Touch down areas – what are they and why are they useful to your business

Touchdown areas, also referred to as touchdown spaces, are flexible, informal workspaces designed for short, focused tasks that usually last no longer than a couple of hours. These spaces are ideal for quick team discussions, one-to-one meetings, interviews or client visits, serving as convenient spots for employees and visitors.

Typically located near office entrances, meeting rooms, or utilities, touchdown spaces offer a place to relax, plug in a laptop, check emails, or complete small tasks. Unlike hot-desking, which often requires reservations and longer usage, touchdown spaces are more spontaneous, offering a quick “plug-and-play” setup, making them ideal for flexible, modern workplaces. These areas can be designed in various forms, including open lounge areas, standing desks, private booths, and collaborative zones.

Incorporating touchdown areas into your office design can bring numerous advantages, significantly transforming the work environment whilst also boosting aspects such as productivity, employee satisfaction, space optimisation, workspace management and collaboration.

Around 83% of UK companies have introduced some form of hybrid working, with touchdown spaces becoming essential to a productive working environment. Touchdown spaces significantly enhance employee efficiency by providing a variety of environments tailored to different tasks and working styles. These diverse spaces allow employees to choose settings that best suit their immediate needs or tasks for that specific day. For example if someone is wanting to do some brainstorming with a few colleagues, they might require a different environment to someone scheduled in for a one-to-one meeting.

Touchdown areas are designed to foster collaboration and spontaneous interactions, both of which are key drivers of innovation and problem-solving. These spaces typically feature collaborative hubs, comfortable seating, and open-plan layouts, making it easy for employees to connect and engage informally.

Flexible workstations reduce the need for permanent office spaces, allowing companies to optimise their real estate usage and potentially downsize their office footprint. This flexibility can result in considerable cost savings on rent, utilities, and office maintenance.

Providing a variety of environments can massively help with employee well-being as it offers a space away from a stagnant desk and four walls. Employees can choose where they work based on their mental state or needs, whether they need a quiet environment to focus, or a more social space to re-energise, employees will have different needs throuhgout the day.

Due to touch points being on a smaller scale, there is a chance for you to utilise all the space that you acquire. By implementing well-thought-out areas, you can ensure that every area serves a specific purpose and can adapt to the needs of a flexible workplace.

The hustle and bustle of a busy workplace can be a great motivator, however, if staff are beginning to feel overwhelmed and overworked, it might be time to start designing a touchdown area for them to focus and concentrate. This will free up space in other working areas, providing people with a comfortable and spacious placesto get their work done, without the possibility of being distracted.

Whether you have just moved into a new property or are looking for a new lease of life in your current workspace, we offer office design and refurbishment services for cities across the UK. Our specialist teams will work with you to create a space which suits your employees and business needs, adding room to grow as well as productivity, collaboration and comfort.

To arrange an appointment with one of our team, get in touch here or give us a call on 0115 697 1740