Tag : office design

Walls are the most traditional form of office dividers. But they’re expensive and difficult to move without a full remodel. These days, businesses are looking for simpler, faster, and cheaper ways to create divisions between work areas. Here are a number of unusual ways they can do just that.

#1 Accordion Walls

One of the most flexible and unique ways to divide space is with freestanding accordion partitions. Molo, a NeoCon 2014 Gold winner, is a well-known provider of this type of solution. Their Tyvek honeycomb architectural products are designed to dampen sound and visually separate space. Because this type of privacy screen can be easily reconfigured by one or two people, it’s an attractive option for employees who like to take control of their work environment.

#2 Modular Floor Tiles

Sometimes, space separation is more about visual delineation than physical barriers. It’s possible to use color, texture, and light to divide one space from the next. For example, colored floor tiles laid down in geometric or curving patterns can carve pathways through the workspace and create diverse environments for each department or “zone”.

#3 Decorative Lighting

Extravagant architectural lighting installations from companies like Seeyond can make walls or ceilings completely unique in each work area. Some of these solutions even create alcoves within the workspace by arcing in curving lines from floor to ceiling. These internally lit structures feature different levels of brightness or even different colors to impact mood.

#4 Glass and Acrylic Panels

Installations from companies like 3Form and LOFTWalls take a semi-transparent and entirely artistic approach to office space division. These pieces of a glass or acrylic can be curved or flat, colored or clear, textured or smooth. Many designs contain inclusions of natural or manmade materials to add visual interest. They may be specified as free-standing panels, but many are used as inset decoration in other structural components.

#5 Desktop Dividers

At the individual workstation level, cubicle walls have long been the standard for office dividers. However, the advent of the open office has created demand for a more customizable solution. Our OBEX desktop mounted privacy panels achieve that objective. With a wide variety of textiles, polycarbonate tiles, and even custom-printed panels, these products are another example of how space division has gone beyond the boring, blank wall.

Last week, we reviewed 70-80 years of history about workplace seating arrangements. We ended up with a quick look at the cubicle—now one of the most disparaged pieces of office furniture ever. However, when it was first introduced the cubicle enjoyed a positive reception. There’s a perception today that cubicles replaced private offices and companies need to go back to having private offices for everyone. The fact is that cubes were the closest thing a traditional low-level “bullpen” employee would ever get to an office. According to designer Douglas Ball (one of the men who was involved in early cubicle design), this type of workstation was originally intended to be a step up the corporate ladder, not a step down.

Open Office Designs Replace Cube Farms

Unfortunately, what started out as a generously sized, enclosed workspace soon began to shrink. From 1994 to 2010, workers lost 15 square feet of personal space in the average cubicle. The backlash against cubes getting smaller and smaller led to the introduction of the “open office” layout. In an attempt to counterbalance the claustrophobic cube farm trend, dividing panels were shortened and made of partly or completely transparent materials.

Next, benching systems came into vogue. Employees began sitting directly across from each other with no visual or noise privacy at all. This workplace seating arrangement turned out little better than the original bullpen setup of the first half of the twentieth century.

Finding Balance between Seclusion and Chaos

Fortunately, the pendulum appears to be swinging to the center now. Today, more and more office seating arrangements are ‘multiple choice’. Workers may have the option to sit at an assigned desk or take their laptop to a collaborative area or a secluded spot. Coworkers may even band together and rearrange a highly flexible suite of furniture on a regular basis to meet their needs.

Collaborative areas are being more carefully designed to foster voluntary teamwork rather than forced comradery. For example, a social area such as a lounge might supplement or replace a standard benching system. Cubicle walls are going up again at the request of workers who prefer less distraction and a return to privacy.

OBEX panel extenders play a role in creating a flexible office where employees have more control over their level of privacy. Our customers have confirmed that this is the wave of the future—and we’re here to help them create their ideal work environment.

Not every workspace is a corner office with a view. But that doesn’t mean rank and file workers should be left without access to windows during their workday. There might be quite a few benefits for businesses that are willing to open up the workspace with exterior windows. Or so it would seem. Let’s take a look at some opinions from around the web.

Nature Is Good, Let’s Get More of It

According to an article published by the University of Washington, “The experience of nature helps to restore the mind from the mental fatigue of work or studies, contributing to improved work performance and satisfaction.”

Getting out and about in nature has the most profound effect, but even the visual stimulation of being able to see a natural scene out of a window could prove beneficial. As the article also points out, workers instinctively know they need this “green” stimulation. Those who don’t have a window view introduce twice as many natural elements (such as plants) into their work area compared to those who have a nature view at work.

Daylight at the Office Improves Nights at Home?

A good night’s sleep is certainly one key to a more productive day. According to a study conducted in Illinois comparing workers in windowed and windowless offices, there is a marked difference in sleep quality for those who get regular exposure to sunlight throughout the workday. “Their sleep logs showed that they slept an average of 46 minutes more per night and had better scores on measures for sleep quality, sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness.”

More Studies Are Needed

The hard numbers to back up claims of improved work performance are still being gathered. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reviewed some of the available studies and found that, in one, “Workers with the best outdoor view at their workstation, compared to no outdoor view, performed 10% better in the cognitive acuity test and 16% better in the memory test.” Other studies showed little or no improvement on a variety of different metrics.

A set of case studies evaluated in a Haworth white paper found no link between exterior views, access to natural light, and a superior workplace. “Contrary to predictions, neither percent exterior view nor daylight-only luminance was related to organizational quality, workstation quality or job quality, but as expected, these objective measures did not predict job performance/productivity.” In other words, even though common sense might suggest that companies offering larger and better outdoor views would have more satisfied employees, the jury is still out on whether this is really true.

What’s your experience? Does having a beautiful outdoor view help your employees work harder, faster, and smarter?

Should you turn your office space into an arboretum? It might be a very good idea. According to an article by Dr. Leonard Perry at the University of Vermont, there’s plenty of evidence supporting the use of plants in the office. Benefits include stress relief, better air quality, and a more well-adjusted workforce. Here are a few highlights form the studies cited by Dr. Perry:

• Visual exposure to plants reduces blood pressure in a matter of minutes
• A shield of plants around a workspace can reduce noise by about 5 decibels
• Absenteeism goes down when more plants are introduced
• Plants release moisture into the air, creating the right humidity in the workplace for human comfort
• Attractive plants cost a lot less than pricey artwork, and people enjoy them more
• Contrary to what you might assume, introducing plants and soil is associated with lower mold and bacteria counts

Plants That Clean the Air

Apparently, many plants can remove airborne toxins such as VOCs, potentially relieving symptoms such as sore throat, headache, and fatigue. This reduction of toxins in the air is measurable, and NASA has created a list of plants that seem to be particularly effective. You can see a slideshow on that topic by Mother Nature Network here. A few you of the plants you might recognize include:

• Golden Pothos (this one is incredibly hardy and does very well indoors even with little or no natural light)
• Spider plant (excellent for hanging near exterior windows)
• Elephant ear philodendron (this one’s pretty big and good for shared spaces)
• Snake plant (thrives in humid areas like the restroom and can live with little light)
• Cornstalk dracaena (a resilient shrub that can be used as a space divider)

How to Care for Office Plants

Keeping plants alive in the office can be a bit of a challenge at first. Make it part of the facility management or janitorial routine and ensure workers know how to handle the plants in their space.

• Overwatering is worse than underwatering. If an employee is in charge of watering plants, ensure others know not to do additional watering. Coarse soil dries out faster than dense soil and requires more frequent watering.
• Supply a watering can to avoid drips and spills on the way from the break room or bathroom to the plants.
• Add fertilizer to plant pots on a regular basis to keep plants healthy.
• Have a plan in place to transplant office plants to larger pots as they grow. Some plants can be cloned or divided to create new plants in smaller pots.

Going green in the office is pretty simple once you make it a habit. What steps can you take to create a more plant-friendly office?

Is 2014 the year to update your work environment with some high tech office toys? Here are a few that range from simple to extravagant. They could change the way you work, the way you interact with technology, and even how you feel.

What a Novel Koncept!

Even as technology becomes more and more portable, we still need to set it down from time to time—especially to charge it. That could mean setting aside a dedicated area on your desk for this to happen. To save space, you could use a KONCEPT LED task light with aircharge wireless functionality integrated into the base. It tops up your phone, lights your work area, and looks cool all at the same time. With the LED bulb, this accessory actually is cooler than an incandescent lamp. Plus it uses a lot less electricity, even when you’re charging smartphones on it all day long.

Hide a Cubii in Your Cubicle

While your mobile device is recharging on top of your desk, you can energize your own batteries with this tiny under-desk workout station. It’s a compact elliptical trainer that’s designed to let you exercise your lower half while your top half is still typing, clicking, reading, or talking. Since the Cubii hides out of sight and doesn’t make much noise, it’s not obtrusive. Your coworkers will probably think you just fidget in a very rhythmic pattern. The equipment interfaces with popular fitness tracking apps via Bluetooth and a mobile app to let you see how far you’ve gone without even leaving your desk.

Nexus 21 TV Lift

While computer monitors have slimmed down considerably over the past 20 years, they can still hog desk space. When desks double as touch-down spaces for mobile workers (with laptops) or collaboration areas for teams, you need to make a clean sweep. A telescoping TV lift lets you hide a flat screen under or behind the desk until it’s needed. This handy device can also be used to conceal larger monitors in conference rooms or lobby areas. Choose a lift that swivels to bring even more flexibility to how you can use spaces for collaboration.

What high tech office toys caught your eye this year? Let us know in the comments.

As business owners, we all have a lot to learn from one another. If you want to get your finger on the pulse of the small business community, check out the Succeed: Small Business Network on LinkedIn. This group of 80,000 business professionals offers a wide variety of perspectives on just about any topic you can imagine. For example, here’s a snapshot of their opinions on open office design.

• If a job involves sensitive information, an enclosed office is a necessity.
• Open plans work best for people who are in and out of the office—not those who are there the entire workday.
• Closed floor plans require workers to schedule time together, reducing interruptions during the regular workday and potentially increasing productivity during meetings.
• Phone work (from cold calling to conference calls) is difficult in an open office environment.
• An open office may help with creating a team environment for large projects. It seems to work well for strategists and creative professionals.
• High cubicles that are reconfigurable would make a reasonable substitute for private offices—especially if they could be equipped with doors.
• Open office works best when coworkers need to interact face-to-face frequently throughout the day.
• Working with too many people around is distracting. Having a few people work synergistically together in a small office is better than having a completely open room with no divisions.

There’s one point of agreement: The best configuration depends on the type of work being done.

Can You Make an Open Office Work?

Open office layouts with no private offices and no cubicles can be very challenging. In the words of one management consultant: “An open environment is just an ad hoc meeting with no agenda or deadline peppered with interruptions, phone calls and extraneous noise.” If you must make do with an open office plan, here’s what it takes to help workers stay productive.

1. Encourage respectful social interactions. Lack of privacy is a big problem. When people are in each other’s business all the time, it can be an HR nightmare. Put reasonable policies and guidelines in place along with a mechanism to enforce them fairly.
2. If much of the work being done requires intense concentration, there need to be rules about “quiet time”. Or, give employees the freedom to seek out a quieter temporary workspace such as an empty office or conference room without fear of being reprimanded for not being at their desk.
3. Educate workers about introversion. Open office layouts unfairly penalize workers who aren’t “social butterflies”, even though excessive socializing isn’t part of the job description and actually distracts from productive work. Help employees understand that some people simply need less chit-chat to feel like part of the team.

If you’re really concerned about saving space, rethink why you want everyone in the office. Work that requires isolation might be done remotely. Consider letting some employees work from home or another location.

Are you going to NeoCon 2014 in Chicago? Registration is still open, and you won’t want to miss the seminars if you’re in town. Here are a few presentations that could make a big difference for employee engagement, satisfaction, productivity, and retention.

Getting Space Right

On Monday, June 9^th, Dean Strombon and Sven Govaars from Gensler offer a talk on ‘Happiness by Design: a Capital Idea’. They’ll cover how to measure employee happiness and how to apply these insights to workplace design to improve employee wellbeing. Don’t worry; build happy!

One of the reasons so many employees feel stressed is no doubt the shrinking of the work environment. Today, many companies expect the workforce to thrive in less than 100 square feet per person. Kimberly Marks, president of the Marks Design Group, offers her perspective on how to deal with the design limitations inherent in working with small spaces. The seminar is ‘Occupant Load Explosion’ and it’s also on Monday.

Turning Down the Volume

Acoustics is a topic that’s covered on Monday and Wednesday. SHP Leading Design architect Allison McKenzie discusses ‘Acoustics: The Sound of Sustainable Design.’ She’ll teach you about the difference between Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC). Allison will also talk in detail about how acoustics meshes with LEED prerequisites and credits.

Why do 60% of employees say noise makes it difficult for them to perform their work? On Wednesday, Devorie Brown from Commercial Studio of Interior Design discusses the reported statistics about noise in the workplace. She will help participants learn to identify noise sources and create strategies to reduce distractions and create an optimal acoustic environment. Of course, you don’t have to go to NeoCon to get started with a noise reduction plan—we can help you at any time.

If you do attend NeoCon 2014, be sure to share your comments about your favorite seminars here.

Do your employees really care about the latest “eco-friendly” initiative at work? Are they on board with the idea of a mission statement that includes caring for the planet? Would they like to have a say in sustainability in the office? Evidence suggests that the answer to all of these questions is “Yes!”

Workers Love a Giving Attitude

Rena M. Klein at the American Institute of Architects explores a 2008 SHRM study in her article about “Greening the Workplace”. In the study, a strong commitment to sustainable practices was linked to improved worker productivity and higher morale. Energy and resource conservation programs were popular practices, as was support for cycling and other fuel-efficient commuting methods. However, the #1 practice that garnered the most support was reuse of old furnishings.

“Employees were asked which environmentally responsible practices they thought were most important for organizations to carry out. They reported that donating/discounting used office furniture/supplies to employees or local charity was the top environmentally responsible practice.” It’s always nice when what’s good for the environment coincides with what’s good for workers and the local community.

Environmental Responsibility Is a Passion for Young Employees

Sustainability is likely to become even more popular over the next two decades as Gen Y workers will comprise most of the workforce by 2025. According to OXYGENZ (a research project led by Global WorkPlace Innovation), youth believe that the office should be designed with an eye toward eco-responsibility. “Sustainability is highly valued with 96% desiring an environmentally friendly workplace, but not at the expense of design.” Fortunately, the range of choices for office furniture that is well-designed and responsibly manufactured is growing.

Making Smart Green Buying Decisions

Of course, this doesn’t mean buying green is inexpensive—at least for new furniture. Cost can be a significant barrier to implementing an environmentally responsible program. In the SHRM study mentioned above, eight out of ten employees recognized this as one of the reasons such practices weren’t given more weight in the workplace. There is one option that satisfies:

• the requirement of businesses to keep costs low;
• the needs of workers who want (and deserve) ergonomic and finely crafted office furniture; and
• the desire of everyone involved to make sustainable choices.

Purchasing refurbished office furniture is that solution since the refinishing process consumes comparatively few resources. Employers can get their hands on the best name-brand furnishings restored to like new condition at a fraction of the cost of new. Buying items made with pre and post-consumer recycled content (like our panel extenders) is another smart choice. Our products are especially sustainable because they help businesses extend the useful life of their existing desks and cubicles.

Do your employees ever feel like they are a captive audience? Do they think working in a cubicle is cruel and unusual punishment? Perhaps they would breathe easier if they had at least the illusion of wide open spaces. According to a study carried out by the American Association for Justice, the right kind of art installation on a wall can make even the most unpleasant work environment more bearable. A review of the study (Developing the Evidence for Evidence-Based Design: The Impact of Simulated Nature Views on Stress in a Correctional Setting) by the American Institute of Architects dug into the details.

Office Décor at the Big House

The setting for the photo mural is the intake area of a correctional facility. As one might imagine, this environment is full of stressed out individuals. Inmates are going through a major life change as they prepare for incarceration. Staff members are dealing with an unstable and potentially volatile populace. Both groups have good reason to be on edge. It might not seem like changing the scenery would help much. But the results of this study tell a different story.

The Heart of the Matter

Unlike similar studies that rely solely on subjective reporting, participants in this research project actually wore heart monitors to measure stress levels. According to analysis of these records, “after installation of the mural, intake officers’ heart rate was significantly lower at the beginning of the shift; the rate of increase of heart rate was significantly less from the beginning to end of shift; and there was a significant increase in “log power”, indicating inhibition of heart rate. The rate of log power increase is statistically significant and is consistent with lower heart rate and less stress. These data are suggestive of a pattern that is consistent with reduced stress at the end of the day after the exposure to the mural intervention.”

Do Try This at Your Own Office

To see what this particular mural looks like, click through and scroll to the bottom of the page here. It’s certainly a peaceful prairie scene. Given the inexpensive nature of photo mural installation, it might be something to try out in a traditional office space. Or, you could start smaller with custom printed privacy panels featuring simulated nature scenes.

This next post about workplace aesthetics is designed to blow your mind. The paper it references is very highbrow with lots of references to great minds like Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. The title is “Aesthetics, morality and power: Design as espoused freedom and implicit control” (George Cairns, 2009). Most of the paper is too dense for light reading, but there’s a section about “Aesthetic as ugliness – beauty as unaesthetic” that is really fascinating. It starts on page 10 of the PDF linked above if you want to read the whole thing. Here’s the short version.

It’s Time to Tear Down the Walls…

The author of the paper was working as a facility design consultant. He was hired by a government agency to redesign a work environment that featured “regimented rows of administrative staff desks, with supervisors sitting at the heads of the rows – supervision by watching every move. Departmental boundaries delineated and defined by ‘Berlin walls’ of storage cabinets – almost as impenetrable and, in the event, more permanent.”

Top management signed off on the consultant’s new plan to switch the layout to a single open-plan office for 350 people. Workers were given more equal space, the filing cabinets were moved, and supervisors were integrated into teams. Plants were added to make the space more aesthetically pleasing as well. All these changes happened over one weekend with no warning to the staff. Workers showed up on Monday morning and were directed by guides to their new workspace—where all their personal effects had been relocated.

How Did the Staff React?

They hated the changes. Employees claimed the new layout was too hot/cold, open/claustrophobic, quiet/noisy, etc. The consultant was mystified. A few years later, he returned for another visit. In the interim, workers had been permitted to make their own changes to the layout (within reason) to better suit their needs. They didn’t return to the original, regimented structure. Instead, they changed the orientation of some desks and added some screens to break up the space (and presumably offer some privacy). One group in particular had made only very minor changes to the consultant’s original redesign.

However, when the author interviewed the group members, it was revealed that they felt they had greatly improved on the consultant’s design. “…the particular group saw themselves as designers of their own workspace, having had to overcome the ineffectual input of an irrelevant external party.” In other words, it wasn’t the layout or the appearance of the space that really mattered. It was their perception of involvement in the design process. That’s something to bear in mind if you plan to make sweeping changes to your office space. Encouraging staff input at the start is likely to greatly increase their satisfaction with the outcome!