The Evolution of Office Design

If you’ve ever watched the show, Mad Men, you understand just how much the American office has changed. Office design evolves as needs change, and we are right on the brink of yet another shift. Let’s take a look at some different office layouts over the years.

Cellular Space

These are spaces with walled offices or very partitioned high-walled work stations. Typically an individual is assigned to a particular space, and there are very few, if any, common areas. A huge down-side to this type of layout is that you need quite a bit of space to accommodate each employee in their own station. Plus, communication can be difficult. You have plenty of privacy, but not a lot of opportunity to collaborate.

Open Plan

Due to the overly restrictive nature of the cellular space layouts, a more open style office became very appealing. People still have assigned work areas, but there are few partitions or dedicated offices. Many companies made the switch to this type of office design, and are sticking with it. A fully open office can work for a lot of applications, but there are benefits to adding some privacy.

Open Plan + Support

The first of the balanced office design layouts, this style of office still has assigned work areas that are mostly open but also offers some communal support areas like conference rooms. Glass walls keep the space feeling open. Still, distractions can be hard to overcome in a open office. However this layout does offer more flexibility to employees.

Hybrid Mobility

Recognizing the need for more flexibility, a hybrid office design is a mix of assigned and unassigned workstations as well as support areas. One great advantage of a hybrid layout is that you can really start to cut down on square footage. You’ll need roughly half as much space as a full cellular space design.

Full Mobility

At the top of the trend is the fully mobile office. These are still pretty rare, but becoming more popular. Work areas take on the look often seen in hospitality – more residential style furniture. Stations are unassigned, and employees can work wherever they choose. Support spaces are available for meetings or when more privacy is required.

Wherever you are on the spectrum ROSI can help you design the perfect office layout to suit your needs. Contact us for a free consultation!