The Building Blocks by Steelcase

Workplace Building Blocks are six key aspects of the work environment that must be considered to create a fully integrated, high-performance space.

Building Blocks are part of Steelcase's user-centered research—they're a clear and easy way to help our customers recognize the link between the workplace and their workers' abilities to be highly effective. Following is an overview of each Building Block. B&OI uses these concepts to create spaces that better support your business goals.

1. Manage the Workplace Strategically

High-performance work environments require the ability to plan and manage all aspects of space within a budget that fits the business objectives and culture of the organization (efficiency and effectiveness).

2. Balance Privacy

Provide workers with the level of privacy required to get their job done as efficiently as possible while negotiating the range of privacy that's reasonably available.

3. Make work Visible

Visual display (moving work from the horizontal to the vertical plane) is key to helping people share their learnings with others, communicate their thoughts and ideas more effectively, and transfer knowledge.

4. Manage Connections

Knowledge needs to transfer between people through connections—both electronic and human. Networked and paper-based information, as well as other people must be easily accessible, information. A well-designed space should also facilitate the exchange of this information.

5. Support Diverse Workstyles

Support what people do, how and where they do it. Depending on user needs, the space should support processing or pre-defined work, or work that is unpredictable with no obvious pattern.

6. Offer inspiring spaces

High-performing people need to relieve stress, rejuvenate and re-energize at work—through quiet and respite, or stimulation—exercise and play. Inspirational spaces can help heighten people's senses, their awareness— and their mental processes.