Tag : Steelcase

Do you wish the workplace was more like a library? Everyone would speak in hushed tones. It would be assumed that each person was concentrating hard and shouldn’t have their train of thought interrupted. There would even be secluded nooks for those who like to feel completely alone.

It’s probably not possible to retrain employees to be quiet—sometimes work is the right place to be talkative. But it is possible to provide extra peace, quiet, and privacy for workers who don’t appreciate being in the midst of the action all the time. Last week, we looked at a few of the benefits of the new “Quiet Spaces” from Steelcase. Now, let’s dig a little deeper into some of the features and specs.

The BE ME Place

This version of the Quiet Space includes privacy walls that are semi-opaque to allow light in but keep prying eyes out. The Lagunitas daybeds and benches offer comfortable seating with back pillows that can be used to support forward leaning or reclining postures. The benches are power-enabled to ensure users can recharge their device batteries at the same time they recharge their mental ones. Storage doubles as guest seating or as a place to stash personal gear. Introverts can use this location as a place to unwind and catch up on work or brainstorm new ideas.

The FLOW Place

When it’s absolutely critical to get the job done without interruption, a lounge-style setting isn’t necessarily the best option. It doesn’t really feel like sitting down to work. But a private-office setup is ideal. That’s the format provided by the FLOW design. It’s based on the Elective Elements collection, with a workstation, additional worksurfaces, filing units, bookshelves, and cushion-topped storage. This will become a favorite place for resource-intensive work since there’s plenty of space for reference materials to be stored or spread out on surfaces for easy visualization. It’s a hot spot for introverts who are up against a deadline and ready to by super-productive.

Next week, we’ll explore several more implementations from this new Steelcase collection. As it turns out, we still have a lot to say about being Quiet.

Steelcase correctly predicted the rise of the “collaborative” workspace. And we think they’re probably right about the pendulum swinging back in the other direction. No, we’re not going back to the era of private offices. Many businesses aren’t even going back to separate cubicles with higher walls. But they are realizing that a completely open office design hasn’t created an optimal work environment for most workers. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that employees need separation as much as they need togetherness. It’s a matter of finding the right balance.

According to an article published in CIRE magazine, Steelcase says that the idea of private enclaves is definitely catching on in the coming years. These tiny rooms are just large enough for a couple of pieces of lounge furniture and a table. It’s a cozy meeting space for a small team, a private phone booth for employees juggling work and personal life, or a “do not disturb” area for occasional bouts of intense focus.

Making Space for Concentration

Steelcase reports that one of their clients actually had an entire wall of these tiny enclaves with a sofa, desk, chair, and data/electricity ports installed. In other words, the private office is making a sneaky reappearance. But instead of being allocated to specific employees, these spaces are being allocated to certain activities. It’s an approach that makes sense if you have the cash to remodel your layout. Using architectural walls instead of drywall can cut costs, of course.

But the least expensive way to create this type of enclave is probably by converting some larger cubicles. A 12×12 “manager” cubicle would definitely be big enough to create a small getaway space. Even an 8 x 10 would be sufficient for two person team efforts. Simply add cubicle panel extenders to raise the walls above head height and create the sense of visual and acoustic privacy that employees still need. You could also add panels to a couple of tables in a corner, attach desk mounted privacy panels and put in some lounge seating to complete the space.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken a look at several types of space dividers that were featured at NeoCon 2013. There are also a couple of award winning designs in the seating categories that incorporate privacy screens. It seems that the office environment (and the individual workstation) isn’t the only place where more privacy is desirable.

Even in reception and casual gathering areas, people are drawn to furniture that makes them feel more secluded. In these spaces, there isn’t necessarily a table, desk or bench to hold a privacy screen. A full-height mobile divider might seem like too much separation. So, office furniture manufacturers are mounting panels and screens on the back of lounge and bench seating. Steelcase is leading the way in this area with two designs that won gold at NeoCon.

Holding Privacy in High Regard

The Regard lounge seating from the Nurture collection is designed for use in healthcare settings. This is where patients may be sitting full of the jitters in anticipation of their turn in the doctor’s office. Or, family members may spend time here waiting anxiously for good or bad news. This isn’t necessarily a time or place where people want to chat with others. So, the Regard sofas can be equipped with dividers to give visitors some personal space.

Little Lakes of Privacy

The “Lagunitas” in Steelcase’s Coalesse collection is a new kind of workspace. Much like the “Gesture” chair, this seating is intended to support the way the younger generation likes to work. These benches provide a place for employees to lounge as they operate a tablet or other mobile device. The pillows on each bench can be configured for alert or relaxed work postures. The benches can be grouped together to create a collaboration area. Or, they can be spread further apart and equipped with privacy screens for solitary enclaves that provide solitude for concentration.

What other non-traditional ways can you think of to mix office furniture with privacy screens? Let us know your ideas in the comments.

Steelcase is well known for publishing lengthy articles about upcoming trends in office space design. These are some of our favorite resources to share with readers because each one is chock full of interesting ideas for discussion. For example, here’s one from issue #63 of 360 Research about what company executives are noticing and changing about their workplace layout. The office building itself is an often overlooked resource that organizations are learning to tap to bring out the best in their human capital.

This particular article focuses on agility and collaboration – two topics that are linked (in the minds of many businesses) to the open office space without panels. However, we see quite a few opportunities in the new “spacial concepts” touted by Keane for the inclusion of desktop mounted privacy panels or even panel extenders for traditional cubicles. Here are the top 3 based on quotes from the article:

“Running a successful business requires teamwork and frequent collaboration, but rare is the office that can ably host even a two-person meeting.” If you need small, enclosed spaces for two or three people to meet and discuss a project, the simplest answer is a freestanding pod with high walls. It’s cheaper than a built-in conference room and can easily be repurposed for other work when it’s not being used for collaboration.

“Using a strategy we call ‘Best Place”, we created a great range of flexible workspaces to meet changing needs. You have the freedom to move, to collaborate, to put your head down and focus.” Employees may feel cooped up in a cubicle or too exposed at a desk depending on the time of day or what mood they woke up in that morning. Having a range of different workstation types to choose from can help deliver just the right environment for every day of work. Our panel extenders come in a variety of heights and lengths to create a varied landscape to support all types of activities and attitudes.

“You have to give users more options, more control over their space, and be ready to change any space, even the spaces you love the most.” Oh, yes, we’re familiar with the need to change. That’s why we created the panels in the first place. Employers need an option for adjusting wall heights without tearing down and rebuilding workstations. With our panel products, any workstation can be upgraded in a few minutes using just an Allen wrench.