Boss Design
Launched at London Design Week 2016, the new Workspace Pod by Boss Design London would look at home in any modern, agile working space. The pods use Helvar lighting control technology to create the ultimate working environment that can adapt to the unique needs of any individual.
Workspace pods were initially designed as flexible structures that are easy to construct and offer a cost effective, energy efficient option to employers.
Now, Boss Design has created a new generation of workspace pods, focusing on to how a workspace pod can allow their occupants to work at their best whilst creating the very best user experience. The entire environment has been considered to make the optimum setting for the user’s health, mood and happiness
The Boss Design workspace pod comes with hidden surprises. As you enter, the light automatically comes on. This is particularly useful if you are carrying files or a laptop as you don’t need to juggle them around to turn on a light switch.
Once inside, staff can adjust the temperature to a level that is comfortable for them and adjust the lighting to support your natural circadian rhythm. Whether you need a cool blue white light to help you concentrate on a project, or a warmer yellow white to allow you to relax when feeling stressed, it can be achieved thanks to Helvar’s Select the Weather (StW) lighting control solution.
StW carefully simulates different scenes of the natural outdoor lit environment by changing the colour temperature and intensity of the lighting according to personalised requirements. This can offer the health and productivity benefits of human centric lighting in an uncomplicated format and customised to the person using the pod.
“We began to explore lighting in 2015,” explains Claire Williams, Product Specialist at Boss Design. “We realised that we need to create a unique solution. Many office designers were working with the pod concept, and we needed OFFICE All images are supplied by Boss Design something to set us apart. With employee welfare fast becoming a greater focus within the workplace we started to look at the design of the pod from the inside out. What would the user want? Control of their environment. Therefore we have provided temperature controls, different lighting scenes and better acoustics.”
By giving staff a choice over their environment, employers can provide a level of control that would not be available in a traditional office format.
StW provides four pre-programmed scenes to choose from. The names of the scenes are easy for any user to understand and adjust the lighting to suit their needs. The four scenes are: Calm Down, which uses a warm colour temperature and 80% light output; Energise, which is cooler and has 100% light output; Concentrate, which has a more intermediate colour and 50% output; and Stay Alert, normal daily working with 90% light output.
“The lighting was a driving factor in the development of these micro environments,” continued Claire. “The Helvar control is easy for anyone to use, even if they have never used the pods before. I even use the pods myself when I need to concentrate.”
In a workplace environment, human centric lighting solutions such as StW can improve concentration, boost alertness, and positively impact on wellbeing. Through careful control of the luminance levels and colour temperature, it is possible to create an environment that is conducive to working, by making the atmosphere calmer, more energetic or easier to concentrate in. During winter, artificial light can help staff keep a stable circadian rhythm to help counteract a reduction in natural light.
“We have been lucky enough to sell this solution as far afield as New Zealand. It’s great to see that many countries around the world are adapting this new way of working – agile, flexible and completely user oriented,” concludes Claire.