An office job is not simply solitary work in your personal cubicle, isolated from coworkers. Nowadays, as more and more people value collaboration and intimate brainstorming with their colleagues, a space dedicated to huddling up with others is an invaluable part of every office. Small meeting rooms and other spaces big enough for a handful of people are perfect for this purpose.
The so-called huddle rooms have proven their value for close collaboration between coworkers. As a result, they are increasingly popular, especially among many hybrid and remote workers who have come to recognize the benefits of face-to-face communication at the office. A well-functioning office should also provide workers with meeting spaces that allow fully remote team members to attend as well.
Key highlights
- Huddle rooms are small meeting spaces designed for 2-6 people. They are ideal for informal meetings, brainstorming sessions, and collaborative work. Compared to larger, often underutilized conference rooms, huddle rooms enable flexible and efficient use of office space.
- With the rise of hybrid and remote work, huddle rooms have become increasingly popular as they support both in-person and virtual collaboration. They are equipped with the necessary technology for video conferencing and hybrid meetings.
- Huddle rooms are an affordable alternative to expensive office renovations, saving money and optimizing limited office space. Modular and portable office pod designs allow for easy relocation.
- Smart office pods offer advanced soundproofing, connectivity with office booking systems, and real-time usage monitoring, which ensures efficient use of space and resources.
What is a huddle room?
Huddle rooms differ from traditional meeting spaces and conference rooms in that they are designed to accommodate only a handful of people. A huddle room is often large enough for meetings with 2-6 participants. As a result, they diversify the office space and allow companies to use their limited real estate more efficiently.
A huddle space is more than just a small meeting room.
To get the most out of a huddle room, it needs to be equipped with the necessary equipment and technology for hybrid meetings and video conferencing – not to mention the excellent soundproofing qualities the best huddle rooms offer.
Many offices use huddle rooms as an affordable alternative to expensive office reconstruction projects. Huddle rooms save more than just money, as they can be used to optimize limited office space. With a modular and portable design, smart office pods are a great alternative for fixed meeting rooms as they can be relocated inside the office or moved to a new location.
Huddle rooms enable flexible office work
Despite remote work and hybrid meetings being now a staple of modern knowledge work, the basic human need for interaction and close collaboration is still strong. Office workers want the freedom to work flexibly between the home and the office.
This was confirmed by Leesman’s survey data, which showed that office workers prefer doing some tasks specifically at home rather than at the office, including pre-planned meetings as well as creative and focus-intensive work. At the same time, office workers have a growing need for video conferencing capabilities, such as small meeting rooms equipped with high-quality video meeting technology.
Huddle rooms provide a flexible, small space for less formal in-person meetings and video conferencing with remote participants.
Each office should offer enough private spaces for focused work and collaboration with colleagues, both remote and in-person. A huddle room is great for both ad hoc brainstorming sessions and scheduled meetings. A well-built, spacious huddle room is also soundproof and equipped with sufficient lighting and ventilation that enables even longer meetings.
Framery smart office pods and booths offer just the right facilities and technology for hybrid teams in the modern workplace. With advanced soundproofing technology and connectivity with office booking systems, Framery pods make for private, distraction-free huddle spaces that are perfect for ad-hoc one-to-one meetings, video calls, and hybrid meetings.
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Why should every office have a huddle space?
The reign of traditional conference rooms is over. Based on a study conducted in Finland, 78% of meetings today are held between four people or less. Meanwhile, large conference rooms big enough to fit 9-15 people are used only by a few people or just one user at a time. This is far from an effective use of space and office resources.
The mismatch between the number of people in a meeting and the space they occupy creates a challenge that can be solved with good office planning. Offices should provide meeting rooms for larger groups, smaller huddles, and spaces for individual users.
Office renovations to build new meeting rooms are another inefficient use of limited resources and office space. In fact, a study by CBRE Finland found that using office pods instead of constructing new meeting rooms could save the industry over $30 Billion in the USA by 2030.
This is where Framery office pods and huddle rooms show their versatility and usefulness. Framery provides both small one-person office pods, such as the Framery One, as well as larger spaces that are perfect huddle rooms for small groups.
With innovative technological solutions, Framery’s huddle rooms enable both in-person meetings between 4-6 people and hybrid meetings with people attending remotely. This is why they are the perfect alternative to large meeting rooms that eat up space and, in the end, are used only by a few people at a time.
Get the most out of office space with smart technology
Huddle rooms and other flexible workspace arrangements are not a cost-effective alternative to big conference rooms if they remain unused due to insufficient office space design. Office analytics and other smart technologies are becoming more popular and widely used in office work across industries. Use usage data and actionable insights to turn an unused office area into an effective huddle room.
Framery smart pods and the Framery Connect™ help you monitor which office areas are over or underused. With the Framery Connect Sensor™, you can collect data from more than just compatible Framery pods and booths. Access the entire workplace with the Framery App™ to book pods or meeting spaces and check the availability of different rooms in real-time.
Framery Connect™
Huddle up in a Framery office pod
Take your hybrid meetings to a whole new level with the Framery Six. The Framery Six huddle room is equipped with enough room to fit up to six people.
In addition to compact huddle rooms, every office should have smaller spaces for focused work. Such office pods are also perfect for urgent phone calls, remote meetings, and focus-intensive work where no distractions are allowed to break the flow.
The Framery One and Framery One Compact soundproof office pods are perfectly small rooms for private, single-person work. With superior sound insulation, adjustable lighting, and compatibility with the office calendar system, Framery office pods are a great companion to slightly larger huddle rooms.
FAQ about huddle rooms
What is the difference between huddle rooms and traditional conference rooms?
Huddle rooms are small spaces designed for approximately 2-6 people and are ideal for quick, informal meetings, brainstorming, and collaborative work. They typically feature office technology like video conferencing to accommodate in-person and remote participants. In contrast, traditional conference rooms are larger, often accommodating ten or more people for formal meetings, presentations, and strategic discussions. They are equipped with advanced technology, such as projectors and teleconferencing systems, often requiring advance booking. While large conference rooms can fit many people at once, they take up a significant portion of the overall office layout.
How many small meeting rooms should each office have?
The number of smaller office rooms depends on available office space, the number of employees, and the type of work people do at the workplace. For instance, small huddle rooms are ideal for one-on-one meetings and work in small groups. Meanwhile, large conference and meeting rooms are oversized for more intimate collaboration between only a handful of colleagues. Use office analytics to monitor the occupancy of different spaces and optimize the office layout accordingly.
Can small huddle spaces replace large conference rooms?
Although traditional conference rooms are effective for organizing large-scale meetings and events, they can be an inefficient way to use limited office space. A smaller huddle room, on the other hand, is more flexible than a traditional conference room. Providing enough different-sized modular, portable, and soundproof office pods and booths can help companies save notably in office costs compared to constructing fixed meeting rooms.
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