Hospitality is an important component to any space design; and it doesn't strictly apply to hotels. Hospitality in an office is all about creating a welcoming area that creates an environment for clients, guests, and employees alike to feel at home.
Putting together a hospitable environment means creating areas throughout the office where people can relax, meet, and mingle.
Waiting Areas
Creating a welcoming waiting area is all about comfort. Guests shouldn't sit in this particular area for long. The main idea to this type of space is to give a guest a great first impression. A few Buoy seats are great for immediate seating, and are flexible for any space or size. Buoy is easy to store and move around, so you can move it to wherever you need it; or add more to a space when needed.
A good question to ask yourself is who would use the waiting rooms. Do you have clients coming in and out all day, or is it mainly for employees?
Meeting Areas
Conference rooms and board rooms are notoriously stuffy. A great way to make a meeting area, a multipurpose area, is to create "drop-in" zones. Setting up small ad-hoc areas for people to collaborate, and have solo time in a meeting room is a great way to maximize productivity and get down to business (see examples here).
There is also a need for lightweight seating in meeting areas. In smaller office spaces,there is not always the chance to have a large task chair for everyone. Instead, you could make a small meeting area with a Paper Table and Buoy for a quick meeting and collaboration area.
Meal Times
It is not healthy to eat at your desk every day. Whether it is an actual meal, snacks, or an evening cocktail; taking time to step away for a bite to eat encourages community, productivity, and gives your brain a much needed break.
Small seating areas with Buoys are great for "munching" areas because of the flexibility.
Game Rooms
Keep your mind alert during the day and entertain clients in between paperwork and meetings. An ideal game room is a place to have some fun and blow off steam. Playing games increases productivity (Promise!)
Talk to your employees about what they would want in a game room. Company culture is an important aspect to designing this room, and each room will be different.
How do you design for hospitality? What could you do to make your environment a hospitable place?