The move to the modern conference room should come as no surprise. Nobody wants to work in an office space that’s dark or cramped; we all want a spacious, light-filled workplace. It’s proven that aesthetically pleasing offices facilitate work performance and boost employee morale. A creative, functional office sets the tone of a company.
As beneficial as these beautiful rooms are proven to be, there are still many myths surrounding their practicality. They are thought to be too bright, noisy and offer little privacy. Sadly, these things couldn’t be further from the truth. Keep reading as we explore the benefits of modern conference rooms and frameless glass walls and put these myths to rest.
What Is a Glass Conference Room?
Imagine a traditional conference room. Typically, these rooms are enclosed on all sides by solid walls. The newer, more modern conference rooms replace most if not all these walls with glass. What you end up with is a room completely exposed to the surrounding office environment. Rather than siloed cubicles, offices and conference rooms, glass conference rooms create a more fully integrated office environment. Additionally, glass conference rooms offer many configuration options. With sliding glass walls, companies can create larger or smaller spaces as needed.
Why the Move to More Modern Conference Rooms?
Glass conference rooms are becoming increasingly more popular. More and more companies have come to realize that traditional meeting rooms are no longer practical. Conference rooms have a longstanding history of being dark, cramped and boxy. As a result, employee morale and productivity suffer.
Old Conference Rooms are Boxy and Dark
Traditional conference rooms are often located on the interior of a building. As a result, they rarely get natural light, which makes them dark. Even with artificial lighting created by overhead lights and lamps, they lack the light and airy feeling found in modern conference rooms.
Traditional Meeting Rooms Makes Employees Feel Trapped
A “boxy” conference room creates the feeling of being trapped. The feeling is further enhanced when the door must be closed for privacy.
Dark Office Environments Dampens Employee Mood
The lack of natural light in an office has been shown to have a negative impact on employee’s moods. These feelings can create dissatisfaction with their job.
Closed Workspaces Results in Decreased Productivity
Closed workspaces make employees feel secluded and cut off from one another. Ultimately, this serves to decrease morale. With a low employee morale, productivity is likely to suffer. With that said, there are ways to boost employee productivity.
How Glass Conference Rooms Affect Productivity
Open office environments and glass conference rooms do wonders for employee mood, morale and productivity. When employees feel part of an open and welcoming environment, they are more likely to seek opportunities to collaborate and be more productive.
Glass Meeting Rooms Encourage Collaboration
Team members are less likely to interact with one another if they are siloed in cubicles, dark offices or cramped conference rooms. Glass walls, however, open the space and make the room more welcoming.
Boost Employee Morale
Employees have little connection with teammates they rarely see. Opening modern rooms makes the entire team visible to one another. As a result, the team is more likely to feel part of a group, which boosts morale.
Positive Impact on Mood
Glass conference rooms let in natural light. The brighter workspace lightens employee moods. Employees who are in a brighter mood may experience greater satisfaction in their employment.
Positive Benefits to Employee Health
A recent study reported that workers in windowless offices lose 46 minutes of sleep each night. The study concluded that window workers slept more soundly than their windowless counterparts on non-work nights. These workers seemed to not only sleep better but were more active and seemed to have a higher quality-of-life.
Additional Benefits of Glass Meeting Rooms
The benefits of modern conference rooms extend beyond employee morale and productivity. Glass workspaces are sustainable, let in lots of natural light and are now more energy-efficient than ever.
Glass Conference Rooms are Sustainable
Glass walls are made primarily of silica, which is found in sand. As a result, glass is considered environmentally friendly. Historically, few would have considered glass to be energy-efficient because it allowed heat to transfer into the building making for an uncomfortable environment. However, advancements in technology have brought new methods that reduce heat transfer and make glass more energy-efficient.
Modern Office Spaces Take Advantage of Natural Light
When it comes to energy efficiency, modern conference rooms can minimize energy consumption in a building. Because glass lets in natural light, buildings can rely less on artificial sources of artificial light to illuminate the building.
Common Myths Associated with Glass Conference Rooms
Too often, companies pass on the chance to move to a modern conference room due to misconceptions. Glass offices are thought to be noisy, too bright and overall impractical for an office environment. However, advancement in technology has made them less susceptible to these issues than once thought.
There is No Privacy
Many companies avoid glass walls due to the misconception that they do not offer privacy. Many worry that such visibility compromises their ability to meet with clients or customers in a secluded environment. However, glass wall systems come with several glazing options, which creates a light haze over the window. With glazing, visibility is minimized without compromising the benefits of the clear glass.
They are Noisy
Noise and sound leakage are another concern for companies considering glass conference rooms. There is the mistaken notion that sound from outside the room will be too intrusive for quiet meetings. There is also the fear that private matters discussed in the room will be transmitted outside the space. However, with proper sealing and room design techniques, glass conference rooms suffer minimal sound leakage.
They are Too Bright
Glass conference rooms do let in tons of natural light. The concern for many companies considering them is that they may be too bring for the office environment. As mentioned above, glazing can be used to minimize the amount of light coming through the glass without compromising the many other benefits.
Glass Conferences Rooms Showcased
Here are a few of our best examples of glass conference rooms. These companies have found creative ways to open their offices without compromising aesthetics and privacy.
CompTIA Office
KUBE Architects completely renovated the CompTIA office in Washington using clean lines and colorful details. Although the space is relatively small, they transformed the dark, enclosed space into a modern, light-filled interior.
Previously, the CompTIA offices had insufficient lighting. KUBE’s goal was to create a fresh interior, filled with “light and order.” They moved the conference room from the basement to the main floor and enclosed it with glass. Folding glass doors on one side allows flexibility of use for larger events. KUBE used the SL45 aluminum system, ideal for interior applications in commercial spaces. Check out the KUBE’s finished remodel below.
Edmonton North Clinic
The Edmonton North Clinic takes advantage of single-track sliding glass walls to create customizable spaces. The doors on the featured HSW60 can be opened to create one large room or closed to create multiple rooms.
Bautzen Office
Here, the Bautzen Office takes advantage of the frameless option on the HSW75 glass door. The company can open and close the glass doors as necessary for privacy.
Final Thoughts
Modern conference rooms create an open and welcoming work environment that fosters collaboration and productivity. Not only that, these newer workspaces are sustainable and offer a level of energy efficiency not previously thought possible with glass walls. If you are considering upgrading to a more modern conference room, let NanaWall opening glass wall systems be your first choice.