How Your Office Design Shapes Your Work Life

Our office environments affect how we think and feel, and profoundly influence our work. 

According to a Fellowes report, most (87%) workers want their current employer to offer healthier workspaces, referencing wellness rooms, company fitness benefits, sit-stands, and ergonomic seating. Within the highly dynamic tech industry, where workers can switch jobs every two years, 93 percent of workers said they would stay longer if their company offered great workspaces.

We know a little something about how great design enhances productivity. CANOPY‘s cofounding designers, Amir Mortazavi (Studio Mortazavi) and Forbes’ “Most Influential Industrial Designer in the World” Yves Béhar (fuseproject), created our luxurious, design-forward workspaces to emphasize creativity, collaboration, and sustainability.

You deserve a workspace you’ll be excited to commute to. Here’s what to look for. 

Spaces That Minimize Distractions

As open-plan spaces replaced cubicles, we gained a more hive-like collaborative vibe but sacrificed room for deep focus work. Surveys have consistently found that noise, distractions, and a lack of personal space are pain points among workers who feel less productive. 

Even hot desks offer privacy and access to quiet corners at the best coworking spaces. CANOPY’s floor plans for communal and dedicated desk spaces have been thoughtfully designed to minimize foot traffic and are never oversubscribed, by design. We also offer soundproofed, glass-enclosed private offices for 1 to 40 people where you’ll enjoy cloistered quiet while feeling part of the community. 

Efficient Ergonomic Furniture

Sitting all day–a necessary element of knowledge work–can tax our bodies and energy levels. Sit-stand desks are an excellent hack for avoiding the slump, and ergonomic chairs are a must. Herman Miller is the gold standard for both and the choice of premium coworking spaces, with chairs and tables ranked top of the line by Wirecutter, Wired, and Architectural Digest. 

CANOPY cofounder Yves Behar has designed workstations and chairs for Herman Miller for over a decade. His Sayl chair—offered in every CANOPY location—features an unframed, suspension bridge-inspired 3D Intelligent suspension back to offer form-fitting support without hampering your ability to stretch and move when seated. 

Yves’ modular Public Office Landscape system can be configured into personal, group, and circulation desks. It enables workers to switch fluidly between deep-focus individual work and spontaneous conversations, meetings, and teamwork, helping ideas flow more quickly. Desks at CANOPY locations are Herman Miller or custom-made communal tables, with sit-stand options offered in CANOPY Private Offices.

Lounge And Breakout Areas

Workspaces have become more casual. As we’ve moved towards hybrid and more flexible office structures, we are less likely to maintain dedicated desks and instead transition through various environments throughout the day. We want to work collaboratively at a communal table, take calls in secluded nooks, and present in meeting rooms in one spot. 

Carefully designed lounge areas and food service options are also essential components of a well-rounded experiential office environment designed to last and be a pleasure to work in. Look for a workspace with coffee bar or kitchen amenities, and secluded, inviting informal areas.

Every CANOPY location offers cozy lounge areas with sofas and seating where you can take a break with coworkers or meet with partners and clients. We also offer shared kitchen amenities stocked with beverages and snacks, and our Jackson Square location has a dedicated barista-staffed coffee bar. 

Biophilic Design

A workspace that mimics a natural environment by incorporating elements like vegetation, colors that are neutral or inspired by nature, and views of landscapes can enhance well-being and improve productivity. Bringing the outdoors in isn’t always possible in every commercial space setting, but good biophilic design can enhance workers’ sense of connection to nature.

Every CANOPY location features marble and solid wood materials, plants, and a color palette that references surrounding urban fabric and natural landscapes. Pinks and greens at Jackson Square nod to the copper patina of the century-old emerald green roof of Francis Ford Coppola’s Sentinel building across the street and the soft blush of City Lights Bookstore, one block over. 

Menlo Park‘s color palette is informed by grasslands dotted with oak trees around the Stanford Dish and the green and brown foliage of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Clay tiles and terracotta tones reference the roofs and patterned stone walls of Stanford University’s main quadrangle, while sisal rugs in offices below coffered ceilings in concrete, terracotta, and wicker further the organic feel of the environment. 

Abundant, natural light

When looking at prospective offices, natural light is a must. Outdoor access adds massive value. A study by HR advisory firm Future Workplace, reported in Harvard Business Review, found that access to natural light and views of the outdoors are the most sought-after perk of the workplace environment, outranking onsite cafeterias, fitness centers, and childcare. Conversely, a lack of light can be hugely detrimental to productivity—almost half of respondents said the absence of natural light made them feel tired or gloomy.

Natural light floods every CANOPY location. Skylights dot larger communal spaces, and most private offices have operable windows. At Jackson Square, both floors have expansive wraparound outdoor terraces with dramatic views of the nearby Transamerica Building and city skyline. Menlo Park’s spaces are framed by outdoor patios; some Private Offices have private access to outdoor space.

Soundproofed Conference Space And Phone Booths

Soundproofed meeting rooms are essential for minimizing distractions in communal spaces. They’re also a non-negotiable for maintaining privacy and secrecy for workers and teams pitching world-changing ideas to investors, collaborators, and customers. Enclosed phone booths where you can take calls without booking dedicated conference spaces are also a boon.

CANOPY offers both. Each location includes conference and board room space for up to 10 people, plus phone cubicles that can be reserved or used ad hoc. Every Membership category includes conference room credits. 

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CANOPY operates four locations in the San Francisco Bay Area’s most desirable neighborhoods. Book a tour today to experience game-changing workspace design, first-hand.