It is important to know that practicing open-office layouts has been present since the beginning of the twentieth century. When implemented for the first time, the open work concept looked like a factory floor, with everyone sharing the same working area. However, these spaces were meant for the clerks, secretaries and typists until the 1960s Restoration of the fabrics aimed at revealing the ‘pure’ office.
Over the course of the observing period, Wee had found out that in the 1960s US firms had initially started imagining flexible environments, separated by partitions. This envisaged plan was meant to help cut on real estate expenses and more so on cities where the prices were on the rise. Offices provided work stalls that were altogether more open yet at the same time private enough.
Instead, the offices in Europe incorporated corner L-shaped workstations where four to six employees had to work in a shared office. It was possible to optimally use spaces while fostering teamwork in this manner of building the workspace.
This blog post is going to be especially dedicated to discussing open working spaces in more detail, their effects for the NZ modern offices, as well as how to design an open office environment effectively.
What are Open Office Spaces, and Why Are They Popular?
Coworking spaces are plain opposite to conventional and more formal enclosed office spaces that are synonymous with cubicles. Earlier on the members of the company were divided by stalls. This was the order until some individuals realized that it affected the interaction and communication; which were essential for giving out good work performance.
These physical barriers kept people’s desks physically apart, and made them seem so. They could only really communicate with each other, during short intervals spent in the coffee or lunch break.
On the other hand, a company that decides to function as an open office setting, eliminates all of this and offers employees the long benches and desks on which they are free to work in a manner they prefer. Most open offices also contain lounge or snack areas where they can complete their work.
When employees are not confined to cubicles this fosters movement and circulation of ideas and innovation.
The Pros of Open Office Spaces
LESS TENSION
When it comes to a formal working environment, Workspace could be very tense. We are wiser to human behavior than any computer, and we are aware that individuals perform better where they are not cramped.
A laid back environment at the workplace will make many workers take initiatives and work hard.
TEAMWORK
I saw it become fluid when your coworker is right next to you, and then the two of you just converse about a project you are undertaking. It’s good for people, assigning a workplace where they are not distanced from each other in some parameter, as they can build better and thus it is good for them not only in their working but also in their private life.
HEALTHIER WORKING STYLE
Activities performed in environments with zones contiguously with other employees encourage one to sit or take a break, stand or walk to the area. This is much healthier than sitting down in front of your desk all day. This is also useful in designing conversation or onsite meetings with other members of staff because it promotes independence. Another strategy following this approach is fixing stand up desks to ensure that the staff is not all day long.
The Cons of Open Office Spaces
UNREGULATED NOISE LEVEL
Noise disperses at a higher speed than it probably would do in a closed area. This can summon quite a stramash and cause inconvenience to other workers who may not like noise and hustle bustle. It may also prove difficult to make or receive calls or attend conferences with many people walking around doing other things also.
DIVERSE DISTRACTIONS
This means that some employees may only be able to listen to work and not be fully focused. A few prior academic works documented that employee performance in ‘‘open’’ office designs suffer from an average daily distraction time of 86 minutes. One single conversation at any given low pitch has the equally severe effect of pulling over 20 employee’s attention to it. Moreover, other kinds of subversive looks include colleagues walking, getting up from the seats to, for instance, warm up, other employees leaving their seats to warm food, or embracing tea-/coffee-/snack-/etc.-breaks while standing in proximity to their neighbors.
POTENTIAL BREACH OF PRIVACY
In an open office environment there are always people walking around you as clients, employees, suppliers, delivery men and cleaning crew among others. While only a limited number of people know you, it becomes almost impossible to protect all your belongings.
It is as follows: if a phone, wallet, or any other personal belongings including a car is not in sight, then. Thus, it is quite reasonable to appear certain doubts in relation to possible offenders, as well as other staff members may have some misconceptions.
How to Design an Open Office Space that Works for Your Business
Planning Your Layout and Seating Arrangements
Your layout and where you seat your employees will depend on the number you have at the company.
The rationale of office seating is best captured in its orientation to the future and not just the current state. When developing your strategy for your floor plan consider how you will embrace continuity, inspire the employees, and promote engagement. Furthermore, the solutions integral should also be able to deal with more extended teams than 150 members or floors apart from the current setup. The Best Workplace To Look Towards The Future.
Choosing Furniture That Supports Productivity
The furniture you chose to use in an open office space should not only be pleasing to the eye, but should also encourage productivity and efficiency. Make sure that your employees use easy chairs and quality comfortable desks that allow them to adjust their sitting positions frequently. Design of effective learning facilities can accommodate the notion of flexibility in furniture arrangements to foster collaborative learning among the complex spaces. So it is important to take into consideration how furniture options affect the character and productivity of the environment.
Using Soundproofing Design Strategies
Some common issues suffered by the open office include issues to do with noise and interference. These problems can be minimized by observing soundproofing design solutions. Reflect about installing acoustic panels, carpets or dividing walls, doors to tackle and reduce sound. Further, teaching individuals how and where to set up their workstations and providing special zones for no noise can also enhance the precondition so that people do not interrupt each other too frequently.
Tips for Maximizing the Benefits of Open Office Spaces
Guidelines by Which Communication and Coordination Is Done
Many people think that organization and communication are the keys to success when working in open space offices. There will be an improvement in work efficiency and cohesiveness as benefits from setting clear directions and effective modalities. They should ensure they communicate in low tones and where necessary use rooms that do not interrupt other employees. Stress on the significance of effective, polite and attentive listening to sustain the direct and pleasant working relations.
Prioritising Employee Comfort and Well-being
Everyone who works in your office should feel as comfortable as possible physically and psychologically. It is worthy to include features that have mechanisms that tend to enhance welfare of people; these are natural lightning, and ergonomic break areas, some samples of indoor plants among others. Remind everyone to take amazing 5-10 minute breaks and create areas throughout the workplace where employees can relax.
Private Spaces for Concentration
While it is good to encourage collaboration, an open environment needs to have areas where employees can work without interference from others. Open spaces or separate enclosed spaces can also act as time-out crevices where employees can go get busy with specific work, or personal issues.
Best Furniture Elements to Use for Open Office Spaces in NZ
When designing effective and collaborative open environments in New Zealand it is critical to choose the correct furniture features. Agile Office Furniture is currently the number one supplier of ergonomic furniture that include workstation, ergonomic seating as well as innovative ways of storage.
Agile Stool
Meet a new height adjustable model of our stool that provides unmatched comfort with a 50mm thick seat cushion. Discover the flexibility of a gas lift with a lifetime warranty. Add your touch with Crown fabrics, breathe or splicing while selecting a sleek black PU upholstery.
Helsinki Sit & Stand Desk
Transform it into an office desk or a standing height table for your tablet or laptop where you want to work. Embedded in the frame base is a gas lift height control providing a height variation between sitting to standing by a turn of a knob with 365mm height adjustment range. This is especially suitable for mobile workers because lockable castors will give stability. Available in two sizes: 600x600 or 800x800.
Mascot Personal Pull-Out Shelving
The Personal Shelving Unit is very flexible and can be supplied with pull out shelving on the left or the right. Buy either, lockable or non lockable depending on your needs to ensure your commodities are well secured. Enjoy stability and fine rippers with an anti-tilt wheel for stability. Standard size: 1200mmH x 800mmL x 450mmD. Standard designs and styles can be ordered in different colours and sizes, with different delivery times and costs.
Creating an open office environment that would fit the needs of your business and promote the health of the employees is a challenging task. When you choose continuous improvement as a priority for your work, the experience of your employees, and the ability to accommodate the changing needs of the developing company, you will be able to create a space that is appropriate for everybody.
Select furniture, which encourages employees to work, control noise level appropriate for work, and set rules of teamwork, respectively.
Last but not the least, increase focus on employees’ comfort and offer a private area for effective work. Open office space thus has its benefits if the design adopted in the organization will enhance a positive working culture, improved performance and organizational success.
