What are the New Trends in Office Spaces in Malta?

Just when everyone is settling with the idea of working from home, the reality of having to go back to the office spaces in Malta full or part-time becomes a thing. There is no doubt that the prolonged scenario of working from home - resultant of the pandemic - has made us more productive, practice better discipline and enhanced our capabilities to contribute constructively to any company’s bottom line. We all have a much better sense of what we are capable of when working from home.

In the meantime, our employers had all the time in the world to regroup and reassess the importance of employees’ happiness at work in order to contribute to productivity.

So what are the office space trends in Malta?

Gone are the days of colonial-style management regimes and rows of drones resembling a scene from the 1927 movie ‘Metropolis’ by director Fritz Lang. Self-expression is welcomed, individuality nurtured and overall a more relaxed working atmosphere is promoted. Commercial spaces in Malta are full of colour, furniture is functional and practical and may even have a whiff of whimsy. Employees are encourage to customize their work spaces and the common parts are now designed and engineered to include clever lighting, accommodate acceptable social distancing rules without affecting personal engagement and overall sensitivity to people’s happiness and mental health is key.

Design Elements to Consider

The days of grey walls, dividers and cubicles are dead. It’s been proven to be totally counterproductive, stonewalling talent and creativity and being good for one thing only: failure. Employees come to work with a need to be part of something: a team, a family. Here are some of the top key trends to consider:

• Open-plan spaces

Open-plan office layouts are still with us. They are easy to maintain and sanitise as there are less things or surfaces to come into contact with. It also promotes the social distancing rules we have all become accustomed to and is beneficial when trying to encourage and nurture creativity. With the open-plan space people naturally do not feel hemmed in or claustrophobic. Companies are advised to place colourful, welcoming lounge areas and barista pit stops along high traffic areas or walkways where employees can meet informally, have a break and leave invigorated.

• Hear a pin drop

Make sure your new offices are insulated against noise. This does not only apply to the windows, floors and walls but also to the furniture! Choose furniture that is colourful, soft, has an organic but stylish design and promotes comfort. This may not always be possible when to comes to the furniture in an employee’s individual working space, but can surely be applied to the common parts such as to the furnishings found in meeting lounges. Some companies are even installing privacy pods or breakaway rooms that are 100% soundproof for when your creative geniuses need total isolation to work on an important project.

• Health and personal safety measures

The last thing you want is for all your employees to get sick with a viral infection, as this will have a severe impact on your income stream. Precautionary measures can include staggering work times for employees or having only part of the workforce in on any given day, so think of a rotation system for people to come and work from the office. Another alternative is to break up the mega open office conglomerate of years gone by and rent a collection of smaller properties in close proximity in the same neighbourhood. That way it will be much easier to maintain an outbreak, should it occur. If you still have the all-workers-in-one-big-space scenario, install touch-free doors and elevators, have glass partitions that still promote the open feeling but can act as sneeze and cough barriers and above all, excellent ventilation and purification of the air supply in the office.

• Surfaces

Think of glass, steel, acrylics, ceramics, plastics, enamel, laminates, in fact anything that is non-porous that does not easily absorb and harbour small particles such as bacteria and viruses or even promote the collection of dust. Smooth surfaces are also to keep clean and sanitise…and they always look good! Popular locations for office space in Malta Office space locations in Malta is diverse and the country does not have a favoured or “downtown” area like most other big cities. Office clusters or hubs can be found in almost all locations with a variety of anchor tenants. The Sliema area has long been considered and favoured as the ideal location for companies while Valletta is top of the list for family businesses and law firms, especially since this is where the seat of government and the highest court in the land resides. Valetta offers a buzz with all its international visitors and if this is your target audience, it’s definitely the place to establish your business. Nearby Floriana is also home to insurance companies and financial institutions. Sliema, St. Julian’s and Ta’Xbiex are favoured by i-Gaming companies and office space located here comes at a premium. Due to the demand, many projects are under way in these areas to construct additional offices. State-of-the-art commercial developments and subsequent office space are also to be found in proximity to the international airport and in traditionally residential areas such as Naxxar, Mosta and Mellieha. In the south, there is Smart City and The Shoreline on the border with Kalkara and further mega-developments are under way for Manoel Island and St. Julian’s. Traditionally Mriehel is considered the most centrally located and here you will find many of Malta’s leading companies, banks and parastatels. A list of the most popular business parks and centres include:

• Vassallo Business Park, Burmarrad
• The Watercourse, Mriehel
• Pinto Business Centre
• Trident Park, Mriehel
• Mercury Tower, St Julians

• The Quad, Mriehel
• Business Office Services International, Mriehel
• Regus Offices, Swatar
• Aragon House, St Julians
• Portomaso Business Tower, St Julians

• Tigne Business Centre, Sliema
• Smart City, Kalkara
• SkyParks Business Centre, Gudja