Jordon Blanket's Arch 1101 Blog: 2013

Progression through Open Plan Design

New research shows that boring and uninspiring office spaces are seriously demotivating the country's employees. Inventive thinking is essential in creating a vibrant working environment. A municipal design plan also would be beneficial for the future of the site. With this design and layout, all workstations are arranged in one open space. All the workstations face the same direction and no interior walls separate the workstations and equipment. The open plan office design eliminates walls and passages and, as a result, saves space and costs. It also leads to accommodation of more people in the space that would normally have been taken up by these structures. Modern offices often lack those all-important social spaces that employees need to wind down, let off some steam or simply have a natter. The open plan office layout facilitates communication since office staff can move around more freely, supporting the need for exchange and sociability between work phases. And they offer advantages such as social networking, shared infrastructure and flexible working. Open plan encourages communication and team sprit and is also a more efficient use of space, so fit out and running costs will be reduced. The absence of interior walls opens up the office to allow as much natural light in as possible and facilitates savings on and increase the effectiveness of heating, air conditioning and lighting systems. Another advantage of this layout is that the pleasant working environment contributes to a high level of staff motivation and higher productivity levels.

This also contributes to a considerable cut in costs. Often the simplest and cheapest changes can have the biggest impact on brightening up the office and lifting staff spirits. Creating a dynamic and evolving workspace inspires the same in your staff. Hopefully with more carefully planned architecture to the new buildings, there would be the model of a slower capitalization – bringing benefits for everybody – but above all for the developer. Experience shows that when creative professionals move into an area, development is almost automatic and includes an accelerated return on investment.

Administrative Management

Second Edition

E.J Ferreira, A. W Erasmus, D. Groenewald

Published 2009 Juta & Company Ltd

9.6.1

The Open plan Office Layout

With this design and layout, all workstations are arranged in one open space. All the workstations face the same direction and no interior walls separate the workstations and equipment. Separation of workstations and equipment is done by means of screens, cabinets, bookshelves as well as plants. The open plan office design eliminates walls and passages and, as a result, saves space and costs. Remember that we mentioned in the introduction that costs play a role when a design approach is adopted. Eliminating walls and passages also leads to accommodation of more people in the space that would normally have been taken up by these structures.

Advantages of the open plan office layout.

The open plan office layout facilitates communication since office staff can move around more freely. As a result, less telephone calls also need to be made and less memoranda need to be distributed. The open plan office layout is much more flexible and adaptable in terms of changes than private offices since fewer interior walls are used to separate workstations and equipment. Because everybody in the office shares the same open space, supervision is facilitated as the supervisor is in a good position to monitor all staff working in the office directly. This also contributes to a considerable cut in costs.

The absence of interior walls facilitates savings on and increase the effectiveness of heating, air conditioning and lighting systems. Another advantage of this layout is that the pleasant working environment contributes to a high level of staff motivation and higher productivity levels. In addition to this, the cabinets that are used to separate work environments now have a duel purpose, which makes the design cost effective.

Disadvantages of the open plan office layout

The open plan office design and layout can, however, sometimes lead to an impersonal atmosphere. Noise and movement of people can distract staff from concentrating on tasks at hand. Another disadvantage of the open plan office layout is also the lack of privacy for confidential matters.

Getting rid of the unproductive workplace

Written by Anthony Brown, board director at fit-out and refurbishment specialist Overbury

Tuesday, 16 April 2013 11:37

With the recent news that Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) chief Marissa Mayer has banned her staff from working from home, new research shows that boring and uninspiring office spaces are seriously demotivating the country's employees. Here are ten top tips to maintain an innovative office.  1. Humans are social creatures  It’s good to talk – especially face-to-face. Modern offices often lack those all-important social spaces that employees need to wind down, let off some steam or simply have a natter. So whether it’s a pool table, some comfy seating or simply a nicer area to make a coffee, giving people a place to chat will pay dividends in stimulating ideas.   2. Keep it interesting  Think long and hard about your office layout. In its new offices, Google has included angled walkways designed to encourage more spontaneous encounters between colleagues. Whilst you may not be looking at a full redesign, inventive thinking is essential in creating a vibrant working environment.  3. Let there be light  Bad lighting has no place in the modern office. Cubicles starved of natural light are bad for morale and stifle creativity. Ditch the dividers and open up the office to allow as much natural light in as possible.   4. Changing rooms  Creating a dynamic and evolving workspace inspires the same in your staff – so switch up your space. Think about moving desks, sofas or bringing in a few office plants to ensure that the office feels fresh and interesting. Consider investing in flexible fittings that can be moved and altered according to daily need.  5. Hot under the collar  Poorly monitored heating and cooling systems are a common office complaint. Whilst it can be tricky to get it just right for everyone, a good temperature level can help improve productivity and the focus of your workforce. Carry out a survey amongst your staff to find out their preferred temperature to ensure optimum conditions for a creative and productive office environment.  6. It’s all in the amenities  Often the simplest and cheapest changes can have the biggest impact on brightening up the office and lifting staff spirits. Providing food and drink or just improving what is available to your staff will score big points with employees. Make sure that fresh coffee and a bowl of fruit is there for everyone in the office, not just when you have a client in.  7. Comfort is not the enemy of progress  Cheap seating is a false economy. Most workers sit at a computer all day, so ensuing they have comfy chairs to work and relax in will avoid back pain and illness. Splash out on some new chairs – your staff will thank you for it and with fewer absences, you’ll reap the benefits in the long run.  8. Give it some colour  Whilst beige may well be timeless, it’s unlikely to rouse your workforce from creative slumber. Don’t be afraid to add some colour to the office wherever you can. Vinyl wall transfers in company colours are a good way of cost-effectively reinforcing your brand identity. You could even include motivational quotes to help keep your team going!  9. Open up  With almost two thirds of all office workers believing that their best ideas arise from impromptu conversations with colleagues – it’s important people can actually talk to each other. Get rid of the outdated rows of desks and separated office space and instead put all staff in an open plan environment including senior management. Open plan encourages communication and team sprit and is also a more efficient use of space, so fit out and running costs will be reduced.  10. Let’s go green  The world is changing and for businesses that means being leaner, greener and more sustainable. Replacing inefficient, old technology with newer, more energy efficient versions may seem pricey at the initial outlay, but the savings will quickly add up. Your organisation will look smarter, function smoother and staff will feel valued and inspired with their new equipment.

Living in an Open Floor Plan

Author

Susanne Fritz

Zürich

Switzerland

At a former industrial site in the West of Zurich, young people show the potential of an open floor plan, how to build sustainably using recycled materials, how to be resource conscious, and demonstrate that food from Aldi – a discounter – can well be in line with an ecological and anti-consumption attitude.

Hybrid use, flexible floor plans, alternative usage, sustainability – these are some of the topics architects consider when planning a building. How will the site develop, which renters will move in – ideal scenarios for this do exist, however, this can be planned only to a limited extent using factors such as building style, flat size, amount of rent, and infrastructure.

Flat-sharing communities like the one on the premises of a former paint factory in Zurich can serve as case studies for architects and interior designers or trend researchers.

In the beginning there was the idea of a living and working community which was implemented by converting the disused site. Here nobody was bothered by the group of young creative people that founded a living and working community.

In the living and working studio 'Fabritzke' they could share not only the infrastructure, such as kitchen, bathroom, and service elevator, but also their knowledge and could pass on assignments.

Home office and co-working can be regarded as derivatives of this alternative working and living culture; by now these models are well established in our work environment.

The approaches are not that different: Alternative creative studios that combine work, leisure time and culture are quite similar to concepts like the SOHO house. Cocktail bar, rooftop pool and bowling lane all show the same need for exchange and sociability between work phases. And they offer advantages such as social networking, shared infrastructure and flexible working.

At Fabritzke joint meals, festivities, and cultural events such as movie nights and concerts serve to practice the alternative culture, maintain friendships and continuously expand the network.

After moving the living area to the floor above, people living somewhere else were also invited to use the studio, to contribute new ideas and to get new impressions.

The Fabritzke studio and the resulting flat-sharing community 'Kater Carlo' – named after the community's pet – soon found many friends and like-minded people who also wanted to live and work this way. This led to further satellites each of which has its own character and individual living style.

A bridge that used to connect two building parts now is a room of the flat-sharing community located above Fabritzke; its occupants take turns – the 'floating' room is the most spectacular one and offers maximum privacy, however, it is also very badly insulated.

The Elysorium shows how a community of eleven individuals can manage with a minimum of space. A large table and an open elevated kitchen form the core of the large room. Individual recesses are separated more or less, depending on the need for privacy. The room is also used 'vertically' – private sleeping and living islands are suspended from the ceiling as a second level. Thanks to the innovative use and re-use of materials or components for the individual bunks and islands the energy balance of the interior design probably is exemplary.

The joint bath features one shower. As they are not a soccer team, the eleven occupants do not need to take a shower all at the same time after training sessions and can easily share the shower. This does not require a plan. Teachers, workers and freelancers all have different daily routines and can adjust to each other's routine.

The flatmates share the philosophy of using resources carefully. This includes not only the joint use of space but also the responsible handling of food and energy. The community manages with one four-plate stove top, one refrigerator, and one washing machine. Lunch and dinner are based on experience. Depending on the weather and the day of the week, there are more or fewer people at the table; a fixed time, registration or obligation is not part of the concept.

However, cooking is a joint activity; someone always takes the initiative. Fruits and vegetables come from Ortoloco - a vegetable cooperative – and from Aldi. The priorities of Ortoloco – high-quality food, fair working conditions and ecological production methods – are quite different from those of the discounter that passes on its volume-based price advantages to customers. However, the Aldi surplus is often simply thrown away – and then collected by the occupants of the Elysorium and thus still used.

The flatmates also demonstrate the hybrid use of rooms: for a time, the common room was converted into a sleeping room, in order to verify the benefits and also the drawbacks of a dormitory – after which it was converted back to a living room.

It is uncertain, how much longer the flat-sharing community in Zurich's Wild West will exist. What is clear is that a change cannot be prevented, even though the flatmates would wish so. However, there could be another option – between demolition and anarchy: hipsterization, i.e. the moving in of creative professionals such as graphic designers, photographers, architects. The flat-sharing communities could stay and the premises would be upgraded, similar to District 5. Hopefully with a more carefully planned architecture than the new buildings of the large-scale investors surrounding the Labitzke site. This would be the model of a slower capitalization – bringing benefits for everybody – but above all for the developer. Experience shows that when creative professionals move into an area, development is almost automatic and includes an accelerated return on investment.

A municipal design plan also would be beneficial for the future of the site. However, most probably the old factory will be demolished in 2013. 300 new rental flats in the medium price segment are to be constructed – which does not seem far-fetched in a city whose rate of empty apartments is close to zero.

Social housing apartments or cooperative living space are not part of the plan.

Some of the present occupants are now thinking ahead, beyond the city limits – and they will certainly once again be pioneers for innovative living and working concepts as only freethinkers can devise them.