There are some very obvious benefits too in terms of rapidity of feedback and collaboration between employees.
As we are moving to a new office, what are some best practices to design it so we can get the max benefits?
Here are some of the things we did:
- Desks are all in rooms with at most 10 desks in it. Most rooms are smaller and have ~5 desks in them. All these rooms are completely sealed off with sound proofed walls. The temperature can be controlled in each room.
- Throughout the office there are so called phone booths. Relatively small booths, good for quick calls. A single booth fits two people. All booths are completely sound proof. You could yell in there and nobody would hear you.
- Flooring is solid. Rolling your chair around or walking around does not produce a lot of noise.
- Water coolers everywhere. You're not far from a glass of cold (mineral) water.
- Lots of natural light. All windows are from the ceiling to the floor and all the rooms with desks are at these big windows.
There are some pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/todorcosminstudio/posts/24735875227...
The pictures don't show the working spaces very well, just the communal spaces that are all separated from where people have their desks.
A benefit like this is part of the office design. Every company I've worked at that's had an open office plan had this kind of benefit as standard for all employees.
If you like the rapid feedback and collaboration, have you thought about ways to encourage that without having an open office? Maybe have some collaboration work zones, some cubicle pits, and a really attractive kitchen area with free snacks/drinks that makes people want to hang out sometimes. Perhaps let everyone have a dedicated desk, but lots of flexibility to work in different parts of the office. I've heard Valve desks are all on wheels so people can move them anywhere they want.
It may help others answer better if they know how many people in the company and what departments are going into this office.
shoji screens are interesting but don't have much in terms of noise cancellation.
we are currently thinking precisely as you mentioned - private areas with central collaboration pits or areas. the value thing sounds interesting - will check it out.
Here is valve's handbook, http://www.valvesoftware.com/company/Valve_Handbook_LowRes.p...
Ideally you would want a way for engineers to have private spaces but also have team rooms. That takes a lot of floor space so open-ish cubes surrounding an open space closed off from other spaces is a likely solution.
Attempt at ascii design:
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| C | C | C |
| |
| open Door
| |
| C | C | C |
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The walls should be above your head when standing, so a sit-stand desk isn't noticeable to neighbors (let alone stare at them).
sit-stand desks.