With millions of Australians working in office-based jobs, it is surprising how much attention is placed on the cost per square metre, rather than the productivity and motivation of the people within that space.

After all, staff costs are significantly higher than office costs.

Jerry Kennard, Managing Director of Evoke Projects, an Australian business specialising in efficient workspace design, explains further:

“It has long been recognised that productivity will increase in well-designed offices because staff are motivated and have an emotional commitment to their employer. According to research, the increase can be as high as 36%.

“Place 2.5 is a new holistic approach to office and furniture design that is both ground breaking and yet grounded in solid social research. Put simply, science defines our home and work as places 1 and 2 in our world. Then there is a ‘3rd place’, such as a café, where we go to relax, where we feel recharged and happy. Place 2.5 is half way between work and recreation, with intelligent furniture solutions that bring the 3rd place benefits to the office. It is about driving motivation, staff retention and productivity.

“Place 2.5 office design encourages a mix of private and shared zones, plus comfortable breakout areas for informal meetings.

Multifunctional storage solutions and easily configured privacy and acoustic screens also bring absolute flexibility to the office.”