Nobody had thought of it, but what if buying the tatami was the solution to working better? Mind you, this doesn't mean you'll be allowed to knock your boss down with a karate move. Rather, it's about transforming workspaces into convivial experiences, using floor-level office furniture.
Perhaps this innovation is part of the millionth "trend" to hit office real estate, the so-called "resimercial design." This portmanteau work combining "residential" and "commercial" first appeared in American design magazines in 2017. If you've never heard of it, that's precisely because it's remained safely tucked away in the inner circle of designers.
"Since Covid, designers have had to reinvent their discourse and consultants have come up with new words. There's always the impression that a new pseudo-concept is going to produce some effect that we know about in advance," said Nicolas Cochard, R&D manager of French building and real estate consultancy Kardham. There is one main reason behind this change in discourse: After the lockdown, HR managers had to get employees back to the office.
For the past 20 years or so, the "hospitality management" approach has prevailed, which meant applying hotel codes to the workplace. In short, the employee is seen as a customer who needs to be persuaded to come in. But you can't persuade anyone with grey, impersonal offices.
Resimercial design goes beyond that. Besides giving employees the best service, offices are designed to make them feel at home. Does that mean they'll be sitting uncomfortably on a sofa, working on their laptops with the noise of neighbors and construction work in the background? No. It means that the workspace will reproduce the comfort of a cozy nest.
If we are to believe the consultants who are trying to push this trend, it's a matter of combining different office spaces. For example, there is a kitchenette for lunch, a lounge for a chat and an outdoor space to get some fresh air. And, of course, there's a nap room, which always looks cool. Everything's cozy, with carpets, endless plants and warm-colored bean bags... But why did we invent ergonomic chairs, then?
As in a home, there are intimate spaces and spaces for discussion. If we offer informality and face-to-face chat to draw our team back to the office, we need to plan flexible spaces. On the 37th floor of the Alto Tower in Paris' La Défense district, office fit-out company Comet has created an "unexpected oasis," which includes convivial spaces and in particular a video game corner. Legend has it that employees have seen their productivity plummet by 70% and that – most importantly – some have entered the FIFA world rankings.
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