Open Office design, a subject which has received more than it’s fair share of commentary. I personally wrote a short blog post about 5 years ago, inspired by an article on a Harvard study.
Likewise, I found no shortage of articles critical of open office design when researching for this post.
While there are many things to criticize about open office design, according to this article: “Is Open Office Hindering Return-to-Office Plans?“, it seems there may yet be one more negative attribute to add to the list.
Don’t get me wrong, work-from-home works well for some industries, some companies, some individuals and some periods of time (like a pandemic), but not all.
The Open Office concept assumes, among other things, that separation between coworkers is preventing them from effectively collaborating, or that the only thing workers do is collaborate. In reality, it doesn’t account for the need to have privacy for some solitary activities, or simply a quiet space in which to focus on some task.
There are enough articles out there to detail the faults with the concept, but I believe the main fault was to treat the Open Office concept as a one-size-fits-all solution.
At Henty+Pfaff & Associates Architects, we’ve worked with businesses in a wide range of industries and sizes. This gives us a better understanding of how different firms utilize their space.
Our practice involves working with the client to find out how they are organized, identify how departments and individuals interact, and provide the right level of structure to meet their needs. Obviously, this is only one aspect of the design for a functional space, but it is an essential one, and one that lies at the foundation of the complete design.
If your firm is moving, expanding, contracting, or just remodeling, contact Henty+Pfaff & Associates, Architects for your design needs!
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