When I first started working, the humble cubicle was the baseline around which most offices were designed. Movies like Office Space derided the ‘cubical farm’, portraying it as yet another soul-sucking aspect of the modern work environment.
Most of us laughed along with this portrayal and readily agreed. Then, in the mid- to late 2000s, everything changed with Silicon Valley’s rapid growth in prominence.
The tech companies coming to the top of the charts valued innovation above all things in their workplaces. Everything these companies did, they did in pursuit of cultivating innovation, from the lifestyles they encouraged for employees to the very design and layouts of their sprawling campuses.
A major part of this innovation essentialism was the widespread adoption of open-concept office space. Open-concept office space replaces the ‘cubical farm’ look of offices from the 80’s and 90’s with large open areas filled with collaborative benching systems, depersonalized workstations, and even couches and sofas for teams to collaborate on.
The primary point of creating an open-concept office space is to promote full and open communication between teams and coworkers. Unassigned workstations let two or more coworkers who may have come up with an idea sit together and create a new project quickly and easily without barriers or the need to move to a dedicated space that doesn’t have the equipment necessary to get the work done.
These changes were initially quite welcome. I had found a new job in a tech-adjacent industry around this time, and the change was something to behold. The entire office seemed abuzz with energy as the ambient noise of dozens of different conversations filled the air.
The positivity was short-lasted, though, as I quickly found the new environment unsuitable for work that required concentration or focus. The noise that I had found so invigorating the first few months at my new job became an annoyance, as I found myself listening and talking instead of working.
While cubicles do create an artificial divide between coworkers, they also create an atmosphere of quiet efficiency and concentration. While open offices can be beneficial for companies that need innovation above all else, closed offices help keep workers on-task.
As time goes on and the drawbacks of open offices become more acutely felt, we may find that a mix of both environments works best. Desking solutions like the Interra Cubicle Systems, which provide data and power for workers, will work for those who require deep concentration, while collaborative desking can work for engineering and sales teams that benefit from constant communication.
Finding the right supplier at the right time remains an essential part of equipping your office. If you’re looking to shift away or towards an open office plan, a supplier like Creative Office Design will allow you to make the shift quickly and efficiently, even providing office design services to help you plan the change.
Trends can help or hinder your business, and best practices typically involve finding what works best for your needs. If your office needs a quick redesign to incorporate a more open or closed design scheme, get in contact with Creative Office Design today.
Creative Office Design
+17143287627
5230 Pacific Concourse Dr #105, Los Angeles, CA 90045