From Then to Now: How Office Designs Have Changed?

Business life has changed a lot in the past fifty years. Technology, globalisation and modern culture have all impacted the business world. But how have our offices changed over this time? We investigate the evolution of the modern office space.

From Cubicles to Open-plan

Cubicles were standard in shared offices way up until the nineties. Officers felt like old school libraries, where workers would toil in silence, confined to their hidden sectioned space. Luckily, modern companies discovered employees were happier and mentally healthier if they could interact with each other. Hence, the open plan office was born.

Many businesses are now adopting open plan offices. If you are looking to make the switch, consider glass wall partitions. Glass walls are an elegant way to keep an office clear and accessible but still section specific areas.

Collaborative Work Spaces

As employee interaction grew in popularity, so has the idea of collaborative working. Now teams will often generate ideas and share knowledge together. Collaborative workspaces allow staff to freely exchange ideas and prompt a more casual conversation style. Glass office partitions can help the workspace feel welcoming and contemporary to allow innovative thinking and let the creative juices flow.

Better Break Areas

Tea breaks and lunch breaks were once a very stiff affair, with employees, huddled in a dull canteen or around a water cooler. Now, many workers are skipping breaks altogether. According to a recent study, a third of UK employees do not leave their desk throughout the day and over half do not take their full break. This stems from a fear of being perceived as ‘not working hard enough’.

To encourage more workers to eat and rest, employers are now investing in welcoming break areas. Comfortable couches, ping-pong tables and jukeboxes can all be added to a break room to help employees take a much-needed breather. If you are worried about the noise levels, consider an acoustic partition. This will reduce the sound of the ping-pong tournament next door during your 1 pm call.

Advances in Technology

In the days of cable internet, office workers were closely confined to their desk. But with the invention of WiFi and the increase in laptops and smartphones, workers can easily move between offices and hot-desk as they wish.

Want to know more about office partitions? Call our friendly team at Applied Workplace today on 01202 577 776. For an instant office partition system price, use our free quote calculator.