As more and more studies show the positive effect natural light has on employees, the trend is to include more glass when designing (or redesigning) office spaces. Adding more windows and skylights and enabling sunlight to flow freely into the office while eliminating light-blocking partitions is one of the primary ways office spaces are increasing workplace wellbeing by using natural light. Although standard glass is fine for offices looking to create more transparent, collaborative, and healthy workplaces, it falls short when it comes to creating privacy—this is where smart glasses, such as DreamGlass®, can shine!

Boardrooms and Conference Rooms

As businesses have begun to leverage natural light’s ability to increase the productivity of their employees, heavily used spaces like personal works stations have been pushed to the outside of office floor plans near the windows, while lesser used places, such as boardrooms and conference rooms have moved to the center. However, having a walled in room at the center of an office is bad for both open-floor plans and letting sunlight penetrate deep into the office.

By using DreamGlass® electronic glass for their board and conference rooms, companies get the best of both worlds; the glass can remain translucent when the room is not in use or when privacy isn’t needed, and can be made opaque with the flip of a switch for seclusion. Even better, DreamGlass® privacy glass can double as a projection screen, making it great for presentations and meetings and providing a slick, modern alternative to unwieldy projection screens.

Managers Offices

DreamGlass® magic glass is also beneficial for use in managers’ offices. By leaving the glass clear, managers can create a more welcoming environment that encourages collaboration and transparency. Additionally, a smart glass-equipped manager’s office allows supervisors to visually keep tabs on what is happening in the office, giving them a better sense of the status of their employees. And, for offices looking for even more open floor plans, intelligent glass panels can be installed on rollers, allowing a manager’s office walls to be opened.

With its ability to be frosted and create a private environment for tasks that require sensitivity, such as overseeing, evaluating, and documenting workers’ performance or handling work-related problems, DreamGlass® switchable glass can help overcome many common problems managers have when moving to more open office spaces.

Cubicles

According to the General Service Administration, over the past decade, the average size of offices has shrunk by 30%, down to 175 square feet per employee. However, replacing old cubicles with ones made with a smart glass like DreamGlass® can change the aura of smaller spaces, as their transparency gives them the feel of a much larger area. More so, glass walls create a more collaborative atmosphere by encouraging employee relationships, and can help cut down on unnecessary phone calls and emails. Although open workspaces are becoming increasingly common, Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report showed that people still care about personal space, as employees with their own workspace are 1.4 times more likely to be engaged at work. DreamGlass® electric glass is a win-win, since the glass can be activated when an employee needs to concentrate and turned off when working with others.

Exterior Windows

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, offices that featured windows provided 173% more white light than offices without windows. And employees in those offices got, on average, 46 more minutes of sleep at night than their windowless counterparts, while also engaging in more physical activity. In other words, more natural light leads to a healthier and more productive workforce.

The traditional application for electronic glasses like DreamGlass® has been for use as exterior windows, and an office with DreamGlass® windows can reap the rewards of natural light without suffering any of the negatives associated with it. Most notably, DreamGlass® windows can be gradually adjusted to reduce glare on screens, thereby reducing eyestrain and headaches. In addition, the utilization of smart windows can increase an office’s energy efficiency, cutting down on expensive heating and cooling costs.

DreamGlass® IR Shield panels are the foremost choice for external features. These privacy panels are four times more efficient in energy savings than traditional glass and they also help to effectively manage the temperature of your indoor environment while reducing high heating and air-conditioning costs.

If you want to learn more about using DreamGlass® in your office contáctenos today to find out more about DreamGlass® or request a quote.