Should Our New Office Be Open or Closed Plan?
When designing a new office, whether for your existing company or start-up business to move into, a big decision is if it should be open or closed plan. In recent years open plan offices have been viewed as the trendy, modern method for all the successful tech start-ups and have been adopted by many other companies. The traditional, closed plan office still holds many plus points as well though.
Open Plan: Advantages
The main advantage of an office with few walls is that it improves the ease of communication between employees. This can get quick answers and solutions to problems while also improving teamwork and colleague morale by creating a more sociable atmosphere.
The more communal environment can be an economical advantage for the business. Less costs will be attributed to building the office with fewer walls and desks, and shared equipment such as printers, stationery and phones cuts back on resources.
Open Plan: Disadvantages
A highly social atmosphere can create a noisy office, inappropriate for certain businesses and making it difficult for some employees to concentrate. This can impact on lowering productivity levels. It also allows disruptive gossip and rumours to spread easily, leading to worries and speculation. A lack of privacy will also be an issue for some workers as phone calls, conversations and computer screens are in full view of everyone.
Closed Plan: Advantages
Closed offices, whether in separate rooms or portioned off with makeshift walls, increases privacy levels. This allows employees to concentrate and get on with their work with none of the distractions of noisy, disruptive colleagues associated with some open offices.
Not being surrounded by lots of different people should also improve the general health of workers as there’s less chance of germs and diseases being spread. A closed plan layout, with separate offices for many employees also creates a professional impression for visiting clients.
Closed Plan: Disadvantages
The increased privacy does result in reduced supervision however, with employers less aware of what colleagues are doing at any given moment. This can lead to lessened productivity levels in some cases. Communication is also far less effective with workers separated and a less social atmosphere leading to lower morale.
For the business itself the costs associated with closed plan offices are much higher, from installing partitions with extra equipment, such as a printer in each room, required as well. In the end you will have to decide which method suits your budget, employees and work process best.
Category: Business
