Slide in the office – is it useful?
After Big Tech and entertainment giants like Google (Zurich), Youtube (California) or Lego (Billund, Denmark), public spaces such as the Munich’s Technical University Library or London’s Tate Modern, steel slides can be found more and more, in medium-sized companies and workplaces all over the world.
What exactly is the purpose of installing a steel slide in the office from a functional point of view? What added value does it bring to the workspace?
The installation of a steel slide in the office, at first may seem as an unnecessary architectural extravagance. There is no doubt this is still a bold, unconventional solution, but also not devoid of utilitarian sense.
Many of us have probably experienced feeling a bit lost in modern multilevel office labyrinths. Although today’s trend is to design those spaces homier more human-friendly, they still can feel a bit overwhelming, both psychologically and functionally.
Although today’s trend is to design those spaces homier more human-friendly, they still can feel a bit overwhelming, both psychologically and functionally.
Installing a steel slide in the office building can ease the situation in this sense.
Slides are technically functional, they can easily work as one-way stairs that are faster and more fun. They can connect various levels so as to move directly between functional spaces, such as the lobby, an office or the café. But daily sliding can impact other areas of office life too.
Research and experience have shown that changing environments during long working days, can not only help release stress but also improve our brain functionality. Seating is the new smoking, but many of us still stay in the same desk position for too long.
A quick slide from the desk to a conference room or the café is perhaps the easiest way to jump out of our screen routine .
It is also a great excuse to feel a bit less serious and more relaxed, which likewise results in better work atmosphere and well-being. Office designers know that although workspace design can’t always take away workload stress, it can help create a more productive atmosphere.
A survey by the iOpenner Institute shows that “happy employees experience 31% higher productivity as well as take 10 times fewer sick days”.
More than just spaces, slides in the office connect ideas and people. Fun, creativity and productivity go together. Sliding helps us realize, not only how important well-being is in the office, but also remind us how great innovations often come up effortlessly. To be open to new ideas is to think out of the box, to slide out of it, as it were.
