home Remote work and freelance What are open space offices? Open space office design What does an open space office mean?

What are open space offices? Open space office design What does an open space office mean?

Not so long ago, offices of various kinds of companies, financial structures and associations resembled a closed labyrinth with many offices and endless corridors. This principle of organizing the workspace implied a clear delineation of functional areas, as well as a clear division into "dominant" and "subordinate". But is such a concept effective in modern conditions business?

Today, more and more companies - already established and just starting their activities - are striving to create the most comfortable working conditions for all team members and are designing offices according to a completely different concept: the concept of open space (or Open Space). What is good about this concept and what are its disadvantages? Let's find out together.

Benefits of Open Space Offices

First, the design of an open office allows employees to freely exchange information, discuss work plans and engage in collective discussions. The absence of walls helps to unite the team and raise the corporate spirit, which has a beneficial effect on labor productivity.

Secondly, this type of organization allows managers to more effectively control the work of subordinates. Often, office space is designed in such a way that each employee is in full view of the manager. On the one hand, this does not provide an opportunity to evade their direct duties, and on the other hand, it puts everyone on the same line, where general manager or the director work together with the team, on equal terms.

Thirdly, the interior design of an Open Space office promotes more open interaction with clients. Having entered a room where there are no walls and cramped corridors, a person does not have the slightest doubt about the honesty of the company. Every employee, every table and other interior items are visible at a glance. This is one of the main keys to building trusting relationships with clients.

Fourthly, this concept allows the most efficient use of the entire useful area of the office. Think about how much free space can be used to organize various functional areas, how many jobs can be added?! And all thanks to the absence of outlived walls and corridors.

Fifthly, open spaces allow you to design the interior according to the most modern requirements, taking into account the individual needs of companies. For example, often modern offices are equipped according to the principle of "semi-closed", where workplace each employee is separated by a low, lightweight partition (glass or plastic). This provides, on the one hand, a sense of isolation, and on the other hand, it does not create barriers to open communication and information exchange.

Another design option is an open space with a clear distribution of functional areas. Every modern office should have not only Workspace, but also a lounge, conference room, reception and other areas. To clearly define these areas, mobile or fixed partitions are installed that provide the necessary comfort and insulation.

Another popular way to design an office is a combination of open and closed areas. The organization of workplaces for ordinary employees is usually carried out according to the principle of open space, while the places for managers are protected by glass partitions (most often the entire height of the room).

Disadvantages of Open Space office space

Along with all the advantages of open spaces, the interior design of this type of office is not acceptable for every company. Why? It's all about the lack of soundproofing. The sound of keys when working at a computer, talking with clients, talking on the phone create acoustic discomfort. Such "work" noise can cause a decrease in labor efficiency, especially in activities that require increased concentration (for example, bookkeeping). Therefore, for such organizations, the most optimal solution is a combined or traditional "office" office.

The office is a place of creativity, creativity, the birth of ideas, and therefore the design of an office in the open space style has become so popular not only in the West, but also in Russia.

The concept of open space (that is, open space) in the interior design of a modern office has become popular not so long ago. " open office"passed a" run-in "in the West and today in Russia we can observe a general boom.

What is an open space office

Open plan office or open type office - the layout of the workspace, office, in which there are no walls as such. An exception can only be the offices of managers - glass walls. The transparency of the partitions supports the concept of an open office.

Office design in open space style: a single space without walls and doors

At first glance, in the office landscape, all the tables are scattered in disorder, at different angles to each other, forming work areas of different sizes and configurations. However, in reality, as the creator of open space Frank Duffy explains, in this chaos there is a clear order based on detailed study relationships between different departments and individuals.

Open space office design: horizontal management model

If in the old type of offices the chatter of employees was not encouraged, then the atmosphere of the new ones, on the contrary, encourages them to exchange views. Managers have become more united in all respects.

The abandonment of offices allowed significant savings, and a promotion does not mean more separation from the team, unless the lucky person gets a bigger table.

Pros and cons of an open space office

In the design of each space, there are both pluses and minuses. It is like the law of communicating vessels, like a medal with two sides, yin and yang. Open space is no exception. Our list outweighs the positives of working outdoors. Perhaps we have not yet fully felt all the hardships.

Advantages of open space

ease of management control;
ease of communication between employees;
lack of gossip;
maximum operational interaction between employees working on the same task;
eye contact;
democratic relations;
planning solves the issue of savings.

Cons of open space

domestic conflicts on the basis of "fresh air" - two opposing camps of the air conditioner on and off;
ease of spread of infections;
lack of personal space.

Office design in open space style: cost savings

open space office layout

An open layout is good when employees are engaged in monotonous, well-regulated, routine work (call center, technical support, etc.). If it's about creative work- open space, surprisingly, is not suitable.

It is more practical to use spacious separate rooms such as creative studios.

Office design in open space style - photo gallery

Open space office design: noise

Office design in open space style: ease of management control

Office design in open space style: ease of communication between employees

Office design in open space style: ease of spread of infections

Open space office design: eye contact

Open space office design: lack of personal space

Office design in open space style: democratic relationships

What are the features of an open space office.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of such an organization of space.
How to properly plan open space to be effective.
What rules of conduct should be observed when working in open space.

Office design in the open space format has become fashionable due to Western influence. This organization system is convenient in terms of management access to subordinates, and also saves usable building space.

Open space office: advantages and disadvantages

Open space offices have become widespread due to the benefits.

Useful space is saved. Even in a small room, you can equip jobs for a large staff. Benefit in financial plan unambiguous.
It is easier for employees to interact with each other, which contributes to the rapid resolution of issues. If the work requires efficiency, the open space office will provide it.
The activity of the staff is easy to control. People working in separate offices are often distracted by extraneous matters, and it is impossible to track this. Open space office - open, so this problem does not arise.
The principle of democracy is respected. All employees feel equal. Closed groups within the team are formed much less often or not formed at all.
The corporate spirit is preserved. People working in a single space feel like part of a whole, which has a positive effect on motivation.
In an open space office, new employees quickly join the team, as a person gets to know colleagues on the first day. A novice who is having difficulty does not need to wander around the office looking for advice from more experienced employees.
It simplifies the work with documents, since all the necessary papers can be found in one room.

The organization of an office according to the open space system is primarily beneficial for the owner of the company. No need to puzzle over how to find a separate workplace for each team member. You can simply rent one large room and install a certain number of partitions in it, especially since such re-equipment is not expensive.

However, open space offices also have disadvantages.

The noise level in them is higher than in traditional offices. When several dozen people work in the same room, it is impossible to adequately solve this problem. Constant conversations, phone calls, the sound of operating equipment do not allow employees to concentrate properly.
People experience constant stress and become irritable. Even if you forget about the surrounding noise, then the constraint and lack of personal space do not add to a good mood. This state of affairs cannot but affect productivity in the most negative way.
There is a risk of theft in an open space office. Personal belongings of employees are constantly in sight, so many may worry about the safety of property.
All sorts of conflicts are possible - even because of trifles. Someone is stuffy, and he opens the window. Another is afraid of catching a cold. All this does not contribute to a favorable atmosphere.
Infectious diseases are spreading with great speed. It is worth one employee to get sick (for example, with the flu), and the next day several people feel unwell. Special studies have confirmed that people in an open space office are more prone to illness.

Summarizing the above, we can conclude that such a system of organizing jobs allows you to save on rent, but it can have a bad effect on staff productivity.

How to increase productivity in open space

The editors of the magazine " CEO” gave recommendations that will help to properly organize open space, so that employees quickly resolve current issues, but at the same time feel comfortable and maintain high performance.

What should be the layout of an open space office

When designing an open space office and selecting furniture for it, you should pay attention to the following:

how the company positions itself in the market and what status it has;
features of its activities (here the specifics of work, relations between employees and clients, superiors and subordinates are considered);
the route along which visitors will move;
working hours of open space office employees;
possibility rational use premises;
its color scheme;
Ease of employee access to common areas.

When arranging an office in an open space format, it is best to adhere to the modular principle. This will allow you to arrange jobs very compactly and save the available space.

The working space for employees is made out with the help of add-ons and pedestals. Often several workplaces are combined in order to obtain an area for team activities. In an open space office, such zones are usually designed for three to four people. Also, such offices are necessarily equipped with rooms for negotiations and presentations. When purchasing furniture for arranging workplaces and individual premises, it is best to cooperate with a company that can not only select or produce the necessary goods, but also carry out the design itself.

All work on the design of an open space office is divided into several stages.

Design. If it is planned to make an open space office compact, for up to 10 employees, then the ring method of placing jobs is best suited here. Tables are placed around the perimeter, forming a ring. Rectangular rooms are much more common than square ones, so with such a system of arrangement in the center of the room there is enough space for the comfortable movement of employees.

When you need an average open space office (up to 30 people), there are more layout options. If there is a lot of space, and the specifics of the work involve a lot of noise, then the so-called island placement of workers is recommended. The density of people with such a layout is reduced. In situations where the cooperation of employees is required, and there is little noise in the room, a linear distribution of jobs is well suited. Tables in this case line up in rows.

If the open space office is large, the system of modules is most often used. And this is where it's best to ask for help. professional designer. Each module is a department. Between themselves, they are separated by partitions, racks or seating areas.

Furniture for such offices is usually made in high-tech style. It has a lot of different kinds of cabinets and partitions. In this case, the cabinets themselves often act as the latter. An open space office must not only look modern, but also be ergonomic. Most tables have streamlined cutouts for comfortable hand placement, as well as a special polyurethane edge, which ensures comfort and safety of use. There are often central locks on the pedestals.

Workplace equipment. A classic set of furniture for an employee is a table, an office chair and a cabinet. As an addition, a rack or cabinet acts.

Furniture must initially be provided with holes for wires, sections for laying cables, vertical or horizontal cable ducts.

As for cabinets for an open space office, it should be possible to assemble them in such a way that they perform specific tasks (for example, storing documents) and at the same time fit harmoniously into the interior. Cabinets made from various materials dimensions may also vary. But the back cover of such furniture should be aesthetically attractive: matching in color, covered with fabric, chipboard, etc. Often, offices are equipped with double-sided cabinets with a common back wall - this saves both money and space.

Glass partitions and separate cabinets. Even an open space office cannot do without equipment for meeting rooms and separate offices for top managers. Often the walls of such rooms are made of glass, and their only advantage is soundproofing. Such a design decision can be called quite controversial, as people are forced to constantly be in sight. Some are simply not able to work normally in such conditions, so it is better to use glass partitions only when organizing negotiation rooms, intended for the most part for discussions and teamwork.

Meeting rooms are often equipped with special chairs or armchairs that can be quickly folded or moved to free up space. But at the same time, we must not forget about the reliability and convenience of this type of furniture: each person has his own build and manner of sitting, and negotiations sometimes drag on for several hours. Based on this, chairs and armchairs must be chosen very carefully: to test them, as they say, personally, to evaluate all possible characteristics.

The manager's office in an open space office should look comfortable, create a sense of stability for visitors. Appropriate furniture will help with this, with massive countertops and supports, made of expensive materials and equipped with suitable fittings. In addition to working tables, cabinets should be equipped with high or low shelving (cabinets), conference tables for conferences and business meetings, briefing consoles, frigobars and coffee tables. With the help of all these elements, not only a working space and a place for negotiations, but also a recreation area are equipped in the office.

Kitchen and seating area. On the territory of large business centers there is always a cafe where office staff can have lunch. But in any case, the open space office format implies the organization special place where you can drink tea or coffee, as well as relax and spend a few minutes in silence. Such recreation areas are usually equipped with comfortable armchairs and sofas. If the office is small or medium, then the recreation area is often combined with the kitchen or not at all. Then in the room you need to put at least a small dining table or a bar with several chairs.

The main thing is that a separate room with a door should be allocated for the kitchen. In such a room, people can freely communicate without interfering with the work of other employees.

Tip 1. Make multiple jobs. If a person knows how to adapt, then a huge room with identical tables is quite suitable for him to work. But not everyone has such a gift, and therefore such conditions will adversely affect labor productivity. Most people have their own preferences. Someone is only able to work in silence, and for such a person a semi-isolated space is more suitable. Someone, on the contrary, needs active communication with colleagues, and large partitions in this case will only interfere.

Of course, the format of an open space office does not imply providing for the individual needs of each employee. Moreover, this is unlikely to be done even if desired. But it is quite possible to provide a choice of at least several options. Many companies create a library-like space in addition to the main office space. In this place it is forbidden to talk on the phone, turn on music and conduct loud conversations. An employee who needs silence and needs the opportunity to concentrate can work in such a room on his laptop.

It also makes sense to allocate a separate space and equip it with a large open table, where it will be convenient for team members to discuss issues regarding a joint project without disturbing their colleagues.

Tip 2.Plan the correct location of individual areas of the office. Keep in mind: open space office employees should not always be in the same room. In addition to the working space, you need to equip a rest room and a meeting room, as well as a place for eating. Some companies also put up a special phone booth where people can make calls without disturbing their colleagues.

All these premises must be located in such a way that employees can quickly and easily reach them. If a person who needs to talk on the phone is forced to go to a specially designated place across the hall, then he simply will not do this and will start calling from his workplace. The same can be said about the dining area. If you do not want employees to drink coffee right at their desks, you need to place the dining room as conveniently as possible.

It is quite difficult to choose the optimal option for the location of zones, and therefore it is better to entrust this matter to a professional designer. After analyzing the size, purpose and number of rooms, he will be able to offer the best way their placement. In addition, before starting work on the arrangement, it is worth consulting with the staff. After all, these people will work in an open space office, and therefore they can suggest the most convenient location for themselves.

Tip 3.Do not give preference to high partitions. Partitions are usually put up to create at least some semblance of privacy for people. But if the walls are too high, then this will be one of the reasons for the increase in the noise level in the office. The fact is that people who do not see the faces of their neighbors tend to believe that these partitions also do a good job of isolating sound, and therefore you can talk quite loudly on the phone. In fact, this is far from the case. Low partitions or their absence make employees behave more restrained - after all, a person can be heard and seen by everyone around.

Tip 4.Set rules of conduct. Each area in the office is dedicated to specific purpose. And in each room you need to behave accordingly. For example, the main workspace is not intended for loud conversations - on the phone or during a collective discussion of any issues. Laptops are not allowed in the dining area. The meeting room is not a place to drink tea or listen to music.

If employees need to communicate in the main open space office, then an internal chat can be used for this. On the one hand, it is convenient for the staff: there is no need to go to the other end of the hall to solve some issue. On the other hand, managers can always expose people who are engaged in idle chatter instead of work.

It would be nice to introduce a conditional signal that any employee can give if he is busy with an important matter and cannot be distracted. Such a sign, for example, can be headphones worn on the head or special usb indicators on laptops. The red indicator in this case means busy, green - readiness for communication.

Tip 5Decorate the room with vegetation. It has long been proven that living plants that are close to people in the most positive sense affect labor productivity. And open space office employees are no exception. The presence of such “green support” makes decision making easier, response to complex tasks faster, and the number of errors made is less. Many advanced companies do not just decorate their offices with vegetation, but set up entire parks and gardens indoors, often allocating a separate floor or roof of the building for this. A person who has the opportunity to visit such a garden at any time and spend some time there works better and more productively after that.

Of course, not every company can afford such expenses. But decorating each room of an open space office with living plants is not so expensive. Tall pots of herbs are easy to place on windowsills and even just on the floor. At the same time, it will not be difficult to choose plants that do not need special care. Wipe the leaves from time to time and water the soil can be charged to the cleaning lady. Such green spaces will not only give strength to the employees of the open space office, but also ennoble the room, make it more lively and bright.

Tip 6Do not forget about jobs for superiors. Often, while people are working in the common room, company executives are sitting in separate offices. But in order to merge with the team and control the work process, the authorities also sometimes need to be present in the open space. This does not mean that the need for personal account disappears - just a few hours a day you need to be among subordinates. Or you can set aside a full day for this a couple of times a week.

Such a mode of work will allow the leader to be closer to the team, to better understand the activities of the team. Knowing the strengths and weak sides workflow, it is easier to find ways to optimize it.

Tip 7.Don't be afraid to experiment. It is almost impossible to find the ideal open space format for employees working for the company on the first try. Each team has its own characteristics, people have their own needs and preferences. A manager who truly cares about the staff will not once and for all approve the working conditions. After certain intervals, they should be changed - and see how this affects the mood and performance of subordinates.

There are many options for organizing an open space office. Workplaces can be arranged both facing each other, and in the form of a "locomotive". Tables can be arranged in clear rows, in the form of a labyrinth, or even randomly. The number of people sitting at one table can also vary. Only by working in different formats, people will be able to understand which one suits them best.

5 rules of conduct in an open space office

Daria Solovieva, Director of Human Resources, KPMG in Russia and the CIS, Moscow

People working in open spaces are required to follow certain rules of conduct. If this is not done, then about comfortable cooperation and productive work out of the question.

Each employee must have enough space - both for work and for storing documents and personal belongings. Otherwise, the tables will be a mess. It has long been known that the feeling of chaos reduces performance.
A person should always feel comfortable - including at the workplace. Partitions in an open space office will protect employees from excessive noise and walking behind them. Not bad if the windows of the room offer a beautiful view. We have windows like this around the perimeter of the hall.
There must be more than one person in an open space office the meeting room, but a few. This allows you to convene meetings without disturbing the rest of the company. Also, you can not do without a separate kitchen and recreation area. People should be able to sit in comfortable chairs, relax and talk to each other on abstract topics.
Office equipment in the common room should be located as compactly as possible and as far as possible from workplaces. It is even better to separate it with a partition so that the noise of printers and faxes does not interfere with the activities of employees.
Sound mobile phones workers should keep it to a minimum or turn it off altogether. A loud call melody (especially long if the owner is not in place) greatly interferes with the work of others.

H. Owen is considered the creator of the technology.

The basis of the technology is very simple and clear - there are 4 rules.

1. Everyone who is here and now is the right people.
2. Everything that will happen is what had to happen.
3. Any start time is the right time.
4. The process ends itself.

And there is one important law: If you suddenly realize that a situation has developed around you in which you are experiencing difficulty, and you do not see the opportunity to learn something or teach others, then you can decide to change the situation, for example, move to a neighboring group.

Purpose: Organization of a self-organizing process of the group, which is aimed at finding a solution to a specific problem of a functional unit or company as a whole.

Used in situations where:

It is urgent to find a solution to the problem;
- the issue is complex and requires a lot of resources to solve it;
- a global business problem has matured in the company, in the resolution of which all employees are interested;
- there are significant status and age differences in the team;
- when a large group of employees needs to answer many private questions or find solutions to problems within the same topic.

Members:
Sponsor - the one to whom the result of the discussion is important, sets the topic.
Facilitator - coordinates the work of the groups, starts and ends the discussion process. Participants are all those who are interested in the discussion.

Process:
An important advantage of the "Open Space" technology is the collection a large number opinions on a given topic in a short period of time.

In addition, team members develop a sense of belonging to the process and cohesion.

The central point is the formulation of the topic, which should sound bright and interesting, inspire the participants.

1. Collaboration begins with getting to know each other. Next, the topic is announced.
2. Creation of a free atmosphere of creativity;
3. The work of self-organized groups; participants independently allocate time, allocate stages of work. Group members may work in groups of five, in pairs, others may consist of ten or more people. Some participants, as a rule, move from one group to another.
4. Each group itself sums up, gives recommendations for solving the problem and presents them to everyone else on the “news board”;
5. Planning and goal setting;
6. Completion, exchange of experience and impressions.

Open space is a fruitful and effective interaction, strengthening and improving what already exists in the company: planning and action, development and improvement, taking responsibility for decisions, participation and implementation of plans.

According to legend, open jobs were invented by Potemkin. The statesman was dissatisfied with the laziness of the serfs, and therefore gave a decree on the special placement of outbuildings. They were erected in such a way that the manager could observe the work of each serf. However, open space gained wide popularity only in the middle of the 20th century in America. In the 21st century, 90% of American workers work in this type of office. On the this moment open space is becoming more and more common in Russia. Despite the demand, disputes about their expediency do not subside. Some believe that open workplaces provide a corporate spirit, others that they reduce the productivity of employees.

What is open space?

Open space - a special layout of the office space. All employees are accommodated in one large room. Workplaces are separated from each other by a thin partition. Tables are placed in rows. You can imagine what open space looks like by remembering American films with demonstrations of offices. Most often, they present exactly open space.

Advantages

What is the secret of the widespread use of open space? Their undoubted advantages:

Space saving. A small space can accommodate many employees. No need to rent a large area. The economic benefit for the employer is undeniable.
Quick communication between employees. All business issues are resolved promptly. In order to contact a colleague with a request or a question, you do not need to run around different offices. This is especially important when working with speed.
Possibility of simple control over the work of employees. People who remain in a separate room tend to be distracted from work. The manager has virtually no way to track such unauthorized rest. The open office completely solves this problem. Employees do not have a chance to postpone work.
Democracy. In this way, equality of all employees is ensured. The probability of the formation of closed communities is reduced.
Preservation of the corporate spirit. The common space creates a single working spirit, which has a beneficial effect on motivation.
Easy onboarding of new employees. Beginners can quickly. A person on the first day gets acquainted with his colleagues. If a beginner has problems, he can turn to experienced employees for all questions without unnecessary wandering around the organization.
Ease of workflow. All documents are in one room, and therefore you do not have to look for them in all rooms.

First of all, open space is beneficial to the owner of the organization. The employer does not need to allocate a separate workplace for each employee. It is enough to rent one large room and divide it into zones using partitions. The cost of the latter will not hit the company's budget.

disadvantages

Open space has many disadvantages:

Increased noise level. Several dozen workers in one room is constant noise. Phone calls, conversations of employees, noise from office equipment - all this can literally drive you crazy. It is extremely difficult for an employee to concentrate in such a stressful environment.
constant stress. Lack of personal space, crampedness and noise are all factors that provoke stress and irritability. Of course, this negatively affects performance.
The risk of theft. All personal belongings of employees (phones, handbags) are on public display. This can cause employees to fear that they will not count their property.
Probability of conflicts. One person prefers to sit with an open window, the other is cold. Such trifles cause conflicts between colleagues, create a tense atmosphere.
Rapid spread of infectious diseases. All bacteria, infections and viruses are quickly transmitted from employee to employee. According to studies, people are more likely to get sick in open space.

The employer wins in savings on rent, but loses in the productivity of his employees.

What do the employees themselves say?

Open space has been operating for a long time, and therefore a lot of research has already appeared regarding working in them. Consider the results of some:

56% of employees say they lack personal space.
55% of employees do not like the temperature in the room.
60% is missing silence.

Some studies prove that open space increases the stress level of employees and provokes conflicts. Employees working in open office space are diagnosed with high blood pressure. In addition, there is a high turnover of staff in such offices.

How to increase the productivity of employees in open space?

The leader can level the shortcomings of open space, using the following recommendations:

Diverse workspace. It is not recommended to standardize workplaces, because each employee has his own individual needs. Some places need to be well isolated, small partitions are placed between other tables. The employee can choose the place that best suits his needs.
Proper placement of common areas. Jobs alone will not be enough to solve everyday problems. It is also required to install a large table for joint discussions, provide a rest room, a dining area. All these rooms should be in close proximity to the main workspace.
No high barriers. It seems that installing high partitions will solve the issue of personal space. However, this is an erroneous opinion. Employees working behind "high walls" will feel like they are alone in the room. This will increase the noise level. Workers in such conditions do not keep silence, they talk loudly.
Approval of rules of conduct. Rules may include a ban on loud conversations, music. Employees should be encouraged to use internal chat more often. You can set a special signal that the employee does not need to be disturbed at the moment.
More plants. It has been proven that living vegetation in the workplace reduces stress levels, increases productivity and focus on work tasks, and creates a favorable atmosphere.
Placement of workplaces of managers in a common space. As a rule, managers are located in a separate office. However, this is not quite the right policy. Firstly, the manager will not be able to fully control the work of his employees, and secondly, he will be cut off from the team, will not be able to timely identify the weaknesses of the workflow.

The manager should be interested in the truthful opinion of his employees in order to innovate in accordance with the real needs of the team.

Increasing comfort in the common space is not only the task of the manager, but also of the employees. Employees can use the following guidelines:

Each person can arrange a comfortable personal space. To do this, you can get headphones, place photos, your favorite decorative trinkets on your table.
It is not recommended to eat at the workplace, as well as to use perfume with a pungent odor. A mixture of aromas can cause discomfort to roommates.
Even if the head did not give special orders, you must follow general rules courtesy: speak more quietly, reduce the sound of the phone.

The joint efforts of the owner of the organization and employees will help to make even open space comfortable for work.