Open Office Design – How Beneficial Is It ?
What is an open office design ?
As the name indicates, an open office design is the style of designing an office that is free of partitions and cubicles. Employees share a huge hall rather than being closed up in small cubicles. The trend of open office design has caught up in a big way because of the many benefits that it provides. However, there are certain drawbacks of the design that need to be taken into consideration before taking up open office design. In most of the offices that have incorporated this design into their commercial office interiors, it has been noticed that the results are beneficial.
Benefits of open office design
The major advantage of an professional open office design is its transparency. All the employees are grouped together and hence, there is a greater amount of intermingling among them. Rather than being friendly with only the cubicle mate, employees can interact better with other employees. As a result, there is better camaraderie among the employees on the whole. From the employer’s point of view, open office design is very cost effective since cubicles are always a major expenditure.
By keeping the design open, employers can save almost 60% of interior costs. Further, open offices give employers a better view of the entire workplace and they can have a better idea about how employees work. Employees are also more alert in their work than they would be in independent cubicles. There is also a higher feeling of motivation and encouragement that employees draw from each other. Another advantage of open office design is that the place, albeit small, looks bigger. There is better air circulation in the office interiors and the space looks brighter. In general, an open office design increases the efficiency of the employees. It also gives them something new to experience since they might not have worked in open offices before.
Drawbacks of open office design
The major drawback of an open office design is that there might be higher degree of disturbance and distraction. Since all employees are under one open roof, those who are shy and introverted might not feel comfortable. The noise level within office environments could be high and there can be confusion and chaos. This can lead to loss of productive energy and time. However, with strict guidelines and by encouraging a healthy ambiance in the office, you can make an open office design work for your benefit.