Seventy percent of businesses have embraced open-office plans, according to one study. But though uncluttered spaces might look cool, does more work actually get done?
SPACE Architecture and Design founder Tom Niemeier believes that some businesses, such as creative endeavors, can benefit from the open-office model, but he cautions that the unfettered office isn’t a one-room-fits-all solution. Though it encourages collaboration, distractions can abound. He suggests low cubicle walls that delineate individual spaces, allowing people to personalize their work areas.
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The Donald Danforth Plant Center’s newest building, for instance, will incorporate open-plan principles, including glass-walled labs that will put “science on display” and functional “collision” paths that will bring workers into contact as they traverse the building.
