What is effective classroom design? Effective classroom design is the manipulation of particular elements in the classroom to enhance the learning and productivity of students. Given the abundance of educational research, we now understand a student’s environment has a significant impact on their productivity. Recent studies have shown that just increasing the amount of light in the classroom can increase the average student’s test score by 20%. Consequently, even small aesthetic changes to a classroom can collectively make a huge difference to a student’s development and success. Layout The layout of tables in a classroom can have a big impact on…

  Much more than just a space for your employees to complete their work, it’s the heart of the company, and where a company’s visual identity truly comes to life. It’s also a direct reflection of your corporate culture and, as such, will have a great impact on your employees’ wellbeing and work habits – and client and customer perception. With this in mind, when it comes to designing your office, it’s clear that branding shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should be incorporated properly and thoroughly throughout the process. In this article, the team at CPS Interiors will talk about some…

  Like interior design more generally, the popular opinion regarding this question has changed over the years as trends have moved in and out. But where does that leave us in 2018? Although the answer to this question will still very much depend on the nature of your business, there are still some universal pros and cons of each layout which can help guide your decision. To find out what these are, read on. What is an open-plan office? An open-plan office is simply a working environment in which there are no enclosed rooms or cubicles which separate one desk from…

When considering partitioning for your office, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices on offer. However, you needn’t be alarmed – each style of partition has its own unique properties and benefits, all of which we will list in this article. So, if you want to discover the right variety for you, then read on.   Glazed partitioning One of the most popular styles, glazed partitioning makes for a sleek, modern and open office space, offering privacy and discretion without causing employees to feel cut off. Easy to install and highly customisable too, glazed partitioning is a certainly a…

Developing a new design concept for your office might seem a little daunting at first, especially if this is the first refit your office has seen in a long time. However, redeveloping your office should ultimately be an exciting process, particularly given the fact that, these days, office design goes far beyond functionality. It can foster new relationships within your business, increase productivity and even be a useful marketing tool in its own right. So, in light of this, in this article the CPS Interiors team will offer some important points to consider when designing your office, so you can make…

Some businesses don’t need an excuse to refurbish their office. In fact, for some, staying up to date is integral to their everyday operations. Others, however, may need a little nudge in the right direction to get up to speed. Regardless of which camp your business falls into, it’s always worth being aware of some of the key warning signs that your office could do with a lift. So, this month, the CPS Interiors team will be highlighting some of these telltale signs, ensuring you’re aware if and when they crop up in your office.   1) Your office doesn’t look…

Biophilic design integrates nature and natural elements into the architecture and interiors of our built environment. We need nature in a fundamental way, but over the past 250 years we have designed our cities and interior spaces to not only damage the environment, but alienate us from nature. In an increasingly urbanised world, with cities that are looking more and more ominously like scenes out of Blade Runner, biophilic design has never been more important. The term ‘biophilia’ means ‘love of life or living systems’, and even if we don’t necessarily think we as individuals appreciate nature, our environment actually has…

Mental health is something that we’re still getting to grips with as a society, so it’s unsurprising that office design which accommodates for mental health problems may take a little longer to follow suit. That said, with the war for talent on the rise, millennials choosing happiness over money, and creativity and energy being at a premium in the work arena, companies are starting to take these things into account when considering their office layout. Recently, there has been a great deal of academic development relating to wellbeing in the workplace, much of which has informed and inspired some of the…

  Meeting spaces, particularly in companies where creativity is the greatest currency, are where new products and services are conceived, course-altering decisions are made and a company’s culture is fashioned. That said, many companies still put little stock in there meeting spaces, opting for bland fit outs and colour schemes that lack the ability to truly inspire the employees which use them. At CPS Interiors, we understand that the best meeting spaces foster collaboration and creativity which is why, this month, we’ll be providing some useful redesign tips to maximise your meeting spaces.   Keep pace with technology These days, technology…

In this day and age, we all know that a sedentary lifestyle should be avoided at all costs. We are constantly encouraged to exercise for extended periods of time a day, be that before, after, or even on the way to work, but how is this possible when many professionals spend eight hours a day in an office sat at a desk? Well, there might just be an answer: the standing desk. Companies around the world from Google to Microsoft have been investing heavily in these revolutionary work stations, but do they really improve health and productivity? In this article, we…