The emphasis on creating welcoming and usable outdoor spaces skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. As people return to the office after spending the last two to three years working from home, creating outdoor office space and commercial patios may be the key to creating an office that they actually want to come back to.
While many companies are asking or telling their employees to return to the office, the desires of employees are mixed, with many preferring a work-from-home or hybrid model. For companies, encouraging employees to return to the office can come in many forms from outright requirements to creating a space where workers actually want to go.
One way to create a desirable space is to offer a commercial office patio with amenities that will draw employees to the office. Commercial office patio spaces can offer access to fresh air and sunlight.
Here are some ways to maximize outdoor commercial patio space:
Create a Quiet Place to Work
The days of the cubicle farm are (nearly) over. While some offices still retain the cubicle set up, other offices are focused on creating a work environment that inspires creativity and productivity with some focused on outdoor office patio design. Creating quiet work spaces, complete with tables, chairs, charging stations, and wi-fi, can be a workplace amenity that employees get excited about.
Offer Access to Gardens and Landscaping
Outdoor spaces have positive benefits for mental health, sleep regulation, creativity, and more. Creating an office patio design that incorporates gardens and landscaping is a feature that many employees would appreciate. Gardens and landscaping can run the gamut from vegetable gardens to butterfly gardens and cut flower gardens. They can also include meditation spaces, pathways for a quick walk, and benches to sit and enjoy a few quiet moments.
Provide Areas to Eat Lunch
Depending on the location of the commercial office, places to eat may be in short supply or difficult to get to and still have time to make it back to work during the allotted time.
Designing places to eat lunch in the outdoors can have a positive impact on employee wellbeing as they’re able to reap the benefits of fresh air and sunlight while they relax with their lunch.
Make a Conference Area
Creating an outdoor conference area can be a draw, especially for companies that thrive on creativity and collaboration. Conducting meetings and brainstorming sessions in outdoor spaces can increase creativity and encourage people to collaborate outside of the four walls of the office.
Build a Rooftop Bar
For companies that routinely have afterwork events or gatherings, a rooftop patio bar may be the perfect way to show their appreciation for their employees. Gatherings can take place on-site, making getting to them after work easier, or it could be open to employees who just want to wind down after work.
Tips for Creating a Desirable Commercial Office Patio Design
Creating a commercial office patio design takes some planning, but in the end, it can be a valuable space for employees.
Start with the End in Mind
Office patio design should start with the end in mind. Think about the experience that you want people to have and figure out ways to create a space that would support it.
Start with a few questions. Some examples include:
Do you want the space to be collaborative or a quiet escape for individual employees?
Do you want it to be interactive, like a vegetable garden or meditation space?
Do you want employees to be able to take their lunch to the patio to recharge for the rest of the day?
Do you want them to be able to work on the patio or is a space dedicated to taking a break or recharging?
Design an Extension of the Office
Office space design has come a long way from the sterile cubicle environments of the late 20th century. Today’s offices incorporate the company’s values and branding to create spaces that are, in and of themselves, examples of beautiful design. To extend the design into the commercial office patio space is to create a cohesive environment that blends seamlessly from the indoors out.
Choose the Best Materials
Creating a high quality commercial patio design will help to draw employees out of the building and into the newly created space. Choosing high quality materials that will stand up to weather conditions while being comfortable and aesthetically pleasing is no easy feat, but luckily there are materials that make the choice easy.
Aspire Pavers are durable and sustainable composite pavers that not only create a beautiful aesthetic, but they are also durable enough to stand up to outdoor weather conditions. They are fade, stain, scratch, and crack resistant and will keep the commercial patio looking great even in the face of high use and heavy foot traffic.
Aspire Pavers Will Help You Maximize Outdoor Space on a Commercial Office Patio
Aspire Pavers are available in 13 colors and multiple sizes that allow you to create the ideal pattern for a commercial patio design. They are made of up to 95% post-consumer recycled rubber, so they are comfortable to walk and stand on, which makes the commercial patio experience even more positive.
Our patented installation grids make installation fast and easy, and take 40% less time than it would take to install concrete pavers. They are easy to install and can be cut to size using common tools, so they can cut down on labor costs, and the installation can be tailored to the site's exact needs, whether you need to pave a garden walkway or an entire patio.
Contact the experts at Aspire today to see how our pavers can create the ideal commercial patio space!