How to Design a Stunning Conference Room for Every Type of Meeting

In the post-pandemic era, the importance of corporate conference rooms is surging. With more employees returning to the office, meeting spaces are becoming key areas for collaboration, creative thinking, and team engagement.

In an open-concept world, the conference room stands as one of the last bastions of private and productive workspaces. That’s why the interior design of the conference room needs to be up to par. Studies show that redesigning the conference room can increase the usage of that room by more than 200%.

When designing a conference room, first consider the who and how: what sort of meetings will this space hold, and who is the room appropriate for?

Whether it’s a casual huddle area or formal boardroom, we’ve put together some of our top insights to create a beautiful and purposeful conference room.

Make your team’s meeting room flexible for different kinds of work

Eighty-five percent of meetings had fewer than seven attendees, according to a 2020 study, so one of the most functional rooms is the “team room.” This is a great space for small teams to whiteboard, strategize, and catch up on the day’s deliverables.

Adaptability is a must in these spaces, so by investing in the right furniture, you’re investing in your employees’ productivity. Wheel-supports, modular tables, and wall partitions can help make the space more flexible, depending on the size of the team using it.

It might seem tempting to fill your team room with inspirational quotes or wall art, but we find that it’s important to keep some wall space vacant to allow for functional design items. These can include whiteboards for brainstorming or televisions for videoconferencing.

Employees shouldn’t have to go cross-eyed trying to read off a projector screen that casts a blinding glare or is drowned out by sunlight, so choose versatile and customizable lighting. Tools like dimmable controls and blackout curtains allow you to adjust the light levels, therefore reducing eye strain.

Design a huddle space that’s cozy but not stuffy

Huddle spaces are great alternatives to team rooms. They’re generally a smaller, enclosed area where staff can have huddles, take phone calls, and conduct one-on-ones without interruption.

Some rooms will be outfitted with sofas and reclining chairs, while others will look like a sized-down version of the typical team room. Either way, breakout rooms offer employees the much-needed opportunity to be productive away from their desks.

Making a huddle space cozy without feeling stuffy is a common challenge when working with a small room, and this is where glass can be your saving grace. Offices are looking to the glass wall design in large part due to their favourable effect on workplace culture.

When employees can work behind a glass wall, the company itself feels less isolated and more visible. A study from Allegion purports that glass walls boost communication between employees because they feel like they are in a larger room, rather than being siphoned off in cubicles. From a design perspective, glass also has the benefit of transmitting natural light from window-adjacent rooms, which studies show can improve employees’ sleep and quality of life.

Make your boardroom shine with sleek finishes and bold accents

When you think of a “meeting room,” the most likely image would be the classic boardroom. This is where high-stakes decisions are made, and pivotal debates are thrashed out. It’s also a place that can leave a lasting impression on employees and clients, so the boardroom is your company’s chance to make a statement.

Though aesthetic preferences will vary from company to company, most desire a boardroom that emanates professionalism and style, and small touches can go a long way. Wood accents, metallic finishes, and glass-top or marble tables all carry a sumptuous and polished aesthetic that will truly wow any visitor. The conference table is the centrepiece of the room and the obvious place to bring these accents to life.

The ceiling is also an indispensable yet oft-forgotten space in the conference room. Organic accents, paired with eye-catching colours and creative light fixtures, can breathe life into what is often the drab, white surface hanging over a room.

Prioritize sound management in your office’s learning space

The concept of constantly upskilling is becoming more prevalent in office culture. Research reveals that workplace learning can improve retention and boost company morale, so many companies are looking toward dedicated learning spaces within their offices. These spaces can serve as a training room for new staff, a place to hold seminars or presentations, or an area that supports employee education.

Many workspace learning rooms use a classroom setup, with several tables or desks lined up facing the front of the room. Others include an empty rectangle or a horseshoe design to allow for more collaboration.

For a dedicated learning space, sound isolation is key to ensuring that any noise from the presentation room does not permeate and distract the rest of the office. Softer textures, such as fabrics, can also help with acoustics by isolating sound and stopping private conversations from being heard outside. Glazed glass office walls and retractable partitions are alternative and effective ways to manage sound while keeping the room sleek and sophisticated.

Design a meeting room that is practical and purposeful

Though meeting spaces will vary wildly in their appearance and function, all of these rooms should reflect the goals and values of your company. Your meeting environments should exist to be practical and purposeful, and most importantly, they should be places where employees can do some of their best work.

Considering a refresh of your conference room? Get in touch with 34F Design for your next corporate design project.