this shift in real time.
Hybrid offices redefined holistically
One key trend that continues to grow is the hybrid office — one that’s here to stay. Offices need to be reimagined as collaboration hubs and social spaces. Fewer desks are required with employees hot desking and sharing workstations. Seamless integration of digital tools will be essential to productivity, flexibility and wellbeing. By 2030, the office will become a digitally intelligent, adaptive space. It will enhance hybrid work, reflect employee expectations and demand for wellness-centric design.
Offices need to be reimagined
as collaboration hubs
and social spaces.
Acoustic booths boost productivity
The need for acoustic meeting booths (also known as focus pods or huddle cabins) becomes vital at the intersection of:
- Hybrid work norms: With constant video calls and spontaneous collaboration, employees need acoustically insulated micro-environments to reduce disruption and ensure privacy.
- Tech integration: AR (augmented reality)/VR (virtual reality) zones and smart desks introduce new layers of ambient noise; isolated acoustic spaces help maintain concentration.
- Wellness-centric design: Sound is a major wellness factor. Poor acoustics can increase stress and reduce cognitive performance. Quiet, controlled pods act as sanctuaries for deep thinking or recovery.
Clients at M2 Office Interiors are already reporting issues associated with noise. It is considered one of the biggest workplace stress factors. If noise can be reduced by acoustic booths and acoustic products, we estimate an increase in employee concentration by 48%, a reduction in errors by 10% and stress by 27%, an increase in work efficiency by 23% and a reduction in fatigue at work by 21%.
