When creating an open office space, you have endless opportunities to be creative with your floorplan design.Rieke Office Interiors President Melissa Kehl sits behind a SafeSpace shield, which the Elgin-based company designed to easily adapt existing workspaces for the post COVID-19 work environment. With Open Spaces, The Options Are Endless This may be especially important if you have employees dealing with sensitive information while customer or clients may be walking throughout the space as well. Privacy screens that mount to a desk or computer monitor may also be helpful in providing privacy in an open concept office. Find window coverings that give you the most control over the light source in your office. Using window coverings that offer privacy while still allowing in natural light can be essential to creating a positive open office workspace. Peering eyes from outside the office could compromise that. In an open office floorplan, you need your team to feel comfortable working together. Sometimes, the privacy concern does not come from within the office. Use Window Coverings and Screen Coverings Soft walls can also help absorb sound, and you may even want to use actual soundproofing tiles if you feel that step is necessary. If you find that your space is too small to create space between collaborative workstations, then you may wish to utilize modular walls to create some separation and reduce visual distractions from other workspaces. You need to create separation between collaborative spaces so that people can truly immerse themselves in the discussion. It can be challenging for some employees to stay focused on the task at hand if there is another group right next to them working on something else. Keeping this in mind when planning your open office space is vital to improve visual privacy and reduce visual distractions from groups working on different projects. Allow for Space Between Work AreasĮven though your workplace may be collaborative, there is a good chance that not everyone is working on the same project at the same time. If they see a co-worker sitting in one of these areas, then they know that the person is seeking some privacy. These areas are also an excellent cue for other employees. Face the work area away from areas where people tend to gather and collaborate. The semi-private spaces should be set up to reduce visual distractions. These workspaces could be a desk set away from the action or a lounge area where employees can improve visual privacy by merely moving to their own space. In these situations, it’s nice to have a semi-private workspace that employees can move to if they feel the need. However, there is also a time when people may want to hunker down and focus on the task at hand. Having an open office helps foster collaboration. These shorter walls strike the right balance between closed off cubicles and open office environments. Best of all, as your business grows or moves, modular systems furniture can be shifted or added on to accommodate new employees or new spaces. Systems furniture allow you to create the space you feel will work best for your team. Using modular walls with a shorter height allow for privacy while still proving an open office feeling. However, eliminating those walls may feel too open or crowded for some. The traditional cubicle setup with high walls may feel like sitting in a box. Here are a few ideas to accomplish all of the above. It’s a delicate balance of improving visual privacy, reducing visual distractions, and fostering a collaborative workplace. No one wants to be closed away from their co-workers, but no one wants to feel like people are peering over their shoulder, either. When creating or updating an open office layout, it’s essential to maintain or improve visual privacy for employees. It’s clear people want to work more collaboratively, but they don’t want to be crammed together, shoulder to shoulder, with no privacy. However, as many companies try to escape the boring layout of ceiling-high cubicle walls, there is a risk of moving too far to the opposite extreme. Judging by the success of some of these companies, the idea seems to work. Companies like Google are embracing the collaborative approach of an open office layout. Many of the top businesses in the world have adopted open office concepts.
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