Sydney Office Design: Why Meeting Rooms Matter

Thinking about meeting rooms often conjures up images of droll meetings, powerpoint presentations and laggy conference calls. It may also bring up memories of empty rooms with little to no use. However, a quality meeting room does matter.

What kind of meeting room do you need?

The term ‘meeting room’ can refer to a range of spaces utilised for meetings, discussions, conferences and much more. That might be a traditional conference room with a long table and high-backed chairs, a smaller meeting room with presentation capacity, or even small pods that offer a space for one-on-one powows. 

Every business has different needs, but often want the same thing from their meeting rooms. That is, a quality space to conduct meetings, deliver information and collate thoughts from a range of people. Clearly, these rooms should be versatile. 

Staff numbers are always a factor when deciding how many meeting rooms your office needs, as well as the kind of meeting room required. Consider how you’ll utilise the space and how to make it best work for you. And chatting with a professional Sydney office design company to help understand and define your needs is never a bad idea.

Why are meeting rooms important?

Meeting rooms are an essential part of any office or workplace, for they provide a space where employees can communicate and collaborate. Without meeting rooms, these types of encounters would otherwise take place in noisy, uncomfortable areas, which might be lacking the required technology and equipment. Therefore, well-designed meeting rooms are a must.

Designing your meeting rooms

Designing your meeting rooms means taking a wide range of elements into consideration. We’ll touch on a few of those below.

Getting ‘smart’

The ‘smart office’ is a frequently buzzword, but what exactly does it mean, and what does it mean for meeting rooms specifically? 

This phrase tends to refer to technology, as well as the way your people will interact with the space. So, when we talk about creating a smart meeting room, that involves implementing the latest communication technologies, such as bluetooth connectivity for meetings, high-quality screens for video conferencing and presentations, and cutting-edge audio solutions.

There should also be charging compatibility for a range of devices, as remote meetings are more common than ever, and these often require the use of phones, tablets and other devices. Other elements that may make your meeting rooms ‘smart’ include voice activated devices and smart lighting which saves on power.

Overall, this smart technology helps deliver a better experience for staff and visitors alike.

Speak to your staff

Open dialogue with your employees is an important part of any office design project, including when refurbishing meeting rooms. Keeping in touch with the needs and wants of your people will help ensure that you design a space that they enjoy using, and actually works for them.

Your staff are probably the ones who can most readily identify flaws in previous meeting rooms, and give you ideas on how to make these rooms better. They may also be the ones using these facilities the most, so what they want does matter.

Communication is the priority

Meeting rooms are used to convey and communicate information every single day. Therefore, it goes without saying that creating a space that makes communication as clear as can be is always the first consideration when designing a meeting room.

Employees communicate more effectively when they are able to see each other, so a room with well laid out furniture, allowing all attending the meeting to see each other, will aid communication. What’s more, the right technology will make remote communication easier.

Comfort is critical

The right level of comfort is important when considering how best to design your meeting spaces. We’ve all experienced meetings where it’s tough to concentrate… uncomfortable chairs, chilly temperatures and poor acoustics are all issues. Therefore, your employees should be comfortable at all times.

High-quality chairs and desks are a must in your meeting room. Temperature control is essential, so that people aren’t too cold or too warm. When your people are comfortable, they’ll be able to communicate more effectively, and take in information efficiently. Overall, this means a more efficient meeting.

Be flexible

These days, flexibility in the office is essential. Employees want more from their workspace, and they want to be able to make choices. That means choices on where they work, how they work, and even why they work. And in the end, giving your people options is conducive to a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace.

The meeting room can be a flexible space, and statistics tell us that it should be. Traditionally, meeting rooms are the space that is used the least in the office. In fact, on average, meeting rooms are only in use for about 30-40% of the time! That means much of the time, your meeting rooms are empty.

Designing a meeting room that is flexible, in terms of the furniture used, the layout and anything else, permits it to be used for other purposes. For instance, by ensuring the chairs in your meeting room are ergonomic and the table or desks are sturdy, employees will be able to utilise this as a workspace. Add plants, quality lighting and temperature control and they’ll never leave!

Professional Sydney office design

Designing the perfect workspace and meeting rooms is best left to the professionals. And at Niche Projects, we have an enormous amount of experience in office design and office fit-outs in Sydney. We can work with you from the first seed of an idea, all the way to a finished office fit-out, always delivering an exceptional final product. 

Work with us so that you can focus on doing what you do best. Get in touch with Niche Projects today. We can’t wait to work with you.