When is a portable meeting room suitable for an office?
The need often arises from a very practical situation. Whilst there are enough workstations in an open-plan office, there aren’t enough private rooms for brief meetings, video conferences and periods of focused work.
In such cases, a movable meeting room can be a natural way of adding a new function to the office without the need for a major building project.
This solution is particularly well-suited to a multi-space office where the use of spaces changes throughout the day. The same organisation may need a meeting room for two people in the morning, a video conference room in the afternoon and, later on, a quiet workspace for a visitor.
POD 2 – workspace and meeting room is intended for small meetings and collaboration. For larger groups, one might consider POD 3 meeting room.
A portable meeting room brings flexibility to a changing working environment
The way offices are used often changes more quickly than the buildings themselves. Team sizes vary, workstations are rearranged, and the number of hybrid meetings can increase in a short space of time.
The advantage of a portable solution is that its location does not necessarily have to be permanent. Depending on the product and the site, a modular workspace can be dismantled, moved or repositioned if the intended use of the space changes.
This makes the solution particularly attractive for rented premises and organisations where changes occur regularly.
POD ROLL GLASS takes versatility even further, as it is designed to be moved around within the workplace.
When is a purpose-built meeting room the better choice?
A permanent meeting room has its own advantages. If the room’s location, intended use and size are known well in advance, a built-in solution can be highly effective.
This may be justified, for example, when a space requires a significant amount of integrated AV technology, specialised building services solutions or a large number of users.
A built room can also be designed to integrate very precisely with the rest of the architecture.
However, if the office layout changes at a later date, these changes may require further building work. It is therefore advisable to consider not only current needs but also those a few years down the line when making your choice.
Sound insulation and good acoustics mean different things
When choosing a meeting room, people often discuss acoustics in very general terms. A more detailed analysis helps to make better decisions.
Sound absorption reduces sound reflection from surfaces and can make the acoustic environment inside a space more pleasant.
Sound insulation, on the other hand, relates to how much sound is transmitted from one space to another.
In practical terms, speech privacy refers to how easily an outsider can understand a conversation taking place in a given space.
These characteristics should not be used as synonyms. An acoustically reflective surface does not in itself make a space soundproof, nor does a quiet acoustic environment automatically guarantee privacy of conversation.
If personnel matters, financial matters, customer data or other confidential information are discussed in the meeting room, it is advisable to investigate the room’s soundproofing properties separately.
The number of users alone does not determine the appropriate size
A meeting room should not be sized solely on the basis of the number of chairs.
A one-to-one conversation requires a different setting to a video conference with four people. Workshop sessions, on the other hand, often require more table space and room to move about than a standard meeting.
When planning, it is worth taking into account at least the furniture, the screen, the camera, the viewing distance, the lighting, the ventilation, the electrical connections and access to the room.
Accessibility requirements must also be addressed as part of the overall plan.
When is a portable solution not enough on its own?
If noise in an open-plan office is a problem affecting the entire working environment, adding just one meeting room won’t solve everything.
In that case, it is also worth looking at the layout of workstations, circulation routes, communal areas and the number of sound-absorbing surfaces. It is also a good idea to consider where phone calls, video meetings and group work actually take place.
On the other hand, venues for large meetings and those requiring a great deal of technical equipment may still be better suited to being built as permanent rooms.
The choice does not, therefore, have to be a matter of principle. The key is to choose the solution that best suits your needs.
How to compare options before making a purchase
Start with a few practical questions.
How many people usually use the room? How long do meetings last? Is there a particular need for privacy during discussions? How much technology is used in the room? Is the office layout likely to change in the coming years?
Based on these responses, it is easier to assess whether a portable meeting room or a permanently built room is more suitable for the venue in question.
Come and discover INTO Concept’s solutions To our showroom in Vallila.
