Elegant interior office design finds the balance between creating a welcoming atmosphere while adhering to the inherent productivity needs and confines of a commercial setting. Maximizing the usable space in a workplace and its occupant's comfort has long been an interior design challenge. A popular design solution that started over a hundred years ago is the use of corporate partition wall design.

 

It's hard to ignore the inherent value of the humble corporate partition wall. They provide workers with personal space, a refuge from unnecessary interactions with colleagues, and access to task-oriented essentials.

 

However, partition walls, cubicles and room dividers aren't without limitations. They often decrease daylighting levels, encourage sound transmission, and are comprised of unsustainable materials. They are increasingly unable to meet the needs of today's modern professionals who seek more from their interior office spaces.

 

Glass brick is a befitting solution to upgrade a modern corporate partition panel design. They can work towards guiding interior office design towards greater function and relevance. This article invites you to explore the advantages and benefits of using glass brick for business and commercial design projects.

 

1. Increase Daylighting Levels with Glass Brick 

Daylighting is central to the optimization of a workplace's function and decor. Partitions made from glass brick provide office interiors with a greater distribution of incoming daylight. Instilling the benefits of maximum access to sunlight in a corporate setting is numerous. Some of these proven advantages include:

 

• Increased productivity
• Improved mood and morale
• Better health and wellbeing of workers

 

Glass brick is an ideal material for creating better access to daylighting in a corporate setting. It has an impressive Visible Light Transmission (VLT) value that allows natural light to pass through without sacrificing a partition wall's privacy characteristics. 

 

When used in conjunction with elegant design, office partitions with glass brick can increase the benefits of daylighting and natural energy to a workplace.

 

2. Reduce Sound Transmission

Noise pollution in the workplace can be highly problematic and can make a business setting feel unbearable. Multiple studies have shown noise pollution negatively impacts the health and wellbeing of those exposed to excessive noise levels. Additionally, those factors naturally reduce the quality of work being produced. 

 

Noise pollution in a corporate setting is often attributed to colleagues talking, humming air conditioning units, falling footsteps, miscellaneous ringtones, as well as traffic and construction sounds. Wall partitions made from material with sound dampening properties are effective for combating noise pollution in the workplace.

 

Glass brick, such as the Vetropieno® series from Seves Glass Block, is an elegant, luxurious material that's highly effective in reducing the transmission of sounds. When used in the design of a corporate wall partition, glass brick can vastly reduce the impact of noise pollution in the workplace.

 

For more robust applications, the Vistabrik® collection of solid glass block is an ideal choice for limiting office noise pollution and has an impressive Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC) of 53.

 

3. Build Fire Resistant Corporate Partition Walls

Fire resistant partition walls may reduce the risks and impacts of fire in an office setting. This could significantly reduce the harm caused each year by fires in businesses. On average, firefighters in the US respond to over 3000 structural office fires annually. Companies spend over $112 million in fire damages every year. This is in addition to physical injuries sustained by fire victims and responding emergency crews.

 

Glass brick has impressive fire resistant properties. With a certified 90-minute fire rating, glass brick provides designers with the advantage of increasing the corporate space's resistance to fire damage. Solid Glass Brick is certified to UL-9 and NFPA 257 standards and is suitable for use in 45-, 60- or 90-minute rated window assemblies, in addition to interior applications.

 

Coming in Fall 2021: ASTM E-119 wall-rated products with 120-minute fire rating.

 

 

4. Lower Energy Consumption

Inefficient power consumption in the office can cut deep into a business's bottom line and contribute to climate change. There are some well-known interior design options that aid in lowering an office's power consumption, such as turning lights off, controlling heating and cooling usage, or employing energy-efficient devices.

 

However, there are a few extra steps employers and project managers can take to lower energy consumption in an office space. Some of these options include:

 

• Use carpeted flooring where feasible.
• Design for enhanced daylighting levels.
• Add indoor plants.
• Use energy efficient building materials.
• Seves® High Tech Options, such as the Energy Saving, Solar Reflecting, and Frosted finished glass block can assist in lowering energy consumption.

 

When integrating corporate partition walls in an office design plan, consider using glass brick to capitalize on its natural thermal insulating properties.

 

5.Create Privacy in Open Concept Offices

Interior office designers understand the importance of creating useful options for enabling personal privacy in the workplace. This is an essential element of a thoughtfully designed corporate workspace. 

 

With many modern offices evolving towards open concept plans in recent years, designers are tasked with finding innovative ways that afford workers a sense of privacy without compromising the open-concept design feel and aesthetic. This is why glass brick should be considered when designing for a business or corporate office space.

 

Glass brick is a stunning material that can be instrumental in defining individual workspaces separate from common areas - without interrupting the flow of an open office floor plan. Used in fashion houses and business spaces for its sleek, sophisticated aesthetic, glass brick is an optimal element for adding richness to a functional commercial layout.

 

Consult Seves Glass Block for Interior Office Design

Visit the Seves Glass Block website and discover new and current architectural elements for interior office design, construction projects, and much more. Be sure to download the 2021 North American design guide and explore the versatility and beauty of today's glass block.