Exploring Landscape Setups

5 Landscape Elements To Design A Great Outdoor Employee Break Area

24 October 2022 by Tanya Green

An outside lounge area can improve employee morale and even boost productivity. After all, nature has a positive effect on most people, helping them to relax and recharge. But what should your outdoor employee break area contain? Along with the required elements for eating meals, here are a few landscape elements to consider. 

1. Shade

No one will want to use a break area that's hot in the summer or rainy in the spring and fall. Trees are some of the easiest and most attractive shade features. Look for trees which will grow to an appropriate height and canopy width for this area. Complement these with hardscape structures like pergolas, awnings, shade sails, or extensions of the building's roof. 

2. Lushness

Just because the employees can go outside doesn't mean it will automatically bring refreshment. Sunlight and fresh air is great, but make sure you provide greenery and attractive landscapes for them to view. This can take some extra effort, but consider it an investment in your workers' mental and physical health. 

3. Nooks

Not everyone wants to sit at a communal table to eat lunch. Some employees will, of course, but others may want some privacy to take personal calls, catch a smoke, or just de-stress. Design the landscape to provide differing levels of privacy as much as possible. You might accomplish this with hedges, small trees, pathways, or shrubbery. 

4. Color

Make the rest area vibrant and colorful. If flowers are hard to maintain all year round, find other ways to add color in the off season. Use a commercial landscape service for a seasonal color program. Pick trees and bushes with colorful bark and leaves. Or use container pots to provide a variety of color that's mobile when necessary. 

5. Personality

This is an employee area, so don't focus on branding or feel obligated to align it completely with the way the business presents itself. Reflect your employees' personalities, lives, interests, and needs. Add whimsical features, dress it up for holidays, encourage personalization, or let employees choose the flora and fauna. A more lighthearted space could be a welcome contrast to workers who deal with serious issues all day long. 

Where to Start

Ready to start designing a great outdoor landscape for your employees' break area? Start by meeting with an experienced commercial landscaping service in your area today. With your vision and these elements, you'll soon have a space everyone will enjoy for many years. 

Reach out to a company like Heckman Landworks to learn more.

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