Noise, stress, lack of privacy…oh, the joys of working in an open plan office where your business is everyone's business! As long as everyone respects the rules and learns how to use the advantages of their working environment, open plan offices can bring improved communication, a friendly atmosphere and team spirit.
There are many factors to consider in designing a suitable open-plan office environment. Designers, sensitive to varying needs, must weigh the options for each project, taking into account the individual and organizational needs and the practical possibilities in the space.
10 tips to plan a successful open-plan office.
1 Design and furnish for specific job requirements. Workstation for full time employees should range between 7'-0" x 7'-0"ft. to 9'-0" x 9'-0" ft.
2 Enable adjustability and control
3 Allow personalization
4 Avoid large unbounded groups of workstations
5 Keep panels above 4'-0" ft where visual privacy is important
6 Maximize access to windows and daylight
7 Have smaller touch down spaces where employees can quickly meet to discuss ideas, quickly check emails and make phone calls, allowing them to feel that they are in contact with the outside world at all times. It is very important to make these collaborative spaces exciting and relax so that they are used on a regular basis.
8 Cafeterias or Kitchenette within work spaces are great tools for meetings and collaboration – great ideas are generated over meals and coffees, and with the cafeteria being on the business premises it means that your employees are away from the office less.
9 Use document trays on your desk and sort them out once a week to help you keep your workspace clear.
10 Train people how to use the new space
Always remember great work spaces are magnets to attract great workers.
Towards the middle of the floor, Thoughtspace.com design a booth nestles inpiring graphics and urban experience.
MEDIA SCAPE
Design by Steelcase
Media:scape with HD videoconferencing boosts collaboration across the table and connects teams across the globe.
Through the integration of furniture and technology, media:scape is reshaping the way people collaborate in a connected world.
Most collaborative work spaces today support leader-led presentations where information is controlled and shared by one person at a time. media:scape removes these barriers and democratizes how people access and share information by allowing all participants to contribute their ideas – equally, quickly and seamlessly. media:scape was designed for a “walk-up and connect” experience
www.eyespace-uk.co.uk
3-part screens to create flexible and effective office dividers and partitions
As with the Single Screen option, EyeSpace Triple Screen allows temporary or permanent sub-divisions of space in a way that introduces exciting, colourful artwork into the office environment. The three screens can be mounted end to end or can be partly overlapped to create additional visual interest.
Artwork images are printed onto fabric in brilliant colour and suspended floor-to-ceiling using slimline aluminium profiles at the top and bottom. An easy-to-install clutch and cable system allows these to be fixed to solid or suspended ceilings, while flexible fittings at the base keep the the screens in tension. A wide variety of standard width and height dimensions ensures that the screens will be suitable for most ceiling heights, and bespoke sizes are available on request.
http://molodesign.com
softwall + softblock modular system
A flexible freestanding partition system that can expand and contract to freely shape more intimate spaces within larger open areas. The cellular structure of softwall + softblock serves to dampen sound while translucent or opaque versions sculpt the light of a space.Recognized for its elegant innovation, softwall + softblock is a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
A non-woven polyethylene material, trade name Tyvek©, is 100% recyclable and is made from 5 – 15% recycled content. Its lightweight paper look and feel is tear, UV and water resistant, making it durable to handle and maintain. textile softwall + softblock is available in translucent white and opaque black.
Ecoresin www.3-form.com
As its name implies, the choices of Varia Ecoresin® translucent resin panels are as diverse as your imagination. By allowing you to custom-select the color, pattern, texture, interlayer, and finish of your material, Varia Ecoresin transforms into the perfect medium for your translucent architectural application.
PARCS Toguna
Design: PearsonLloyd
A round, acoustically screened, half open space for brainstorming and short meetings. For sitting or standing. Its striking shape makes the Toguna a visual highlight in every office. Its curved form encourages movement and symbolises breaking with rigid structures. The Toguna is available in two sizes: the Toguna High for communication while standing, and the Toguna Low for seated activities. The Toguna consists of three upholstered segments in leather or fabric covers. The floor is a two-part MDF board with optional cabling covered by a rug. An energy-saving ring bulb is integrated into the ceiling.
Physical space matters. It's easier to be productive, creative and happy at work in colorful, organic, playful work environment then a grey, linear, boring one. Give employees a chance to blow off steam, think outside the box, and feel part of the community.
Here's some innovative, well design workplaces.
1- Make recycling easy for everyone;
2- Invest in energy-saving office machines;
3- If you have windows use the free light! If possible turn off those overhead lights and work with the natural light; its better for your eyes and the environment;
4- Go paper less when possible;
5- Storing your files on hard drive or a server will greatly cut down how much paper you use;
6- Use eco-friendly supplies;
7- Use public transportation;
8- Recycle your old computors;
9- Shop at local businesses;
10- Throw an Eco-friendly Office Party!
Energy-efficient task lighting offers an integral part of the ergonomic workstation. In addition to providing an excellent source of light, task lights can help reduce energy use and costs. So not only can your employees work more productively, you can shrink your carbon footprint while making a difference where it’s felt the most.
Humanscale task lights use only LED and compact fluorescent (CFL) light sources, which are far more cost- and energy-efficient than comparable incandescent bulbs. CFLs use 25% of the energy of incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer, while the latest LEDs use as little as 10% of the energy and last up to 60 times longer than incandescents.
Approximate cost: between $200.00 and $400.00
Visit www.humanscale.com for more details
If you look around your office provides a similar image today than 15 years ago, chance have it that the office design is missing the mark.
Today’s cutting-edge offices know that contemporary interior design is an important part of staying competitive in business world as well as keeping employees motivated and engaged. By taking a quick inventory of today’s business climate, it’s easy to see why good office interior design are so important that’s because today’s workers value technology, innovation and change.
You have a project and wonder where and how to start…There are so many resources that need to be researched, e.g., regulations,landlord requirements, financial constraint, space planning, furnishing, etc.
Where To Start and be effective? For the easiest and cheapest
approach, your first decision shall be to select a design-build firm
of choice.
Why? Because the design-build solution provides you with both the designer team and the contractor team all in one, which further comes complete with teams of consultants and sub-trades. This particular organization saves time and aggravation and allows projects to grow with great consistency without compromising the initial intent of a design. Communication coordination is simplified and the overall construction process progresses faster and smoothly. Any adjustments and last minute changes can be done right away without delaying the deadline or compromising the bottom line.
So the advanage of the design-build solution will offer you a faster, cheaper project with the desired value added result.
Purchasing office furniture requires practical considerations beyond aesthetics. Some may look nice but if your employees go home with neck aches or aren’t productive, it is to no benefit to anyone. By avoiding a few common mistakes, the furniture you select can yield improved employee satisfaction, productivity and higher profits for your business.
Mistake#1
Buying without a plan. Assess your needs and how each piece will be used. Does your company culture imply more time to formal conference rooms or informal quick meeting places? Will a chair for example, be used occasionally or all day? Should it be height-adjustable? Will it be stationary, when in use or should it be light enough to be moved easily?
Mistake #2
Comfort equals productivity. Ergonomic design such as contoured seats, lumbar supports, adjustable seats and armrests are important features and can help minimize work-related injuries and absenteeism. The longer the employee spends in the chair or desk, the more thought and consideration that needs to be put into the selection.
Mistake #3
Choosing price over value. It may be tempting to purchase a lower priced piece of furniture, but this could be false economy as repair and replacement could easily negate any initial savings. It could even make the product more costly over time. Occasionally, inexpensive items may be purchased in emergency, but consider them disposable and factor in sound replacements in your budget planning as soon as economically feasible.
Mistake #4
Shortsighted purchases. You should take into account how every piece of furniture will fit into, not only your current, but also in your future environment.
- Is the furniture capable of adapting to quickly developing technology? Does it have enough flexibility to allow for data and power options that may not exist today?
- Is it flexible enough to reconfigure and move around when your staff and office layout may change?
- Take the time to consider the pros and cons of you current furniture. What isn’t working that should change with the new?
- Consider colours, designs, fabrics and materials that won’t be outdated in just a few years. What can you choose that would be fashionable for years to come?
Plan your move!
Schedule a tentative moving day and begin making a list of what needs to be done. Start planning your move at least two months in advance. Here are few things that you might want to consider:
- Get a quote for internet and voice over internet protocol, this can take up to four weeks for a new internet and telephone installation;
- Document current server services, IP scheme and DHCP server settings, don’t forget to perform a back up of the server before the move;
- For medium to large offices, it is good practice to appoint someone in each department for the coordination of their respective area, this person will ensure that each employee takes responsibility for their own packing in clearly labelled boxes;
- Moving is stressful for everyone, for that reason it is important to set information meetings to keep everyone up to date with the progress of the moving plan.
De-Clutter
Most offices from time to time need to be purged from accumulated useless stuff, and moving offers an ideal occasion to get rid of all unnecessary things. This is not a practice that should wait until moving day, ahead of the move, schedule a time that should be dedicated to the office cleanup.
Moving or renovating gives the opportunity to improve the way people work. So, plan to spend some time to assess how people currently work in the office. What do they need/want/beg for, that will make them more effective and more comfortable? Keep in mind that how you work does not only define your productivity, but it also defines your brand, who you are in the corporate world. The following are few tips that might help to plan your better world:
- Take a moment to think about how your space will need to function;
- Forecast your growth, will employees be added in the near future?
- Account for team settings such as a kitchen, meeting rooms and lounge;
- Talk about existing space issues with employees and correct them for the future;
- What culture do you want to convey with your space?
- What safety codes should you consider?
- Confirm electrical/communication requirements;
- Define zones (meeting, collaborating, individuals, kitchen) and review them with employees.
- Update your budget.
