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Open Office Design vs Personal Space

Open office design vs personal space
the pros and cons

Office design is a very unique thing, and a layout which works well for one company may not work quite so well suited to another. Trends may come and go but deciding between an open plan office and one which carves up the space into individual working areas is the first major decision designers have to make.

It's a decision which is influenced by a whole range of practical considerations, from the nature of the work being carried out to the size and shape of the office desks and office furniture, and there are pros and cons to both open and closed layouts...

Sense of Community

Open plan offices really began to grow in popularity in the 1990s, and today they are the preferred layout for many organisations. There are significant advantages to large, open plan working spaces, not least that they help create a sense of community among staff. When office desks are positioned so individuals can see one another, there is a stronger sense of team identity, which in turn is supposed to build a better work ethic and motivate individuals, this works particularly well in call centres with clusters of call centre desks positioned around the room.

Improved Communication

Open plan offices are also said to improve office culture and communication between staff, as rather than firing off an email which might be ignored or lost, people are more likely to get up from behind their desk to discuss things face to face. Finally, open plan offices tend to be cheaper because more employees can be accommodated in a smaller amount of space. With space saving office desks such as the Status Premium Wave or Radial desks from Southern Office Furniture, members of staff can be seated in a compact ‘bank' of desks, improving communication at the same time as taking up less space.

Noise levels & Distractions

On the downside, open plan offices can become noisy places full of distractions, especially if the work carried out in them involves multiple employees making phone calls. They can also feel impersonal and, in the worst cases, leave staff feeling they are constantly under scrutiny from their managers and colleagues who are sitting nearby.

Improved Privacy & Increased Concentration

The main upside of having a closed office is greater privacy - particularly valuable if staff are working on a confidential project or sensitive material. Being surrounded by walls instead of other people also means there are fewer distractions, which could arguably boost productivity among staff. On the flipside, not being exposed to
the watchful eyes of their managers and colleagues could also give employees in closed offices more freedom to time waste with personal calls and internet browsing.

Personal Space

Closed offices do, however, give employees the feeling of personal space, where they can perhaps be more expressive of their individuality – feeling they have ‘ownership' over their desk and office means people are more likely to take care of their office desks and office chairs. It could also be argued that closed offices allow designers
greater choice over their office furniture, meaning they can choose more spacious desks such as the Freon Radial desk or the Cayman Executive desk, both of which are better suited to individual offices.

The decision to go open or closed plan in the space you have is always down to the nature of the work which is being carried out in your office. There are positives and negatives to both, but with good office design and careful selection of the right office furniture, you can make the most of the space available to you.


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