What type of office space layout is the most productive?

WorkWell on July 16, 2024

What ofice space is the most productive?Open-plan offices – a popular global trend currently used in as much as 70% of offices in the US. Their arrival was hailed as the perfect way to foster a collaborative and creative environment. And they were welcomed by employees who had come to loathe the “prison” that was their old cubicle.
 
Many companies embraced the revolutionary trend, making their entire office space into an open-plan one. But many are now finding that the effects of open-plan should have been considered more carefully before company-wide implementation. Recent research has found that for many employees, the open-plan environment is both distracting and oppressive. Not only are they unable to concentrate on their tasks with all and sundry going on around them, but they can’t even escape it to find a quiet space to finish their assignments.

Design experts now seem to agree that a mix of spaces is preferable; a mix of different kinds of office space to suit various individuals and teams who are working on different tasks. They agree that having an office as one thing or another is a big mistake. Google is an example of a company finding this compromise; this “middle way”, arguing that:

“We found that [our employees] need a lot of diversity. There are so many ways to work — as a team, solo — and so many kinds of workers, from introverts to extroverts and so on. We create many different places so people can be a productive as possible — from formal and informal conference rooms to open spaces to stretching and yoga areas and gyms.”

Carrwood Park also has followed this principle in creating its office space, bringing all the variety any company might need, which can bring you big savings compared to setting it all up yourself. We understand that there is a need for diversity in office space, and we have strived to achieve it. At Carrwood Park you will find an office environment perfect for:

·         Collaboration: spaces where teams can work on their projects without disturbing other individuals who aren’t part of it

·         Concentration: quiet areas where one can focus and work without distraction

·         Learning: access to meeting rooms for group training, or individual training at someone’s desk, it’s all doable when the space is diverse enough

·         Socialising: a space that is designed to allow people to meet, socialize and even network, whether its waiting for a printout, having a coffee in a break area, or heading out for a working lunch in a nearby café or restaurant

Carrwood’s diverse workspace is designed to suit you and your working style, because we don’t see business as just one thing or another. Are you currently working in an open-plan office and finding it oppressive or counterproductive? Share your thoughts with us.