If your office is starting to look tired and dated, it is time to give it an overhaul and breathe some life back into the workplace.
One of the best ways to totally transform the office is by installing banded glass partitions, which not only provide separate areas for meeting rooms and quiet work zones, but also add a stylish interior design to the overall look.
To find out more about banded glass partitions and what they can be used for, read on.
What are banded glass partitions?
Most people who have been to a contemporary office building will have seen glass partitions throughout the layout. These are used to divide the open-plan floor into distinct areas, such as conference rooms, private offices and chill-out spaces.
The advantage of having these separate places is that workers can discuss certain matters in private, hold meetings without disturbing the rest of the office, or have some space to gather their thoughts away from the hustle and bustle of office life.
At the same time, thanks to their glass walls, there is a level of transparency within the office floor. Therefore, people can still see what is going on in the rooms, raising the level of trust and honesty among colleagues.
It also helps to increase the amount of daylight throughout the building, as sunlight from the windows is allowed to spread throughout the floor, instead of being blocked by solid walls.
This makes for a much lighter and brighter space, which can do wonders for boosting morale among workers, as well as increasing their productivity and mental health.
Nobody wants to work somewhere that is dark and gloomy, and having solid walls to divide private work spaces could result in employees not having any natural light during their working day, which can have a big impact on their mood, workplace enjoyment, and efficiency.
While glass partitions have been popular for a few years now, the new trend is for banded glass walls.
This uses an aluminium framework around the perimeter of the wall, as well as bars that intersect the glass. These UPVC bars give the appearance of symmetrical squares or rectangles within the glass, and lend themselves to an Art Deco style of interior design.
Therefore, it is becoming extremely popular in old industrial buildings that already have exposed brickwork, pipes, timber beams and wooden floors.
At the same time, it is being seen more and more in contemporary offices, where the focus is as much on stylish design as it is on the functionality of the layout.
What are the different types of banded glass partitions?
Businesses that want to install glass partitions with UPVC bands on are still able to benefit from a huge choice of styles.
They could get single-glazed, double-glazed, acoustic glass and ones with integrated glass doors.
What’s more, different styles and colours are available, allowing companies to choose a design that fits in with the rest of the office and their overall branding.
There is also the option of different door options, including full-height ones or standard-height ones. Of course, there is also a wide range of handles and locks that can add character to the glass wall.
For those who want acoustic benefits when it comes to their glass partitions, it is wise to opt for a framed glass door that has a seal at the bottom, as this helps to keep as much noise out as possible.
How are banded glass partitions fitted?
Banded glass partitions are installed in much the same way as non-banded ones are, as a large pane of glass. After it is in place, the bars are assembled on to the glass to provide the grid framework and give the industrial-style look.
Therefore, the grid patterns can also be modified, enabling businesses to change the design in the future should they wish to.
This means companies do not have to stick with the original design and can alter it in the future if trends change again.
Frosted or clear glass?
Something else to consider when installing banded glass partitions is whether to opt for frosted or clear glass.
There are many advantages of having opaque glass walls, as they provide more privacy to the segregated spaces.
Therefore, if confidential meetings are often being held in the workplace, it may be worth having somewhere that others cannot see into.
Some businesses might also hold client appointments in these rooms and do not want distractions from the wider office to disturb the meetings. Therefore, it would not be advantageous to have totally clear walls.
However, other companies might prefer having see-through glass partitions, as opposed to frosted walls. They may wish to have a completely open and honest policy in the workplace, wanting to hide nothing from other employees, in which case having meeting rooms that can be seen at all times helps them achieve this.
They might also want their clients to be able to see the everyday workings of their office environment, in which case they do not want to shield their view by having frosting on the glass walls.
Another benefit of having clear glass is that it gives the office a much lighter, open-plan feel to it.
This even came up as the most important feature of a working environment in a recent poll. According to Interface’s Human Spaces research, 44 per cent of employees preferred to have natural light above anything else in their office.
In addition to this, there are many advantages of having more natural light in the workplace, including helping workers improve their sleep patterns, decreasing the number of days taken off sick, boosting happiness at work, enhancing creativity, raising sales, bolstering engagement, and lowering energy costs.
A brighter office is also visually appealing, so if businesses want to attract new clients or members of staff, installing clear banded glass partitions could be the way to go.
