Since the dawn of civilization, people have held meetings or have had places to convene in some form or another. The first “meeting” could very well have been held around a campfire, where tribes would have been discussing their plans to survive the next winter. Over time as we settled and built towns and cities and as the industrial age come about to be, these meetings moved into a room. The advancements in technology over the past 30 years or so has had a huge impact on how humans meet and interact inside and outside of these rooms.

Traditional meeting rooms belonged to an older generation of office spaces – a generation where cubicles, heavy desks, and corner office were still in fashion.

Over the years there have been several factors that have changed the way we design office spaces. The most prominent among these are technology and the inclusion of millennials into the workforce. These two factors alone have forced creative ideas and designs to emerge on how offices should be set up. In case you’re wondering what your meeting spaces should look like, we’ll fill you in. But first, remember the key elements to bear in mind when you design your meeting room:

Technology & Collaboration
Space
Acoustics & Privacy
Experience

The Brainstorming Room

This is the most informal space in the office, the brainstorming room holds an important role in providing an environment that helps breed innovative ideas. Organizations today knowing the millennial mindset are encouraging an internal culture of innovation, which is why these rooms must be designed in such a way as to promote innovation.

Key features

Un-obstructive furniture
Writable and collaborative surfaces
Design elements that stimulate creativity.

The Modern Executive Meeting Room

Traditional meetings rooms might be on the decline, but they do borrow stuff from the past and are still relevant. For companies that look out for private spaces or simply for those who can afford their own real estate, meeting rooms are a priority. The design of these meeting rooms is determined by the degree of privacy one requires combined with the intended use for the space.

Key Features

Glass partitions to sealed off rooms. (Glass pivot door)
High-end executive chairs for executive-level meetings.
Good quality sound absorbent materials (acoustics).
Meeting chairs.
Teleconferencing tools and technology.

The In-between Zone

The compromise between the above two spaces – the in-between zone offers the most functional and aesthetic spaces for both brainstorming or semi-private meetings.

They’re not stationary rooms and can be moved around re-assembled at different locations if and when needed. The key to a good in-between space is to allow flexibility, provide tools to be creative and to collaborate. The furniture should invite workers to use the space, not see it as unnecessary soft-seating that takes up space in the office. The whole point of effective of the in-between zone is to solve the need for meeting spaces without having to dedicate separate rooms or spaces.