The Evolution Of Office Layouts From Cubicles To Coworking Spaces

The evolution of office layouts from cubicles to coworking spaces

The design of office spaces has changed significantly from its corporate beginnings, which focused more on productivity, to flexible open-plan spaces which are human-centred and place a greater emphasis on employee wellbeing.

The beginnings of bullpen offices

While we think of open-plan offices as a more modern trend, the open-plan office actually predates the cubicle. These ‘bullpen’ offices often featured employees working all together in one space without any partitions, supervised by a manager who sat in a private office to observe. Though this design encouraged open employee communication, it came with the challenge of a lack of personal space or privacy for calls and meetings, and difficulty in providing various levels of management.

Creating the classic cubicle

The office cubicle was therefore introduced in 1964 by designer Robert Propst, to create privacy for employees with an aim to increase productivity by preventing distractions, and remained a staple in many offices throughout the next few decades. This is why when we think of office’s, we often picture a plain grey room with rows of cubicles and harsh fluorescent lighting, rather than a welcoming space which promotes creativity.

Employees often did their best to personalise their cubicles and make them more homely, such as hanging up photos and bringing in plants. Yet with natural light blocked by partitions, an increase in fluorescent lighting and cramped conditions led to a decrease in employee satisfaction and wellbeing. Employees felt more isolated as it was harder to have open communication and naturally engage in collaborative conversations.

The movement to flexible working

The dissatisfaction with the cubicle led to the trend that we see today, with the resurgence of the open plan workspace with the introduction of flexible working options which continuously adapt to meet employee’s changing needs. By creating physical spaces which are more flexible, this also allows for new ways of working to take into account people’s changing lifestyles.

Flexible ways of working include:

●      Hot desking, which is where employees do not have their own designated desk and instead can work from any available desk in an office. This is a suitable option for companies who have a mix of employees working in the office, hybrid, or remote, coming into the office at different times.

●      Hybrid or remote working, which gives employees the option to come into the office if they are able or would like to, but also supports them to work completely remotely if this best supports their needs.

●      Coworking spaces are a neutral workspace where individuals from different companies, different teams within the same company, or freelance workers, can come together to collaborate, share expertise and inspire creativity.

Flexible work spaces provide a range of areas to meet different needs, from open plan to breakout rooms, meeting areas and lounge spaces.

Introducing innovation at Offiss

At Offiss, we believe that an office should be more than just four white walls and should be an environment which inspires you, allows you to network, and improves work-life balance.

We have designed Offiss to optimise the wellbeing of our tenants and co workers through bright colours to promote relaxation and creativity, a games machine and Peloton bike to encourage tenants to have fun and relax, meeting pods for brainstorming sessions, and lounge areas with comfortable furniture to unwind.

We offer both permanent and completely flexible working spaces, whether it’s for a day, a week, a month, or a year. With fully serviced private offices, dedicated co-working spaces, lounge areas, and meeting pods, our office layout provides our Offiss Family Members with the perfect custom space to meet their goals.

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