Posted by
Tim Green Commercial
on 25/07/2011
Today, the open plan office has become exceptionally common for
a variety of businesses. Open plan offices help facilitate better
communication between employees and are generally cheaper to fit
out. However, when it comes to the perfect layout, what is the best
open plan design for your business?
The ideal office plan will depend on the size of your business,
the location of your premises and the type of business you operate.
First and foremost, you'll have to assess the commercial space you
have and determine its suitability for an open plan office. Office
space in Sydney CBD and other capital cities tend to be smaller, so
efficiency will count when planning your space and you'll want to
create areas that will serve a variety of purposes. Meanwhile,
warehouse conversions in the and commercial real estate in the City
Fringe will have more floor space, so you'll be looking to arrange
areas based on their function to help improve the flow of your
workspace.
Types of Open Plan Office Space
Whether you're looking to set up a new office space or renovate
your existing premises, going for an "open plan" means first
determining what type of open plan design is best. You'll need to
consider noise levels, privacy, workflow and communications when
deciding on how you will set up your open plan office. Here are
some guidelines to get you started:
The cubicle - one of the most common types
of open office plans is work stations that are set up as cubicles,
generally with three walls of partitioning around them. The cubicle
layout generally provides the greatest level of privacy outside of
a closed office plan and can help control noise levels, especially
if good sound barriers are used for the partitioning. However,
cubicles have a number of drawbacks as they can be quite
claustrophobic and they limit the amount of natural light in each
work station. The cubicle has also come to have a negative
connotation in many office environments and have become a common
point of ridicule and satire.
Half partitions - Some offices opt for
half partitions with their open office plans. These types of
partitions allow workers to see and speak to each other over the
barriers by standing. Half partitions act as a space divider and
help absorb some level of noise, but are generally less private
than cubicle designs. If you work in an office where employees work
in teams, half partitions can help facilitate communication between
team members while still allowing for more natural light throughout
the office. However, some will find it harder to concentrate due to
increased noise levels and there is limited discretion when it
comes to phone conversations. If you do opt for half partitions,
consider having separate closed spaces available for private
conversations and one-on-one meetings.
Team enclosures - for some workplaces,
cubicle partitions or even closed office spaces are set up for
separate teams. Team offices allow their members to work together
without losing focus and getting distracted by irrelevant
discussions. However, once again, there is little individual
privacy and the separation often limits the ability of members to
interact with co-workers outside of their immediate team.
Open spaces - for some smaller setups,
partitioning may not be required at all and individuals will work
side by side at adjoining stations. These types of offices work for
quieter, more spacious environments or with small teams. If you opt
for open space, consider the need to lock away more sensitive
information, such as banking and payroll materials. A lockable
drawer will come in handy.
Meanwhile, according to the NSW Government Asset Management
Committee, an International Workplace Studies program conducted by
Cornell University had some interesting insights to offer on the
Open Plan office:
- The more open, the 'open plan' office environment, the more
conducive it is to overall work effectiveness, when communication
and interaction are critical elements of the work process
- Most employees prefer closed offices
- Whilst communication occurs in closed offices, the pace,
frequency and nature of that communication are significantly
different from what occurs in more open settings such as
team-orientated bullpens and pods
- The more open the environment, the more frequent the
communication and the shorter the duration. Rather than being
viewed as interruptions, these short, frequent interactions
provided very fast feedback and response time, allowing work to
move forward overall.
Sources:
http://www.gamc.nsw.gov.au/workplace-guidelines/3_wpdirections/wpdirections_3_03_01.htm
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,24906913-5017672,00.html