The Future Of Workspace Design

It’s important for workspaces to create an environment that adopts creativity and innovation. Now more than ever there is an increased focus on the ‘office experience’. Employees are craving engaging spaces that give them the freedom to thrive at work. Here, Anthony Millington, Creative Director at Amron Architectural explains how metal mesh can contribute to this solution for interior design.

To future-proof workspaces, designers need to design spaces that are predominantly based around an open floorplan which in turn is adaptable to suit a variety of different working styles. These include breakout areas to replace board rooms, multi-purpose furniture, and flexible layouts permitting multiple configurations.

Metal mesh has a long tradition of outdoor use spanning hundreds of years. Over time, metal mesh has earned a reputation as a practical, durable yet surprisingly versatile product thanks in part to its uncanny ability to meet a wide range of specifications. With a variety of practical exterior applications including vent panels, cages, and baskets it is little wonder that metal mesh was eventually introduced to the world of interiors. Its inherently superior performance properties led to its adoption as the go-to material for radiator grilles the world over.

Most recently, forward-thinking practices have implemented mesh partitions as a means of mediating the compartmentalised cubicles of yesteryear with increasingly popular open-plan office environments. Not only do moveable woven and expanded mesh walls and space dividers provide a good interface between open and closed office layouts, but they also enable airflow whilst providing a visible demarcation. This can have a multitude of benefits including better access to natural daylight, increased levels of concentration amongst the workforce and may even help some people curb social anxiety in the workplace.

Statistics show that 40% of the population identify themselves as introverted, these partitions, albeit open/punctured ones, have a somewhat similar psychological effect as a completely closed-off cubicle would, i.e., being walled off from the world and able to fully fixate on tasks at hand. This, in turn, can benefit the quality of life immeasurably for those who would otherwise feel

a relative level of discomfort at work and perhaps not perform as well as they could.

Look up and be inspired

In the past, ceilings would not have necessarily been considered within the design aesthetics of a commercial space. The need for a ceiling is obviously vital, but the look and style may often have been overlooked. It is now becoming increasingly felt that the ceiling is now being considered as the fifth wall.

Suspended ceilings were first introduced around 100 years ago, they were a novel idea to hide building infrastructure such as ducting and pipework and creating a space to allow access for maintenance – this is where the mineral fibre tile came in as the most cost-effective way of creating the suspended ceiling. They were cheap, and relatively good acoustically. However, now with the option to use metal mesh in ceilings, it allows a suspended ceiling whilst offering benefits including improved airflow, lighting, and vastly improved aesthetics.

Colour is one of the main attractions when it comes to the finishing of metal mesh and in particular, how the mesh is coloured without it corroding. Having researched a number of finish processes that work well the commonly used architectural meshes (woven, expanded, and perforated), powder coating is the most cost-effective way to apply an almost unlimited range of colours. Powder coating uses an electrostatic charge to attract a fluidised powder evenly across all surfaces of the mesh.  The electrostatic charge holds the pigmented powder until it passes through an oven where it melts and adheres permanently to the mesh. After curing, the mesh has a colourful and durable coating that adds to the desired aesthetic of the project.

The opportunities that these working practises bring for designing are inspiring and architecturally interesting, and the future of workspace design cannot come soon enough.es Here

Read the article in Interior Design Today magazine.