One year after moving into its new space, United Way of Greater Atlanta has seen a substantial improvement in employee satisfaction, inter-office communication and work efficiency. A recent employee post-occupancy survey demonstrates the positive impact the space has had on office culture, collaboration and productivity. Most notably:

Nearly 75 percent of employees report the new space being more conducive for increased face-to-face communications.

More than 50 percent of employees feel they work more effectively and creatively in the updated office.

There was a 15 percent decrease in sick leave compared to the previous year.

The new space is a complete 360 from United Way’s former space lit by fluorescent lighting and lined with high-rise cubicles from the 1970s. Brilliantly designed by tvsdesign, United Way’s new office creates a friendly, open environment filled with natural light.

The office features a variety of work environments, including focus booths for individual work, huddle rooms for collaborative informal spaces, formal conference rooms and a work café for social engagements. In addition, the offices are in-board, minimizing hierarchy and making windows accessible to all. Skylights bring additional daylight into the office. To promote healthy habits, there are sit-stand desks and a staircase connecting all three floors.

According to Forbes, millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers in the workplace and by 2025 three out of four workers will be millennials. With the drastically changing workforce, work styles and culture of millennials are taking over the pre-established structure of the Baby Boomer workplace. The tech-savvy, creative, highly connected generation work better in open, social environments, like coffee houses and lounge areas, and prefer mobile workstations to the traditional cubicle.

“United Way’s space is a prime example of how a workplace that supports employee interaction and wellness can help improve productivity and creativity. We partnered with United Way to create an innovative, inclusive environment that would inspire their staff to do their best work by enhancing their organization’s culture,” says tvsdesign’s Kate Bachelder. “Designing a workplace for a nonprofit meant we were vigilant about maximizing efficiency. Everything in the building was designed with a purpose – from the central, open staircase with adjacent collaboration zones serving as a connector, to the skylights that allow for natural lighting throughout."

Employees have enjoyed the new collaborative working space, agreeing that the area creates more face-to-face communication, facilitates more dialogue among different departments and sparks more hallway conversations which leads to creative thinking. A majority of staff also report the space creates a more effective work environment than before.

“We couldn’t be happier about the incredible results our new space has already given us. Just this year we have seen our sick-leave down 15 percent compared to the year before,” said Milton J. Little, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Atlanta. “This environment creates a stronger and healthier setting for our organization to do our best work in building a stronger and healthier community for our children.”

United Way and tvsdesign are continuing their collaboration as they are in the initial planning stages for United Way’s Gifts in Kind (GIK) warehouse on the Westside Beltline. The warehouse, which is being redesigned by tvsdesign pro bono, accepts donations in bulk from corporations in the Atlanta area and are allocated out by United Way to struggling communities and families on a need-be basis.