Transform Your Outdoor Space With Commercial Landscaping for Employee-Friendly Break Areas in Ann Arbor, MI

Nov 20

Creating a comfortable outdoor space with commercial landscaping in Ann Arbor, MI, allows you to provide an employee-friendly environment that promotes relaxation, mental well-being, and overall productivity. Thoughtful design and high-quality elements can turn any outdoor area into a sought-after space where employees can unwind, recharge, and return to work refreshed. From custom seating areas to shade options and green enhancements, well-designed commercial landscapes offer value far beyond aesthetics.

Design Comfortable Seating Areas for Uninterrupted Relaxation

Comfortable seating is key for an employee-friendly outdoor break area. Permanent fixtures, such as built-in benches and concrete seating walls, offer stability and blend seamlessly into the landscape. Portable options like high-quality metal benches or weather-resistant loungers can also provide versatility and flexibility, allowing you to reconfigure the layout as needed.

Your landscape designer might suggest seating options that include small tables or raised surfaces where employees can enjoy a meal or work outdoors with their devices. This can help foster an environment that encourages people to bring their laptops or tablets outside, integrating nature into the workday and offering a refreshing change from the usual office setup.

Add Shade Structures for All-Weather Comfort

Including shade structures in your business’s landscape design makes it more versatile and usable throughout the day. Whether employees are taking a quick break from the sun or looking to enjoy lunch outdoors, options like pergolas, shade sails, and umbrellas can provide relief from the elements. In areas with high sun exposure, shade structures are especially important, as they help reduce glare and allow employees to stay outdoors comfortably, even on hot days.

Pergolas can be customized to match the aesthetics of the surrounding architecture while providing a stable structure that’s both functional and visually appealing. Pavilions come in various designs and materials tailored to cover larger spaces or create distinct gathering areas. These additions enhance comfort and add an upscale touch to the landscape.

Introduce Water Features for a Calming Ambiance

Water features bring a touch of tranquility to an outdoor break area, offering a gentle, soothing backdrop that can help employees unwind. Small fountains, pondless waterfalls, or reflecting pools can create a calming atmosphere where employees can take a mental break and reduce stress. Running water adds an auditory element to the environment, masking urban noises and contributing to a more serene setting. Well-designed water features can be customized by a commercial landscape designer to fit the scale of the landscape, ensuring they integrate seamlessly into the overall design without overpowering the space.

Enhance Privacy With Strategic Plantings

Working with a commercial landscape designer to create a sense of privacy in an outdoor break area can make employees feel more at ease during their downtime. Privacy screens, constructed with dense plantings, hedges, or ornamental grasses, allow for secluded areas where employees can unwind without visual distractions. These natural barriers are effective for blocking unwanted views or separating areas for individual or group relaxation.

Your landscape designer can layer taller shrubs and trees strategically around the seating areas, providing additional screening while keeping the landscape open and inviting. Ornamental grasses or climbing plantings on trellises can also serve as visually appealing partitions that maintain an organic feel.