Taking Over Before The Break's Over

          Not all breaks are created equally, especially in this day and age. In the current setting of the corporate world, breaks can be done in many ways. Some do light work while on their breaks, others take a quick power nap, some play on their devices during those times, and some just rest and drink their coffee. However, you or your officemates do breaks you have to admit that there is a clear lack of modern break spaces in today’s corporate setting. It is this reality that has often created comparisons between the design of everyday offices and those of the likes of Google, where they are free to take their breaks how they wish.

          It has become apparent to most, if not all, of the world that there are a variety of better ways to spend one’s break, however, the typical office doesn’t have the means to allow workers to do so. The confines of space within the office setting play a major role in this area, which can be solved by the architecture profession.

          So, how can the architecture profession solve this dilemma? By creating a contextualized design framework! By creating a simplified approach to a complex problem, we can create a good starting point for solving the problem.

For small offices: Those who work in small offices tend to know each other well, so I believe that a good break solution for this context is to have smaller ‘solo’ cubicles adjacent to the break room as a designated introverted space for those who just want to rest and not talk during that specific break. On top of that, the cubicle can be a space for solo reading or mini-artistic expression such as small scale sketching. On the other side of that could be a communal table where you can interact casually with your workmates and share a break and a cup of coffee in a more casual setting. The idea of this is simply to allow users to decide if they want to do something introverted in the cubicles (i.e., simply rest, take a nap, etc.) or do something extroverted with the rest of their colleagues. Additionally, the idea doesn’t take much space hence the designation for small offices. The entire program of the described break area can be placed in a small space within the office.

For medium-sized offices: Those who work in medium-sized offices tend to know those in their immediate sphere of work, so a decent break intervention for this space is to create a casual space (akin to the small office idea) that allows for more interaction and an elevated sense of break, in this context, perhaps a mini arcade would be a good way to solve the problem. On top of integrating the small cubicle area in this space as well, a mini-arcade can be added (in this scenario, that would mean the inclusion of a few arcade games) and a better café-esque space would replace the large socializing table (idea from the small office paradigm). In this sense, you can still choose to do a more introverted break (i.e., playing on the arcade solo or with a friend, perhaps sleep in the solo cubicle) or a more extroverted break (i.e., socializing with coworkers in the café-style space). This idea expands the introverted/extroverted dynamic, but it adds more activities as the space allows to add those activities. The entire program of the described break area can be placed in a moderate space within the office which can also act as a design element.

For large offices: As a direct contrast to small offices, in large office spaces, not everybody knows one another, and as such the break areas should be designed with that in mind. In this context, the proposed introverted/extroverted space programming would now include an ambivert space program. In this scenario, the introvert space would be for napping, casual gaming, etc., the extrovert space would be for socialization (i.e., casual conversations, casual gaming, etc.), and the ambivert space could be an in-between to get to know your coworkers better in a more relaxed setting. In the introverted space could be nap pods, a quiet reading area, an artist’s space, and more solo-oriented arcade gaming, while the extroverted space could feature more social games such as a ping-pong table, or perhaps a foosball table, and an expansion on the café-esque space that was mentioned in the other two size-concepts. The ambivert space could be designed to meld the two spaces together that meld activity and socialization. The program described in this area differs from the first two due in large part to its size. In a multiple-floor office setting, it is recommended that this space be placed on its own floor to complement the relaxed vibe and ‘true nature of a break’-vibe that it’s going for. In a setting of a campus-style office or a large open plan type office there should be a dedicated zone for this type of break area. Like the medium-sized office concept, this space could be zoned to attract the attention of prospective employees and guests to the atmosphere and culture of the company.

In closing, the idea of expanding the definition of how break spaces can be designed and should be designed in the modern era is a testament to the evolution that architecture has with modern society. Essentially, this idea to redefine the idea of break spaces spurs from the philosophical shift and attitude that people now have for workspaces. They will work as hard as they can, but they also need the much-required rest within the day. Truly, the philosophy is a testament to the advancement of the ideals of work in the modern era, but it is also an indictment of a demand for better holistic living. The essence of these ideas presented is to allow for a more diverse selection of activities to recharge workers on their breaks, as opposed to confining even their break time. Just like the adage goes, happy wife, happy life – in this case, I believe that we can modify the saying just a bit to become apt in the context of breakrooms: happy workers, happy workspace. Any company that accepts the ideologies of allowing for better break spaces for their workers is a company that not only invests in its people but also is one that has holistic worker wellness in mind.