Smart Conference Room Design: Bringing The Best Out Of Your Meeting Spaces

There’s a moment just as you walk into your favorite restaurant when you breathe easier and feel relaxed. The look and feel of the room activate your response as much as the memories you have. Now, have you ever felt that way about a conference room? Of course not. That’s for two reasons: first, most conference rooms can play host to a range of stressful and anxiety-inducing activities, second, they probably aren’t designed to stimulate feelings of peace, creativity, and confidence. You can’t control the content of the meetings, but you can do a lot of things to create an optimal environment when planning your conference room design.

Video equipment is no longer a luxury feature in a conference room. The prevalence of teams working remotely means that even when your office is fully staffed there will likely be offsite employees who need to see and be seen. As you consider floor plans and divide the space for each meeting room consider what type of camera and screen will perform best for video conferencing. Ideally, you should install the same equipment or at least equipment from the same manufacturer in each room. This keeps things simpler for everyone and prevents the dreaded “who knows how to work this thing?” conversation that happens with unfamiliar devices.

Poor acoustics can be a perpetual source of frustration. It’s worth consulting with someone who specializes in designing room acoustics. This isn’t just about the type of speakerphone or surround sound system you use. It’s about the interplay of room size, angles, surface treatment, and a host of factors that can enhance sound dynamics for everyone.

Do you love duct-taped cables on the floor? No one does. It’s a classic signal that the layout of the room was an afterthought. While you may not be able to hide every cord and cable, you can ensure that the room has sufficient power and connectivity for the tech that people will be using in it. You can also plan the furniture and layout to accommodate wiring in a discreet way.

As you add new technology systems to a conference room, you raise the complexity and increase the chances that people will abandon the room altogether because “nothing works.” Installing an intuitive automation system for lighting, and audio/visual gear can make everyone’s life easier. 

Why run the risk of double-booking conference rooms when you can deploy a reservation solution that integrates with everyone’s email/calendar software? This becomes even more effective when it connects with a digital placard on the door, clarifying if the room is occupied, by whom, and for how long.

When designing a meeting or conference room you should think of it as space where collaboration happens. The design choices you make will constrain that process no matter what unless you plan on building the holodeck from Star Trek. It’s a good idea to have conference rooms of varying sizes and layouts. This allows people to gravitate towards the configuration that serves their immediate needs. 

It’s also good to consider if the meeting room will be used primarily by employees or guests. Do you need separate rooms for both? Do you need increased security or different signage to accommodate guests? You should also estimate how many people the room can hold comfortably. What’s the average size of a meeting for the company that’s going to use the space? The goal is to create modern conference room solutions that can serve a range of needs. It’s good to have some rooms that work for 1-on-1 meetings and others where you can gather entire departments or teams.

A well-designed conference room sets the tone for the work that will happen inside it. You should consult with an interior designer or someone who specializes in creating amazing conference rooms. The colors, fabrics, materials, furniture, lighting, and tools you select will combine into a meeting space that people adore. Perhaps it makes sense to use your brand colors or logo as the inspiration. Do you want a modern feel or something more conventional? Maybe you want the room to tell a story. If so, what details should you include to guide people toward the story you’re trying to tell?

This non-linear wood-paneled meeting space at Princeton University creates a sense of intimacy and whimsy. You can imagine that you’re in the belly of some strange ship or wooden whale. It may not look like an obvious design, but if employees are going to solve unprecedented problems, it helps to encourage the unexpected.

This large conference room is actually a project we assisted on. UTMB needed a large health education center that could be versatile in its use. This space was loaded with technology that could also be reconfigured to support functions from class to meetings with donors.

This classroom-style room from WeWork is well-lit, warm, clean, and comfortable, which helps to take meeting participants away from any negative associations they might have with their school years and propels them into a mindset of discovery and attentiveness. It’s the exact room you want for important presentations or training.

Quirkiness can also be an asset to the interior design of your meeting room. It’s hard to stay stuck in a boring meeting rut when the caribou and message on the wall are practically begging you to step outside of the same-old-same-old. Look for ways to inject joy and surprise into your meeting rooms, as long as it resonates with your brand it’s fair game. 

i.e.Smart Systems is a Houston, TX based technology integration partner that specializes in design and installation of audio/visual technology and structured cabling. For more than three decades, our team of in-house experts has partnered with business owners, architectural firms, general contractors, construction managers, real estate developers, and designers in the Houston market, to deliver reliable, scalable solutions that align with their unique goals.