A study from Forbes magazine suggests that the majority of people create their first impressions of something in 7 seconds. If this is the case, a reception or welcome area can become much more than a place for visitors to wait. It can be a place to let the visitors know who you are and what your company is about.

The BPS found that the average UK worker sits at their desk for 6 hours a day. Multiply that by 5 days a week equalling 30 hours, that becomes 1560 hours a year. Activity, posture and diversity are paramount when considering a workplace for someone who spends that amount of time at a desk.

Global leaders in social behavioural studies “Procedia” found, that in the majority of the top FTSE 100 companies, the use of workforce collaboration for tasks and learning brought a positive response in social, physiological, academic and assessment areas.

With most industries going towards open plan offices and collaborative working, workers may find it difficult to find spaces for focused private work.  Dr Ned Hallowell’s findings allowed us to see that the average worker is distracted momentarily in the workplace every 3 to 4 minutes.

These can be canteens, cafes, breakout areas or reception areas. Social spaces are fast becoming a staple must have in an office workspace. They can be multipurpose, on one hand a place of relaxation and rejuvenation, but also an environment where ideas and conversations may spring up naturally, due to the relaxed nature of the environment.