The Way We Work: Activity-based Spaces

TMP is settling into our office at McEwen Northside in the heart of Cool Springs in Franklin, Tennessee. 

One of the most exciting parts about this new home is not only did we design several buildings in the development, but our office itself, too. We researched, surveyed staff, and talked through lots of iterations of what we wanted as a company. We came up with five categories that drove the design based off our mission and values, as well as how office culture has changed over the last several years.

Follow along as we dive into each one in a series of articles, starting with activity-based workspaces.

Different Spots for Different Tasks

Picture this: you start your workday in a spacious café area, sipping coffee and catching up on emails. You head to your dedicated workspace, knocking out your to-do list before a collaborative team meeting in one of the huddle spaces. Another meeting is scheduled in the afternoon, but it’s virtual. You pop into an individual room so as not to disturb your neighbors. Afterward, you commit to an hour of focused work in the Speakeasy before heading home for the day.

When designing our space, we wanted diverse work zones that cater to different styles and tasks. You never know what the day will hold, so a healthy mix of individual and collaborative spaces was key. 

Each employee has a dedicated workstation within an open office environment that is theirs to claim and personalize. We added team rooms, designed for shared tasks and sessions where dynamic ideas come to life using tools like whiteboards, touchscreens, and more. These rooms are meant to serve impromptu meetings or act as multi-day project war rooms that can be used by any team on a first-come, first-served basis. The corners of the office are outfitted with lower-technology huddle rooms. This design decision is reflective of our culture — we don’t have a hierarchy where one person gets the “corner office.” These rooms are available to all employees and have a softer vibe with casual, lounge-like furniture.

Three main conference rooms with high-end finishes and interesting details offer elevated spots for larger or more formal meetings, educational opportunities, and discussions.

Throughout our employee surveys, we heard loud and clear that people wanted more spaces for quiet, heads-down concentration (no pun intended). Noise level is often a top complaint in office environments. Although our main workspace is open, we deliberately separated employee desks into three different pods, broken up by other rooms and elements. A solid layout is the first step in naturally mitigating noise.

Our new office includes individual phone rooms, a wellness room, and most notably, a deep-focus space we dubbed “The Speakeasy.” Featuring comfortable furniture, specific acoustics for noise cancellation, and a no-interruptions policy, this space is specially designed for employees who need dedicated focus time.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we also included “The Maker Space.” This open area encourages collaboration and creativity — giving people the green light to get a bit gritty. It houses our 3D printer and other technologies that support design innovation, and sits opposite the interior design library with easy access to materials.

Everyone agreed: the layout and design of the office needed to support our most important resource — our people — in the best way possible. Providing our team with a variety of workspaces is one way we’re accomplishing that goal. In today’s office environment, we don’t see this as a nice-to-have, but a must-have.