OBEX Panel Extenders
  • Home
  • Products
    • Barriers for Health and Safety
    • Mobile Freestanding Screens
    • Dividers and Screens for Schools
    • Cubicle Wall & Panel Extenders
    • Desk & Table Mount Privacy Panels
    • Free Standing Desk Mount Privacy Panels
    • Ceiling Hung Screens
    • Ceiling Sound Baffles
    • Split Screen Panels
    • Desk & Table Mounted Modesty Panels
    • Tack Boards
    • Whiteboard Privacy Screens
    • Designer Collection
  • Installation
  • Options
    • Privacy Panel Options
    • Tack Board Options
    • GSA
  • Photos
  • Contact Us
  • (760) 542-7444
OBEX Panel Extenders
  • Home
  • Products
    • Barriers for Health and Safety
    • Mobile Freestanding Screens
    • Dividers and Screens for Schools
    • Cubicle Wall & Panel Extenders
    • Desk & Table Mount Privacy Panels
    • Free Standing Desk Mount Privacy Panels
    • Ceiling Hung Screens
    • Ceiling Sound Baffles
    • Split Screen Panels
    • Desk & Table Mounted Modesty Panels
    • Tack Boards
    • Whiteboard Privacy Screens
    • Designer Collection
  • Installation
  • Options
    • Privacy Panel Options
    • Tack Board Options
    • GSA
  • Photos
  • Contact Us
  • (760) 542-7444
  • Home
  • Products
    • Barriers for Health and Safety
    • Mobile Freestanding Screens
    • Dividers and Screens for Schools
    • Cubicle Wall & Panel Extenders
    • Desk & Table Mount Privacy Panels
    • Free Standing Desk Mount Privacy Panels
    • Ceiling Hung Screens
    • Ceiling Sound Baffles
    • Split Screen Panels
    • Desk & Table Mounted Modesty Panels
    • Tack Boards
    • Whiteboard Privacy Screens
    • Designer Collection
  • Installation
  • Options
    • Privacy Panel Options
    • Tack Board Options
    • GSA
  • Photos
  • Contact Us
  • (760) 542-7444

Home/desk-mounted panels/A Cubicle for the Open Office?

A Cubicle for the Open Office?

29 March 2013Mark Canavarrodesk-mounted panels, open office designcubicles, open office No comment

privacy panel installIt’s always amusing to see the pendulum swinging back and forth between the champions of the open office and the proponents of the cubicle. We blogged about the “Me Place” workstation back in July of last year. But the latest publicity at OfficingToday.com gave us a chance to check out the video featuring an interview with the designers of this piece. They are very careful not to call their invention a cubicle. The article about the un-cubes describes them thus, “This particular workstation range features enclosed desks with walls”. Hmm. Sounds a lot like a cubicle.

But the creators of the Docklands furniture range say this station is not intended to be used as a cubicle. The enclosures are smaller than a cubicle and not as fully equipped. Instead, these pods are intended to be:

  • A touch down space for workers who aren’t always in the office
  • Hotdesking workspaces for organizations with a frequently varying on-site headcount
  • A temporary workstation for visiting clients who need privacy
  • A location where employees can go when they need an escape from the hubbub of an open office

Basically, these tiny freestanding offices are a potential solution to the fact that the open office with no walls, no privacy, and too much noise simply doesn’t work for everyone all the time. The designers are calling this a new furniture typology.

Not Quite So New?

We think it’s a cozy and attractive design, but there’s an excellent article by Simon Keane-Cowell at Architon that demonstrates quite effectively that the idea of “semi-private, space-shaping furniture elements” has been around for a long time. The original forebears of the modern cubicle may simply have been introduced before the time was ripe for such ideas. According to Cowell, the reason the Action Office and other early designs were commercially unsuccessful may have been, “…that they were too progressive, that they weren’t so much responding to a shift in organizational behavior, but rather seeking to effect organizational-behavioral change through design.” Today’s open office plans could be accused of the same thing by attempting to force a collaborative atmosphere by how space is used.

The Open Office of the Future Won’t Be Quite So Open

In any event, the current trend seems to be moving toward a balance of open and enclosed work areas. No doubt Docklands and other, similar products will be a part of this solution. However, these changes won’t be cheap. Keane-Cowell points out, “There’s a not insignificant financial investment required to populate your office with bays, pods and hubs.” Of course, he doesn’t know that we have a product that can turn a freestanding desk into a pod in less than five minutes. But you know! Contact us to order desk-mounted privacy panels today and get a quick and affordable retrofit for your open office.

Tags : cubicles, open office
Share this article
0
0
0

Written by Mark Canavarro

The author didnt add any Information to his profile yet

previous article

Task Based Cubicle Extender Installation

next article

Will You Monitor Workstation Noise Levels Next?

Leave a Comment

Cancel reply

    Request Info

    Interested in OBEX privacy panels? Use the form below to request a quote or more info

    Company:

    First Name: *

    Email Address:*

    City:*

    Phone Number:*

    What can we help you with?

    Security Check: Type the code shown below

    captcha

    Archives

    • May 2019
    • January 2019
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012

    Everything You Need to Increase
    Worker Privacy & Productivity

    Browse our Products
    • Testimonials
    • FAQ
    • Blog
    • Case Studies
    • Reviews
    • Submit Review
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Warranty
    • Privacy Policy
    • Sitemap

    Request a Quote