How many workers can I accommodate in my office?

Having been in the corporate fit-out space since 1997, we have received many design briefs, met many clients and attended countless locations across Australia for site tours where key stakeholders presented their visions for their workspaces.

It’s safe to say that most businesses now demand an open area where they can accommodate more staff, increase productivity, and save more than 20% on overhead. We have also seen a notable increase in the ratio of open plan areas to total floor space.

We can attest that the question “How many workers can I fit in my office?” is a question we simply don’t hear from professional companies. Open planning is a prerequisite, so the question is “How can I design a space that my staff enjoy working in and that increases our collaboration and productivity?”

The open plan workspace is not a new concept. In the early 21st century, companies would consolidate task workers in common areas.

In the 1940s, open planning was commonplace in the banking, insurance, and media industries, with large open office spaces housing most office workers.

The benefits of the open plan workspace, when implemented well, far outweigh the disadvantages and include:

employee morale – open offices can be designed to encourage positive social interaction, collaboration, organizational culture and a sense of community;

cost efficiency – open plan offices save more than 20% on overhead costs and by selecting the right type of furniture, office planners can maximize usable space;

environmental friendly – open office spaces are greener as they provide much more lighting and ventilation, allowing for efficiencies in heating and cooling;

productivity – Open plan offices have been statistically proven to facilitate increased productivity. A 1996 study by the Harvard Business Review demonstrated productivity increases within organizations of up to 440%;

The design challenge of open space planning is simply not new. However, we continue to optimize and improve our workspace environments making use of advances in technology and communications.

Additionally, the options available for designing, configuring, and installing workstations and office furniture in open plan office spaces address most concerns. Work stations:

Workstations can be optimized to accommodate small or large groups of domain-based workers and can be configured to fit most office layouts;

Workstation sizes now accommodate the physical space needs of all types of white-collar professionals, from data entry clerks to executive managers;

Workstations are now designed to maximize actual allocated m2 space per person and privacy concerns are addressed without the need for intimidating dividing screens that create cube-shaped spaces;

Partitions, screens and dividers are much more functional and can play an important role in calming the environment while offering employees a sense of privacy without reducing the value of collaboration.

Accessories, upgrades and add-ons such as additional storage, shelving, power and data cabling have boosted profitability and often give employees more spaces that can be customized.

Fixtures, fixtures, occasional furniture and dedicated collaboration spaces complement an open space office and are instrumental in creating a mood, giving workers dedicated spaces for quiet time, small meetings and dealing with noise pollution.