#Open office space plan how to

Having said that, with more recent developments in technology, whether virtual meetings using Zoom or GoToMeeting, enterprise social media like Slack or MS Teams, do we need to be working alongside each other in an open space at all?Īs employees have become more used to working from home, in their own environment, coupled with developments in technology, how people work has probably changed dramatically during the past year and I believe we will start to see more flexible and multi-functional areas. The type of industry you work in will also influence whether you work in an open plan office, because as this type of layout is thought to encourage collaboration, teamwork and creativity, they have gained recognition as a favourable layout for companies that operate from employee participation and innovation, such as advertising agencies, graphic design companies, journalism newsrooms and marketing agencies. This, I would like to think, has more of a bearing on a company’s decision.

However, a lot of businesses believe that an open space office can create a greater company culture, can encourage communication between employees – consequently improving interpersonal relationships and can contribute to creating a community atmosphere. This cost element is mainly geared towards the company overheads and not what is best for an employee.

Provide a community, with all staff feeling like they are working towards the same goal.Īs open plan office layouts are incredibly common, chances are, at some point in your career you have worked or will work in one.Īs with all types of layout, open plan offices have both positive and negative attributes but your viewpoint on these probably comes down to the type of workspace you thrive in.Įmployers tend to opt for an open space layout as these designs can minimize various costs within the office, such as reduced construction fees, the ability to squeeze more people into less square footage and fewer cubicle furniture pieces to purchase.

Cost-Effective, as no partitioning, separate heating or A/C is required.

Layout flexibility to accommodate company growth.

Ease of collaboration between colleagues.

A flexible approach for working between departments, as there are no physical barriers.

Open offices originally pioneered in the 1950s have regained their popularity as the chosen layout for many businesses for a variety of reasons including

#Open office space plan how to

How to reduce noise in open-plan office?Īn open-plan office space in simplistic terms refers to the use of large open areas to minimize the use of small, enclosed office rooms.Employers choose different office layouts dependant on a variety of factors – What is the function of the space? What do you want your space to portray? Do you want a collaborative environment or an independent office space?Īs there is no simple one-size-fits-all solution we have a comprised a short guide that looks at the following: