Business owners are moving towards open plan offices, designed for better communication and a nicer working environment for employees, leading to improved employee morale.
Read on to learn about the four types of open plan office…
Gone are the days of the closed office. More businesses are looking at creating open spaces for their employees, changing the way they work through simple office design.
Depending on the type of work you do, you may need a specific type of open plan layout. There are four main types of open office layout that are designed to maximise efficiency, while also keeping employees happy.
Cubicle layout
This style lends itself the least to an open office layout but can work well if you need to provide employees with privacy for work of a more confidential nature. However, the workspace is still open, as everyone has the same office space as their colleagues. This can be a great option for offices that take a lot of calls, as sound doesn’t tend to travel between the cubicles.
Half-partition walls
As with the cubicle layout, half partitions still divide the open floor plans into manageable sections, but the open top half allows light and communication to flow freely. Team members can work together by standing up for a discussion, rather than having to travel between cubicles or separate private offices. There’s still a level of privacy for each employee, but also the opportunity to interact when works demands it.
Team pods
This style of office space provides team enclosures within separate working spaces and can help keep project groups focused and functional. This is a good solution for creative teams as it helps encourage communication and lively discussions that won’t disturb the wider office. Rather than needing to book meeting rooms for the whole team, groups can simply turn to talk to one another.
Fully open space
This the most spacious of the four types of office layouts. Perhaps you could add a meeting room or two into the office design to allow for private space, group activities or client meetings. This office environment is perfect for small business and companies that work with agile teams or have a flat structure that requires company-wide team members to interact regularly.
Critically, whatever your office plan, key to its success is plenty of natural light, proven to increase productivity and staff wellness.
Images courtesy of Press Association
