Companies Turn Their Back On Open Plan Offices
August 22nd 2006
THE days of the Open Plan Office are numbered, claims
a leading commercial fit-out design specialist from Bournemouth.
Richard Wheeler, whose company Space Industries Limited
(SIL), has designed and installed office layouts since 1991, claims
that today's modern businesses are turning their backs on the all inclusive,
team-building, open plan office layouts so popular in the 1980s and
90s.
Mr Wheeler says: "Open, cellular offices were the
rage. It encouraged team-work, sharing of information, was seen as motivational,
and by doing away with separate offices for the bosses, flattened out
the layers of management style so prevalent in the 1970s and early 80s”.
"Even chief executives of major supermarkets claimed
to work in open plan offices, wearing baseball caps when they were not
to be disturbed!”
"But that's all changing."
SIL says its clients find that whilst open plan may be
useful for call centres, where general commercial information needs
to be shared openly to sales staff in constant touch with customers,
most firms are finding the lack of privacy hampers productivity, confidentiality
and concentration.
"A recent trend has been to re-design open plan
offices, creating small side rooms, or even rooms in the centre of a
floor, with glazed partitioning," Mr Wheeler explained.
"These glazed rooms are used not just for meetings
and private conversations, but for desk-hopping and when staff need
quality thinking/project planning time, away from the hustle and bustle
of the open plan office. Many offices are also installing 'Break-out'
areas, where junior and senior staff can exchange information over coffee.
"Open Plan is a nice concept, but many business
owners are beginning to realise there are down-sides, not least of which
is that they can encourage discussion on non-business topics!"
For further information please call a sales representative
on 01202 400900, use our enquiry contact
form or simply e-mail sales@spaceindustries.co.uk
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