Smart Office Pods: Things to Consider Before Buying

Office and workplace design must balance form and function. This has led to research into ergonomics, flow science and efficiency. Now, virus safety is also a top priority. Over the past two years, we have faced a unique challenge as businesses reopened their doors and began to hone their approach to job satisfaction and COVID safety while in the workplace. This is especially worth trying, since pre-pandemic office design relied heavily on open workspaces and desk floors. Today, businesses across all industries are looking for solutions to provide a safe, productive and welcoming workplace for on-site and hybrid workers.

One of the leading strategies is the smart office pod – a portable, soundproof and privately ventilated room design. Each smart office features glass and fabric walls, sealed doors with digital access panels, and interior spaces with lights, charging ports, and private ventilation. They range in size from private cubbies to spacious meeting rooms and can be built in any indoor commercial space.

But how do you choose the right smart booth for your business design? Here are five points to consider:

what will you do with the smart office pod

The size of each space and the number of smart offices

How you will lay out the smart office pod

How smart office pods fit into your larger office design

First, consider the size of the office you're starting with and the size of the booth or booths you'll be installing. A large open office space can accommodate dozens of small to medium pods or a mix of office and conference room sized pods for a very flexible workspace design.

However, be sure to plan a booth large enough for your purposes and leave enough walking space around your pod to provide ergonomic movement around the workplace.

what will you do with the smart office pod

Define your purpose for each smart office unit. Your intent might be to provide particle-isolated office space for your hybrid workforce, or to create conference rooms that can be sealed and sanitized between uses. You can take advantage of the soundproofing properties of each booth to create practice and project spaces that might be too noisy for a shared workplace, or create private spaces that employees can book themselves when they need a quiet room.

The purpose of each pod will help you determine its size, function, and location.

The size of each space and the number of smart offices

How many smart office pods can your space hold? It depends on the size of the pod you want to install. Many workplaces opt for a mix of cubby, office and conference room sized pods to create a vibrant and environmentally modular workplace (easier to keep clean and monitor cleanliness) to replace existing open floor designs.