Workplace collaboration is essential to modern business needs. An open plan office sounds a great solution but there’s a snag, major employee surveys and individual studies warn that open plan doesn’t work.
People mention low productivity, disturbance, lack of concentration. Quite rational, if they were not in a true open plan office. Just a large space filled with office furniture, not the same thing.
An open plan office should be woven into the fabric of what an organisation does. A hybrid workplace, giving staff autonomous access to a range of spaces. This increases productivity and happiness, by some way.
Teamwork can happen without leaving core spaces, or in set aside niches. A mix of separate, or enclosed environments can come into play, each built for the task in hand and open to all.
Using Alternative Environments
Optimal use of alternative spaces maximises benefit. Working with colleagues on a design, perfecting a plan alone, or making a phone call to a client are not the same, so why use the same place.
A range of options can be adopted, from team zones, to subtle screening, to phone booths, to separate activity spaces. IT, audio visual and communication systems added to match each environment.
Boundaries can be colour, material, flooring, different furniture. Neither does every aspect need to be fixed, multipurpose seating and mobile, or modular furniture can allow instant reconfiguration.
Whether mobile, or fixed, layout is everything and will vary according to your needs. Open plan office design shoud be a tailored solution.
Morgan Stewart’s Role
Over 8 million people in the UK work in what are known as open plan offices. The vast majority not optimally designed for employees, or business.
As much as Morgan Stewart Interiors design and installation teams are skilled, we don’t pretend to have a mystical insight. We achieve knowledge of your operation by careful observation and by listening to you.
The degree of open approach you will benefit from varies, the precise nature of individual areas is dictated by your requirements and objectives.
They will include the benefits of open plan by commercial design, job satisfaction and outstanding performance. If we can help, please get in touch.
Gallery of our recent open plan installations
