How Higher Education can inspire Workplaces

Higher education environments foster collaboration and social learning through purposeful design and diverse work zones. Universities provide multifunctional spaces that encourage interactions, movement and spontaneous idea sharing. Fundamental for developing critical thinkers and adaptable problem solvers. By adopting biophilic elements, wellness amenities and flexible layouts, these institutions model environments that help students and staff thrive, ultimately motivating innovation and productivity.

Employers are recognising the value of upskilling and learning as ongoing elements of company culture, influenced by universities approaches to lifelong learning. Cross-sector partnerships drive knowledge exchange, enrich skill sets, and build resilient, future-oriented organisational mindsets.​

Flexible spaces for work

Higher education campuses, without a doubt, have more space and resources for developing these types of connections and settings. Although most businesses do not have the luxury of large, open spaces, they still want to build a sense of collaboration where face-to-face connection is essential. Businesses want their employees to be inspired, to innovate and to help the company move forward. Putting employees in a sterile environment and providing them with a limited choice of work settings, limits their ability to challenge the norm and come up with breakthrough ideas.

The solution, as it is in higher education environments, can be summed up in one work – flexibility. Modern workplaces can also provide a variety of work environments, allowing workers to pick where and how they work. Furniture that can be moved and replaced, such as stackable chairs and tables and simple storage options for personal items are great examples. When designing for flexibility and agile working, it’s also necessary to think about how spaces are used, for example a large conference room could be partitioned into two smaller rooms with a breakout, collaborative area in the middle.

Outdoor environments

Outdoor areas have long been used by educational institutions to meet the learning demand. And employees who have been accustomed to working from home may benefit from outdoor or open-air spaces as they transition back to the office. An outdoor area that can be used to take a break from work, eat lunch in the sunshine, or that can be used for group meetings, collaboration, or productive focused work is a real plus.

For businesses who do not have access to an outdoor location spacious enough to accommodate such activities, living walls, views of nature, plants and other biophilic design components can be used to incorporate green elements into the workplace. This also produces a relaxing and stimulating environment that helps to relieve stress and boost creativity.

Socialising

One of the most important aspects of wellbeing in university life is social interactions and catching up with different people. Workplaces that encourage employee interaction build better teams and foster a feeling of community. Employees can have a true feeling of belonging in a well-designed workplace that reflects the business brand and offers opportunities for social interaction.

Traditional desks will continue to exist, but they will no longer be an employee’s only option for working. With its simplicity of form, combined with modern connectivity points, Crew worktables from Dams’ Social Spaces portfolio provide the perfect answer for a less corporate modern office. Crew tables are now with a full length power bar and coordinated accessories to provide the power of choice to people by creating flexible, fluid work areas, which has a multitude of psychological and emotional benefits.