Huddle rooms have become an increasingly popular type of meeting space in offices around the world. Intended for smaller teams, these spaces provide a designated space for collaboration, brainstorming, conference calls or even just a quick conversation.

But what exactly makes huddle rooms different from other conferencing spaces, and what’s the best way to design them?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is a huddle room?

A huddle room is a type of office meeting space, designed to accommodate smaller meetings of two to six participants. Huddle rooms tend to be more casual than traditional boardrooms, but they are often equipped with video conferencing systems to facilitate meetings with remote workers, customers and vendors.

The main difference between a huddle room and a traditional conference room is the size. Traditional conference rooms are typically designed with longer tables, sometimes with additional chairs around the perimeter of the room to accommodate large groups. Huddle rooms are for smaller teams and are often used for impromptu conversations, rather than scheduled meetings.

What makes a good huddle room design?

Just because the space is small doesn’t mean it will automatically be a great huddle room. Like any meeting space, these rooms need to be properly designed to foster collaboration and teamwork in the workplace.

Here are a few elements to consider for your huddle room design:

1) Glass walls

Glass office walls are a great way to make huddle rooms feel more open and inviting, especially when the square footage is very small. The glass walls allow more light to enter the space, so it doesn’t feel cramped and enclosed.

Additionally, the glass provides a clear view into the huddle room, which serves two other important purposes: 1) It entices teams to use the space, and 2) It confirms that the space is available at a glance (no need to open the door and potentially disrupt a meeting in progress).

2) Video collaboration & presentation tools

Equip your huddle rooms with the same video conferencing and presentation technologies that are deployed in your larger meeting spaces. This will greatly expand the functional use of the space.

In the new era of hybrid work, your on-site teams need more spaces to communicate with remote workers. By adding video conferencing systems to your huddle rooms, you’ll make it easier for teams to collaborate and stay connected, no matter where they’re located.

These systems should also be easy to control and sync wirelessly with team members’ laptops, control panels or other devices.

3) Use minimalist furniture

Save the bulky leather boardroom chairs for your large meeting spaces. In huddle rooms, you need to make efficient use of the space to prevent it from feeling cramped.

Minimalist, slim-profiled chairs and desks go a long way to making the room more comfortable, even when space is limited. Glass tabletops can also help to make the space feel larger.

4) Streamline your wire management

Wireless connectivity is best. But when employees need to plug in or charge their devices, this should be possible without cords hanging all over the room.

One simple way to streamline wire management is to use desks with built-in electrical outlets and Ethernet ports. This keeps wires contained to the tabletop, rather than strewn across the floor.

5) Optimize lighting

Even with glass walls, huddle rooms still need to be properly lit. Otherwise, they’ll feel dark and unwelcoming, and may also cause eye strain for your employees.

Optimize the room lighting so that the space is brightly lit for meetings. If space permits, consider adding a casual light fixture, such as a floor lamp, to make the room even cozier.

6) Ensure proper acoustics

Noisy office murmur shouldn’t bleed into your huddle rooms. Similarly, people outside the huddle room shouldn’t hear what’s happening in the meetings.

When building your huddle room, be sure to use sound-absorbing materials to create optimal acoustics inside the space.

Need help with your huddle room design?

Discover how Rampart’s glass architectural walls and other office solutions can make your meeting spaces more modern, comfortable and productive. Contact us today for a free consultation.