Following the advent ofopen space in the 1980s and the rise of teleworking today, the way we think aboutoffice design has undergone a number of upheavals. Corporate premises now feature fewer individual offices and moreopen spaces, to encourage dialogue and exchange between employees. Although the open space concept has proved successful for many companies, it can sometimes be difficult to occupy on a day-to-day basis in certain respects. These tips will help you to solve common problems associated with open collaborative spaces, such as visual and noise distraction, and lack of privacy to accomplish certain tasks. Discover our 5 tips on how toimprove the partitioning of corporate workspaces, so that collaboration flourishes while ensuring office well-being and confidentiality of information.
1. Be clear about your reorganization objectives from the outset
Because every company is unique, there's no single way to design a workspace layout. If you're planning to redesign your offices, we recommend that you start by taking stock of your employees' habits and needs. How many hours a week do they spend working as a team? Or, on the contrary, how many of them need to be able to telephone without being disturbed? Similarly, some people, more than others, may need a calm, quiet environment for greater concentration. It's essential to take all these factors into account in order to improve the partitioning of workspaces. Clearly state your objectives and ask your employees to participate, so that everyone can benefit in the long term.
2. Provide opportunities for quiet work
Even if an open-plan office occupies the majority of your premises, and your employees are accustomed to it, there will be times when they need a quiet, calm environment. In some cases, they'll want to find a place where they can focus their attention away from the noise, distractions and visual connections that come with working in open space. Indeed, working in a space where people are frequently called on can be a source of stress and fatigue for some people. In the long term, it can even slow down the completion of certain tasks. So, if you can provide an enclosed room where your employees can concentrate, this will help improve their level of well-being at work and increase their productivity. It's important to note that not everyone will want to go into a quiet space to work. For example, extroverts may prefer to stay in the open space to be in the flow of conversations with other employees.
3. Create visual and acoustic separations with partitions
There are several ways to improve the partitioning of workspaces while creating a mixed environment with open and private rooms. The most common method is to use partitions. On the one hand, simple partitions can be used to visually separate different spaces, reducing the level of distraction. They can take the form of integrated dividers or removable panels, which can be moved at any time to alter the overall layout. They can be made from a range of materials, such as fabric, wood or glass, and come in a variety of shapes that you can customize to suit your needs and desires. On the other hand, as well as providing an initial visual barrier, partitions can also reduce the transmission of sound between private and open spaces. If you're designing a new office and have identified a need for an enclosed space, protected from noise pollution, we recommend the use of acoustic partitions.
4. Allocate meeting rooms according to frequency of use to improve the partitioning of workspaces.
To create different spaces, many companies opt for a traditional layout with a few private meeting rooms and an open plan for the rest of the office. While this layout gives employees the privacy they need for short meetings, it's not always sufficient for longer interviews, such as team meetings where work takes place in an open setting. Some companies then organize them directly in the open space, using partitions or moving tables and chairs to create a more private space. While these methods can be effective, they can be costly and time-consuming. Another solution is to use a scheduling system to reserve meeting rooms according to frequency of use. In this way, overall requirements are clearly identified and displayed, allowing everyone to organize themselves comfortably.
Use digital tools to promote remote collaboration
With the rise of telecommuting, it's important to find ways to promote collaboration between remote and office workers, and avoid the pitfalls of an open-plan layout. While you can achieve this with an open layout, sometimes it's not ideal for all employees, as everyone can hear everything being discussed, which can be distracting. Improving the partitioning of workspaces doesn't just meancreating closed rooms or installing open-space partitions. An alternative is to use noise-cancelling headsets for virtual meetings and other tools that promote remote collaboration. This way, you don't have to sacrifice everyone's comfort when it comes to communicating with employees away from the office. Noise-canceling headsets for virtual meetings can offer greater privacy within an open space.