In a normal setting, most meetings in the office are held in the meeting room. Sometimes a meeting could last less than an hour, but on many occasions, it could last the whole day. A meeting could consist of two or three people only, but most of the days it would be attended by about ten people or more. The interior of a meeting room will then play an important role in maintaining the meeting to run as efficient and as effective as possible--making sure that it could help people focus on the meeting, allowing the sound to flow thoroughly across the room so nobody would miss a thing, providing the sufficient connectivity and tech facilities for a smooth presentation and virtual calls, and being stimulating yet comfortable enough to keep the attendees engaged, et cetera. Read on to see the anatomy of what we might call a good meeting room for your office. #LearnWithALIEN 1. Spacious Area for Movement
Although a meeting room usually has a large central table with 10-14 seats, there are always moments that more people might be required in the room, or the meeting could be a busy brainstorming process that people would have to move around the room quite a lot - therefore, it would be beneficial to add extra space around the table. If the space is limited, the least we can do is to make sure that the meeting room just has enough space for the chairs to be pulled out completely from the table and one person would still be able to pass behind it. 2. Roomy Ceiling
Some people might have problems with ceilings that are too low, for example, people who are claustrophobic. A room that feels small could also add unnecessary tension in the meeting atmosphere, which would not be an ideal situation to make important decisions. Lower ceilings would also prevent the lighting to cover the room sufficiently. If the appropriate height cannot be made possible due to the building’s structure, the solution might be to make the ceilings exposed and paint them with a block of dark color. 3. Manageable Air Quality and Temperature
Especially for tropical countries where the outside temperature is very warm, it is important to have an air conditioning system in the meeting room. The appropriately cool temperature will keep the meeting fresh although it’s being held for several hours. As people might have different health conditions, it is also suggested that the temperature of the air conditioning is manageable instead of centralized. These days, it is also essential to consider air conditioning systems with HEPA filters to maintain good indoor air quality. 4. Sufficient Natural Light
It is ideal for a conference room to have sufficient natural light entering the room to larger windows, even better when you have the option to open it to periodically allow fresh air in. A meeting room with natural light would give health benefits as well as boost the attendees’ focus and alertness. However, for it to stay flexible to different situations when the sun is in its most direct position towards the meeting room, adjustable blinds or curtains would also be needed. 5. Advanced Tech Facilities & Connectivity
A whiteboard and a projector are not enough these days. The availability of a smart whiteboard or LED TV with an internet connection is also important, as well as a sufficient sound system. The perfect case is to have wireless facilities with a user-friendly set-up so that anyone could start the meeting easily and use the time more efficiently, so they don’t have to call the IT Support to help them set up. Individual power sockets are still needed for each of the seats to make sure everyone has a power supply for their private devices. 6. Transparency
A window to let the sunshine in is beneficial for the attendees’ wellbeing and the meeting’s productivity. But the window to let others see what’s happening in the meeting room would be beneficial for the company’s organizational health, as it will show how transparency is reinforced in the office. The use of window decals, however, might be a solution in keeping a certain level of privacy in the meeting still. 7. Sound-proofing Acoustic
It is good to have large windows for the sunshine in and for others to take a peek, but the thing is, more windows would mean more sound vibrations throughout the room that might make the sound inside the meeting room feel too loud and create discomfort both in the meeting room and outside. This problem would be solved by installing a full-carpet flooring with the proper thickness, upholstered chairs, as well as rock wool-padded walls to insulate noise. 8. Adjustable Lighting
Some meetings would be held best in direct, bright lighting that showers across the whole room, but some might benefit from a quite dimmed lighting with a focus on the presentation wall. And obviously, in the daytime, lighting would not be required at all.