In this week's edition, we're going to discuss how creating cosy areas in your office can affect the atmosphere at work and the experience of your clients. Here are the main points:

You might think that having a breakout area is a luxury, especially if your office is small. However, when you see how much they can enhance the work environment and shape how people see your brand, you may want to consider having one.

Let's dive in!

In a recent project, I redesigned a school staff room to include a modest but intentional breakout space. I took down one wall to open the kitchenette into a small breakout area, then enclosed it with a glass partition.

The breakout space has a wrap-around window seat and a clear purpose: to give teachers a proper place to step away from their desks. Not just to eat, but to reset, recharge, and reconnect.

It sounds simple, but the results were deeply impactful.

It has become a comfortable social space where conversations flow freely, team dynamics are strengthened, and the staff feel that the organisation values their needs and well-being.

Here are some common misconceptions about breakout areas:

Too often, breakout spaces are reduced to seats around a table with a microwave in the corner. This makes the space feel transitional, rather than intentional, especially if it also doubles up as an official meeting space. It doesn't invite people to stay. It lets them eat and go.

Imagine having a meeting with a high-value client in an office that smells like a restaurant. When people eat at their desks, food smells linger, affecting cleanliness and how the space feels.

Over time, it erodes the professional tone of the workplace and how your clients perceive you.

If the office space doesn't support the well-being of its staff, it reflects in their morale and how they treat their workplace and each other.  

When it comes to office design, we tend to prioritise the productive zones and overlook the informal zones where the real human connection happens. Here's how to create an effective breakout space in three steps:

The first step is to identify a space away from the primary work zone. In many offices, staff eat at their desks out of habit or lack of alternatives. It creates distractions throughout the day, spills on the workspace and creates a blur between work and rest.

But a dedicated breakout space with thoughtful design cues such as a counter, round table, and maybe a window seat signals that it's okay to pause and refresh.

And this space is meant for that. It doesn't have to be big; it needs to be intentional and purposeful.

In the school staffroom I referenced earlier, we carved out a space next to the kitchenette. We included a wrap-around window seat with tables and some high stools on the counter we created by knocking out one wall.

We secluded the space with a glass partition, giving the main workspace some privacy from the chatter and food smells from the kitchenette and breakout area.

As soon as the staffroom was opened for work, the teachers instinctively began using the breakout space as intended. No policy was needed - just intentional design doing its quiet work.

The next step is to ensure your breakout area feels pleasant on a sensory level.

What does that mean?

The smells, sounds, textures, and light matter as much as the furniture.

Before we designed the new staffroom with a kitchenette and breakout area, the teachers used to have their meals in a meeting room. This left lingering food smells that would distract the people using the meeting room after lunch.

But now they get a well-ventilated area for their meals, a functioning kitchenette to quickly clean and store the dishes, keeping the space clean.

The cushioned window seat, a potted plant, and window blinds make it comfortable for socialising. Think of a cosy cafe corner and less a cafeteria.

The final step is to ensure that the space sends the right message to your staff. Oftentimes, people create communal areas as an afterthought. It leaves the staff feeling like their well-being is not part of the corporate picture.

So when you create a breakout area, invest a little attention and design care. It tells your staff that you value their off time as much as their output. You do not need to overhaul your current layout, just zone out a small area and make it look and feel like them.

In my project, I involved them in the design process so that they would own the final product. Simple details like phone charging sockets, a TV, a coffee machine and a small fridge made a huge difference in how they feel about the space.

Office breakout spaces are often understated, but they have a significant impact on workplace culture and professionalism. Here's what we covered:

A well-placed space with visual and functional boundaries encourages healthier routines without needing to enforce them.

When you design spaces with intention, it attracts people to use them respectfully.

When your team feels taken care of, they take better care of the space and each other.

Wondering how design decisions shape your space?

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