How to Create a Productive Outdoor Space for Your Employees

If we have learned one thing since the national lockdown in 2020, it’s that nobody wants to spend all day, every day, stuck inside a stuffy office. Your staff want access to fresh air, sunlight, and the chance to stretch their legs once in a while without having to go on a designated break.

All these things have been shown to be beneficial to an employee’s mental and physical health, so it’s no wonder so many companies are looking at ways to create outdoor office gardens where staff can unwind and still do their job.

In this article, we will show you how to make a productive outdoor office space for your employees that will boost morale and productivity.

How to Make a Productive Outdoor Office Space

1. Greenery and nature

Fresh air means more than just getting outside of the office with its air-conditioned, recycled, and ventilated air supply. After all, you could achieve that by standing in the car park for 5 minutes. Your workers need real fresh air—the sort that only comes when it blows through trees, hedges, and flowering plants. Ensure your outdoor office space has plenty of those natural resources.

2. Sunny aspect

Feeling the sun on your face after a prolonged time in the office can do wonders for your mental well-being, but it has physical benefits, too. Natural sunlight contains Vitamin D, which is essential for good skin, cellular growth, and an active immune system. By ensuring your outdoor area catches the sun, you can improve employee health and potentially reduce the number of sick days taken.

3. Walking trails

Creating a walking trail in or around your outdoor working space may not seem productive, but it has many benefits. Employees can stretch their legs on their breaks, get their blood flowing a little, and rack up their daily steps if they happen to be counting them. It can help with work too—an informal 1-on-1 chat can be just as easily conducted on the move as it can in an office.

4. Gathering spaces

An outdoor work area is the ideal place for daily huddles and other brief meetings. Make sure there’s space for a dozen or so members of staff to gather in comfort for a stand-up meeting or cascade session. It may be worth incorporating some seating in these break-out areas for any staff with mobility issues.

5. Flexible seating arrangements

Speaking of seating, you will need some comfortable and weatherproof chairs, sofas, and tables that can be used for impromptu meetings, training sessions, or even a space to work outside if you have the functionality to do so. These should not be fixed in place so that they can be rearranged to suit the occasion.

6. Wi-Fi coverage

While your outdoor space will be providing a break-out area to get staff out of the office for a few minutes during the day, it can still be a productive work environment. Full Wi-Fi coverage will ensure that important emails won’t get missed and will allow you to conduct Zoom meetings and other videoconferencing calls in the comfort of your new office garden.

7. Privacy

Of course, your outdoor office space is still a place of work, and it’s important that your staff can conduct their duties in privacy. Fences and trellises can be fitted around the perimeter to prevent outsiders looking at it while also adding visual appeal.

Outdoor Office Spaces: Final Thoughts

As the leading commercial landscaping experts in Kent and nearby Bromley, Fost & Co. has the skills, tools, and experience to design and install an attractive and productive office garden for you and your team. We will work closely with you to create something truly original that matches your company’s aesthetic and adds value to your business.

Call the team today at our Sidcup office on 0208 106 8551 or our Sevenoaks office on 01732 440 680. Alternatively, you can send an email to info@fostandco.co.uk to see what we can do for you.