Open space in the office: what is it and how to work effectively in such an office. Open space in the office - what is it

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. The “open office” has been “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 office open type- 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 open space creator Frank Duffy explains, there is a clear order hidden in this chaos, based on a detailed study of the relationship between various 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 rejection 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 we are talking 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

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Anastasia Makarenko and Irina Bykova, specialists from the EcoStandard group environmental certification department, talk about the mistakes companies make in office organization, how to create a comfortable environment for everyone working space and why the United States, the main ideologist of the concept of open space, is gradually abandoning it.

In the modern metropolis there are many formats labor activity- production, field and remote work, service sector. Each of them assumes different kinds organization of workspaces. The office has been the most common over the past 50 years.

An office worker spends on average about nine hours a day at work (although sometimes much more). 170 hours a month, 2040 hours a year, which add up to 71,400 hours over a lifetime with an experience of 35 years. That's eight years! Just imagine, for eight years of your life you have been in the workplace, and not just being there, but working more or less hard.

With such figures, it is obvious that the high-quality organization of office space is very important for the health and success of employees, and hence the prosperity of the company. A modern office should be safe for employees, contribute to productive and comfortable (including psychological) work, minimize negative environmental impact, and be aesthetically attractive.

Advantages and disadvantages of open space

For Russia, for a long time, the traditional office format was the cabinet-corridor type, but over time, more and more companies began to switch to open space.

For the employees of any firm, a sense of community is important, allowing them to feel part of something larger than day-to-day duties and tasks. It is difficult to promote the concept of teamwork when your employees spend all day in separate rooms often without being able to openly communicate with each other. The sense of camaraderie in open offices is more developed, which in turn helps boost company morale and gives employees an extra boost to achieve success and have a positive attitude towards their goals and projects.

In the United States, where the market economy and competition thrive, open space has been the most popular office format for many years. However, today it is increasingly possible to hear that this concept is becoming obsolete in its pure form. It is unlikely that it will completely disappear in the near future, but many companies, especially in the West, are returning to office solutions, where each employee has his own, albeit small, personal space.

Basically, this approach is chosen by companies operating in the field of technology, finance and pharmaceuticals. For example, at the headquarters of Bayer U.S. in the city of Wippany, New Jersey, each group of 12 people is provided with its own separate space. At Facebook's New York office, employees can work privately in a quiet "library" that's been set up for individual work.

What is it connected with? One of the reasons why most employees enjoy working in a typical small office with four walls and doors is the ability to focus on the task at hand. The constant distractions that are inevitable in open space cause us to lose focus many times a day, which takes up to 20 minutes to recover.

In addition, work in open space offices negatively affects our memory, the ability to remember and retain information. This is especially evident in the so-called hot-desking offices, where people can freely move around the office with a laptop, choosing any convenient place to work. Of course, this organization of the office has its advantages: employees get the opportunity to interact more with each other, and at the same time they can move from the zone of active teamwork to a more secluded and calm place at any time.

However, we are able to remember more information when we are in one place. It's not so obvious in Everyday life, but we "upload" memories by associating them with our environment. It may be small, but important details. For example, an idea might come to you from a cursory glance at some item on your desktop.

The most destructive effect of open space for many office workers is noise. University of Sydney professors have found that about 50% of employees in fully open-plan offices and about 60% of employees in low-walled offices are dissatisfied with their "audio privacy". At the same time, among employees of traditional, individual offices, only 16% of respondents expressed such dissatisfaction. Respondents were also asked to rate their level of satisfaction with 14 different indoor climate factors in offices, such as temperature, air quality, noise levels, etc. The level of satisfaction of employees of private offices was significantly higher than that of open space employees.

Interestingly, the most socially active millennial generation seems oblivious to the noise in open-plan workspaces. According to surveys of office workers in Finland, those of the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s see the same disadvantages of open-plan offices - noise, distractions, lack of privacy - as older generations. But they strongly believe that the opportunities for networking, teamwork, or getting help and sharing experiences with colleagues outweigh the negatives.

One of the main arguments in favor of an open office, in addition to the lower cost of organizing such a space, is the assertion that such offices increase the level of cooperation between team members. In fact, we rarely generate good ideas, talking about trifles, as is usually the case in open space.

People really communicate with each other more in an open office, but, unfortunately, this is an informal communication, mostly unrelated to working moments. We still book meeting rooms to discuss important business issues and brainstorm, despite the claimed effectiveness of open space as a means of increasing the level of communication between employees. We work most efficiently, no matter what, when we have the opportunity to fully concentrate on business. We can work in noisy spaces, but the quality of the work, the final product will be much lower than if we worked alone.

Now in many companies, in order not to completely abandon the concept of open space, they are experimenting with the so-called quiet rooms - small rooms in which you can work on an important project in seclusion for several hours. Some companies prefer to create small offices for departments and teams of a few (3-16) people.

A good solution is to create two types of workspaces: open "rooms" where you can freely interact with colleagues, and secluded small spaces for focused work or a phone call. Such rooms should be small, for one person or a small group. They can have a desk and a chair.

Some furniture manufacturers - such as Steelcase - even offer special series of furniture for "introverts", which in companies average from a third to a half of the team. Some companies even arrange special rooms for relaxation, light exercise or meditation.

Steelcase solution for "introverts". Photo: Steelcase

Technology also comes to the rescue - in some offices, sensors are installed that monitor noise levels, air temperature and the level of workload of a particular space. In turn, employees through a special application can find the quietest and most comfortable place in the office for productive work.

So let's recap. The concept of open space has its advantages:

ease of organization of work, fast communication and information exchange.

optimization of expenses for rent and repair of premises.

reducing the cost of equipment and equipping workplaces.

development of team spirit and team building.

the ability to track the progress of employees in work - they are always in sight.

• a sense of shared responsibility between employees and a reduction in psychological pressure on them, which contributes to creativity and productivity.

employees have a higher willingness to cooperate compared to individual offices.

the ability to quickly discuss work issues without wasting time on correspondence / calls.

However, the open office has enough disadvantages:

difficulties in providing comfortable conditions for all employees.

increased noise level.

concentration difficulty.

lack of privacy and confidentiality.

lack of view from the window of some employees.

visible homogeneous environment - an uncomfortable visual environment, which is characterized by the absence of visual compositional structures that attract attention.

open offices can be a breeding ground for germs and infections, which increases the risk of infection during seasonal colds.

Common mistakes in organizing an open space office

Can open space be called the optimal type of office arrangement? Provided that healthy and comfortable conditions are provided and there are areas for informal communication and individual work, perhaps yes. If the room is too noisy, stuffy, fussy and uncomfortable, and employees can only go out for a smoke to relax, such an office will obviously not meet the principles of modern and optimal.

For your open space to be a safe, healthy and comfortable work environment, you need to avoid the most common mistakes companies make:

the inability of employees to control the parameters of the environment (heating, ventilation and air conditioning).

presence of noisy equipment.

lack of measures to reduce noise.

thoughtless lighting.

irrational site planning.

ill-conceived visual design.

irrational combination of departments (for example, a noisy sales department and concentrated accounting).

excessive space saving, creating a feeling of clutter.

lack of other areas for work and communication.

How to organize open space?

To minimize all the risks listed above, the following measures are recommended to create a comfortable space in an open office.

First, provide employees with the ability to control the indicators of the internal environment - temperature, humidity, air conditioning. For this you will need:

thermostats on radiators, convectors.

air conditioner controls.

individual diffusers in the workplace.

fans and openable windows.

Second, install a quality supply ventilation and provide air conditioning. This will provide benefits such as:

the supply of fresh air to the premises in the required quantity.

minimization of pollution sources (cigarette smoke, CO2, particulate matter).

control of the level of CO2 in the air of premises with a large number of workplaces.

It also makes sense to mount an air flow control device in the supply systems and install devices for disinfecting the room from microbes and viruses - for example, bactericidal irradiators-recirculators of the DEZAR series.

Thirdly, keep an eye on the level of illumination and the view from the window. In open space should be implemented:

zone or sequential switching on/off of light.

the presence of individual light sources in the workplace.

providing daylight and views from the windows.

separate control/lighting for window/atrium workstations.

control of glare and direct sunlight from the window (installation of blackout curtains).

Fourth, minimize noise - this will increase the psychological comfort of employees. For this you need:

provide remoteness of office equipment from workplaces.

consider installing mobile or fixed partitions.

implement “silence rooms” and meeting rooms using soundproof materials.

creation of informal communication zones to build trust and create an atmosphere of psychological comfort for workers - in such places people should be able to be alone with themselves or work in a small group.

those who want to give the opportunity to work remotely in order to reduce the number of people in open space; this will help many employees focus on a complex project.

allow employees to take a day off for health reasons for 1-2 days without sick leave to avoid the spread of the virus among colleagues.

Finally, fifthly, take care of a pleasant and comfortable interior. Has the meaning:

rationally and conveniently organize the storage of documents, folders and archives, while taking into account appearance storage.

to provide for the comfort and aesthetics of the visual design of the office, to create a diverse and eye-pleasing environment.

Good example

An example of a well-planned open space is the Mars office in Moscow. In 2016, he received the LEED Gold certification, with the EcoStandard group acting as a consultant during the certification process.

Mars office - sample successful combination common workspaces and other types of areas intended for recreation or individual work. It also provides a special room for cats and created conditions for employees' dogs. Mars is one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the world. The pet friendly office is an important aspect of the company's corporate culture. Employees can come with their dogs on any day of the week, having previously obtained a special pet pass.

What else can be done?

In addition to the organization of open space, it is important not to forget about the correctness and comfort of organizing each individual workplace: about the ergonomics of the table, armchair, monitor and computer, about the level of lighting and optimal microclimate parameters. These factors must be taken into account in any type of office.

To analyze the current situation, the development of the company and monitor the mood in the team, it is advisable to conduct periodic anonymous surveys of employees about their satisfaction with working conditions.

Not so long ago offices different kind 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 today's business environment?

Today, more and more companies - already established and just starting their activities - are striving to create the most comfortable conditions for the work of all team members and design 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 a par, where the chief manager or director works 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 relationship 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 a working area, but also a lounge, a conference room, a reception area 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 work 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.

Open space offices are gaining more and more popularity. An open space in which all employees sit together as if school desks created a new format of office space with its pluses and minuses. Why is open space so loved in the world? What are the disadvantages of open offices, and how to work effectively when a colleague is talking on the phone next to you? Let's try to understand all the intricacies of this type of plating.

Open space in the office - what is it?

Open space offices were designed by architecture student Frank Duffy. The first attempts to create a common working space were made by Prince Potemkin, in the course of designing a site for economic and social events. In Russian companies, the open space style appeared in the mid-1990s. Today it is an efficient single workspace for office workers. His distinguishing feature- this is the absence of separate offices (only managers have offices).

Advantages of the open space office format

1. Comfortable interaction between colleagues. It is much more convenient to contact a specialist when he is sitting nearby, rather than looking for him in separate rooms. So you can assess the level of his busyness at the moment, and not distract him if he is busy.
2. Prompt solution to any issue. Most of the processes take place in the same room, and it is not difficult to contact a colleague from another department, so that urgent tasks are solved on time.
3. Profitability. Open type offices require lower costs, while they are more spacious than classic office space, due to a larger usable area ratio.
4. Psychological barriers between colleagues. Regular communication contributes to a more comfortable and inviting atmosphere in the team, people are less embarrassed and feel freer in the work environment.
5. Work control. It is much more convenient for management to control the activities of the staff when everyone is in full view of each other.
6. No gossip. There are no conversations behind closed doors, everyone is in the same room. Due to the fact that everyone is in the same room, the likelihood of gossip is reduced.
7. Awareness. Due to the fact that many work processes are solved without closed doors, and in plain sight, employees better understand the direction of the company, its goals and methods to achieve them.

Disadvantages of an open plan office space

1. In spite of positive sides open space workspace, there are a number of shortcomings, due to which many companies have not been able to abandon the offices of the cabinet layout.
2. Lack of personal space. No matter how wonderful and friendly the team is, everyone needs privacy.
3. Noise. The key disadvantage of open space is the constant noise: someone is talking on the phone, someone is discussing important issues with a colleague, and the printer is still working nearby and three phones are ringing. For many, extraneous noise is a serious distraction.
4. Higher likelihood of conflict. The constant presence in one office is not only able to unite the team, but also provoke a lot of disagreements, which greatly affects the working atmosphere. What is the eternal sport of those who are cold with those who are hot.
5. Higher risk of getting an infection. Viral and infectious diseases spread quickly enough that there is a high chance of getting infected from a sick employee, especially when you are in the same room.

Working in open space: how not to lose efficiency

Proper organization of an open-type office space is able to preserve the positive properties of the premises and not lose working efficiency.

• Firstly, a single space can be divided into separate zones using partitions, furniture arrangement and color solution. In this way, different departments can be separated from each other. A kitchen would also be a big advantage for an office with a shared work area.
• Secondly, set aside a separate meeting area where employees can discuss important issues and take phone calls without disturbing others.
• Thirdly, the thoughtful interior of the office. We do not recommend using bright gaudy colors, variegated coloring or too many additional accessories. All these things are great fans and can distract from work, but the plants, on the contrary, set you up for productive activity and are pleasing to the eye.
• Fourth, if possible, place office equipment as far away from desktops as possible, this will save unnecessary noise and anxiety.
• And, fifthly, be sure to stipulate all the rules of behavior for employees in the office.

Rules of conduct in the open space office

Of course, it is impossible to completely eliminate all the disadvantages of open space, but they can be significantly minimized. To do this, it is necessary to form your own pool of rules, which each employee must comply with. Such a set of norms will discipline the team, which will significantly reduce dissatisfaction with each other and create a more conducive environment for work.

Here are just some of the rules of conduct in open space:

• You should not solve personal issues on the phone in front of the whole team. In this case, it is better to go outside, to the meeting room or to the dining room.
• Do not eat at the workplace, especially foods with a rich flavor.
• Buy earplugs or listen to music with headphones so you don't get distracted by extraneous sounds.
• Speak quietly, do not distract colleagues from work.

When hiring, each employee is interested in how his workplace looks like. Proper organization of the workspace affects the mood of employees, their work activity, which is important for the company. Recently, a completely new office organization has gained popularity - open-space. What is an open-space office and what are its advantages - about this in our review.

Openness and access

An open-space office is the organization of employees' workplaces in one open area that does not have walls. Visual separators working area low partitions made of glass, wood, plastic stand out for one employee. The absence of walls contributes to the cohesion of the team, the sociability of employees and the participation of the leader in most working moments. Constant negotiations, discussion of work issues, printing of documents - the work of such an office resembles the hum of a large hive of bees.

Open-space offices have their own rules that allow employees to feel more comfortable. They are created collectively and everyone must adhere to them. office workers. For example, this applies to eating at the workplace or talking loudly on the phone.

In addition to the working area, open-space offices are equipped with additional premises:

• Kitchen area. Here, employees warm up food, drink tea or coffee during their lunch break.
• Separate room. The room is closed from the common area and is intended for employees to stay in silence and rest.
• Entertainment room. During the break, employees have the opportunity to do their favorite hobby - play chess, ping-pong, air hockey. The presence of an entertainment room helps employees to escape from routine work and resume their duties with renewed vigor after a break.

The presence of an entertainment room helps employees to escape from routine work and resume their duties with renewed vigor after a break.

It's comfortable and functional

The fashion trend for open-space offices came to us from the West. Modern business centers are increasingly using this model of workspace organization, because it saves building space and is convenient for management to access. In addition, the advantages of open-space for the work of the company as a whole are obvious, namely:

• The design of an "open" office allows colleagues to exchange the necessary information without wasting time on the way to the office.
• The productivity of employees increases - the absence of partitions contributes to their cohesion and unification.
• It is easier for management to control the work of subordinates, because each employee is in sight.
• Clients trust companies with open-space office organization more. At the sight of open space and accessibility, the client has no doubts about the honesty of the company and the "transparency" of its services.
• Employees are less distracted by extraneous matters, as they are under constant supervision.

The open-space office is a modern and fashionable trend that allows the company to keep up with the times and take advantage of this model of office space organization. Among the shortcomings of open-space offices, one can single out a strong psycho-emotional stress of employees, as they are in constant noise. A kind of “communal apartment” in the workplace annoys some workers, contributes to fatigue and constant distraction. This affects the efficiency of their work and leads to constant