The layout and division of space in an office environment can have a significant impact on employee productivity, satisfaction, and collaboration. An open office with no clear divisions between workstations can create distractions and make it difficult for employees to focus. On the other hand, dividing an office space effectively creates designated areas for quiet work, collaboration, and private conversations. The key benefits of dividing workspace include increased privacy, reduced noise and distractions, flexible areas for different work modes, and improved workflow.
This article will discuss the various methods for effectively dividing office space to optimize productivity, efficiency, and employee wellbeing. Properly organizing an office layout is crucial for supporting workers, enhancing concentration, enabling collaboration, and creating a professional aesthetically pleasing workspace.
Understanding the Need for Space Division
Open-plan offices with no partitions between desks have become a popular choice for many companies today. While open-plan layouts allow more natural light and seem to promote collaboration, they also come with some significant drawbacks. The lack of physical barriers in an open office makes noise travel easily. Phone calls, discussions, and everyday office sounds can create distractions that reduce productivity. Open spaces also offer minimal privacy, which can cause employees stress and anxiety.
Dividing a workspace addresses these issues by delineating different functional areas. Workstations can be clustered into pods for teams and departments. Private offices or enclosed meeting rooms allow for confidential discussions and phone calls without disrupting others. Dividers help absorb sound and enable employees to work with fewer distractions. Clearly defining spaces also improves workflow by designating specific areas for focus work, meetings, and collaboration. Employees have the flexibility to choose the right space for their current needs. A thoughtfully divided office improves comfort, focus, and job satisfaction.
Types of Office Dividers (655 words)
There are a variety of options when selecting dividers to partition a workspace. Companies should consider acoustic properties, flexibility, cost, and aesthetics when choosing office dividers. Common types of dividers include:
Modular Partitions
Modular office partitions are one of the most popular divider solutions. Modular partitions come as straight panels or L-shaped cubicles that can be arranged in various configurations. Most feature fabric covers or finishes like wood laminate or plastic. Many include built-in shelves or pinboards. The benefits of modular dividers include noise reduction, flexibility, and a professional appearance. However, they can be expensive and require professional installation.
Mobile Room Dividers
As the name suggests, mobile room dividers can be easily moved and repositioned as needs change. They are often lightweight screens on casters, making them very adaptable. Mobile dividers allow for reconfiguring spaces quickly. However, they provide less sound insulation than fixed dividers. They come in a range of materials like fabric, whiteboard, and glass.
Fabric Privacy Partitions
Privacy partitions made of sound-absorbing fabric are an affordable option to divide space. The fabric, available in various colors and patterns, can provide either partial or full enclosure. Fabric dividers are lightweight and easy to install but less permanent than modular walls. They soften hard surfaces and absorb sound effectively.
U-Shaped Desks
U-shaped desks can act as a divider when positioned back-to-back. The three-sided workstation encloses an individual workspace. Facing the open side inward creates a shared space for small team collaboration. The desk provides ample surface area and storage. However, u-shaped desks take up more space than a standard straight desk.
Open Bookcases
Open shelving units can partition areas while providing storage and display space. The open backs allow visibility through the shelves. Bookcases can divide space functionally and aesthetically. However, they offer limited acoustic separation between areas.
Room Screen Dividers
Freestanding screens can cordon off spaces without installing permanent walls. They come in materials like wood, metal, and acrylic. Room screens divide areas while maintaining an open feel. Drawbacks include less noise reduction and lower stability compared to fixed walls.
U-Shaped Desks
U-shaped desks provide an efficient way to divide space while maximizing individual work areas. The three-sided cubicle-like shape surrounds the user on three sides, defining their own private workspace. Facing the open part of the u inward creates a shared space for collaboration with a small team.
One major advantage of u-shaped desks is the abundant work surface and storage space. The user can spread out with ample desk area and customize organized storage within arms reach. The significant work area and storage capacity make u-shaped desks ideal for jobs that require handling large documents or other bulky items. The three privacy sides also block visual distractions and ambient noise.
Positioning two u-shaped desks back-to-back creates a natural partition between workstations. The user can focus without being disturbed by neighboring desks. Facing the open sides of the u inward forms a small room for collaboration between the two desks. U-shaped desks can be efficiently arranged to maximize divided spaces within an open layout.
The downside of u-shaped desks is their large footprint. They take up significantly more floor space than a simple straight desk. Companies with tight office spaces may not be able to accommodate u-shaped desks. However, the benefits often outweigh the larger footprint requirement.
Open Shelving
Incorporating open shelving units can serve a dual purpose: dividing space while providing functional storage. Shelves can partition areas in an office without fully blocking visibility. The open backs allow employees to see and communicate through the shelves.
Open bookcases can create distinct spaces in a seamless way. Teams and departments can have defined sections while maintaining an open office concept. Shelves are useful for displaying books, binders, file organizers, and decorative items. They provide easy-access storage for reference materials or common office supplies. Employees can locate what they need quickly without leaving their workspace.
Unlike walls or panels, open shelving allows natural light to permeate the entire office space. Areas divided by shelving will not feel dark or confined. The airy quality of shelf dividers provides separation without sealing off spaces entirely. Their lighter footprint makes shelves easy to move and rearrange as needed.
Shelving units come in a wide variety of materials, colors, sizes and configurations. From industrial metal shelves to classic wood bookcases, companies can choose a style aligned with their aesthetic. Visually, the shelves can unite spaces by using cohesive colors, finishes and materials throughout the office.
The main limitation of open shelving is that it offers minimal sound insulation between areas. Nearby conversations and phone calls will not be blocked entirely. Companies that prioritize acoustic privacy may need sound dampening panels or fabric partitions in conjunction with shelving. But for dividing space in a subtle way, open bookcases or shelving units are an appealing choice.
Break-Out Areas and Pods
Incorporating small break-out spaces helps divide an office into different functional zones. Break-out areas and pods create designated sections for collaboration and quick meetings. They provide an escape from the bustle of the open workspace.
Enclosed pods or meeting alcoves foster teamwork by offering privacy and limiting distractions. Employees can have confidential discussions without their voices carrying through the whole office. Acoustic panels absorb sound to avoid disrupting nearby focus workstations. Break-out spaces often include markerboards or screens for sharing ideas visually.
Having multiple small collaboration zones prevents meetings from overtaking the main workspace. With several break-out areas, different teams can work simultaneously without excessive noise. Employees who need to concentrate can do so at their desks undisturbed.
Informal lounge-like break areas are ideal for taking a quick break or having relaxed discussions away from common workspaces. A small sofa, armchairs and a coffee table create a comfortable oasis. Café-style small tables and booth seating work well too. These casual zones allow employees to re-energize throughout the day.
Whether enclosed pods or relaxed lounges, break-out spaces within an office floorplan promote collaboration while keeping focused work areas quiet. Segmenting an open office to have distinct domains for concentration and teamwork helps employees work more effectively.
Privacy Panels and Screens
In some office layouts, it may not be feasible to build full floor-to-ceiling walls for dividing spaces. Privacy panels offer a more flexible solution to create boundaries within open floor plans. Panels are attached to desks or mounted on tracks along the ceiling or walls. They can enclose workstations or divide shared spaces.
Some privacy panels extend above-seated head height while allowing visibility over the panels when standing. This maintains sight lines across the office for an airy feel, while providing privacy when employees are seated. Floor-to-ceiling height panels maximize acoustic separation if noise reduction is the priority. Panels come in various materials like fabric, acrylic, wood, and plastic.
Freestanding privacy screens create impromptu partitions between desks or work areas. These movable screens cordon off sections as needed without permanent installation. Privacy screens typically measure around 5-6 feet tall to block sight lines when employees are seated. They are useful for flexible spaces that may frequently change configurations. Screens can provide visual privacy without fully blocking ambient light.
Privacy panels absorb sound, prevent visual distractions, and delineate personal territories within a collaborative environment. Employees working in exposed areas without enclosed offices can benefit from having a personal haven.
The downside of panel systems is that they require careful planning. Designs must consider panel heights, joints, and gaps to deliver adequate privacy. Panels with glass portions still allow some visibility and noise penetration. But overall, they balance maintaining an open feel with creating functional personal spaces.
Architectural Elements
Beyond furniture and modular components, existing architectural elements can also divide open office space. Permanent building features like pillars, walls, and interior windows enable segmenting large areas into smaller zones.
Half-height interior walls made of drywall or glass define distinct domains while allowing visibility across the office. Small meeting rooms can be constructed by framing areas with new walls. This creates enclosed spaces for private meetings adjacent to open work areas.
Existing support columns provide natural boundaries for grouping desks or workstations. Using columns to delineate zones helps break up repetitive rows of desks. The columns become visual markers for transitioning between departments or teams.
Interior glass walls maintain daylighting and sight lines between areas but provide acoustic separation. Frosted glass and interior glazing with mesh or patterns offer some privacy while still allowing light transmission.
Utilizing existing architecture as anchor points for floorplan layouts helps divide space cohesively. New furniture groupings and components can be organized around structural elements. This results in an office design that feels intentionally zoned rather than haphazardly partitioned.
However, building out new walls or rooms requires construction and permanent changes. So architectural divisions may not be ideal for companies expecting frequent churn. But they enable creating defined spaces while working within existing building parameters.
Mobile Walls and Partitions
Movable walls and partitions add flexibility when subdividing open office designs. Mobile walls can be quickly rearranged, removed, and set up as teams and needs evolve. They allow reconfiguring spaces with minimal construction costs compared to permanent architectural changes.
Folding partitions composed of padded fabric panels collapse accordion-style when not in use. They can be expanded to cordon off meeting areas ad-hoc. These mobile soft walls absorb sound and provide temporary privacy.
Sliding partitions are another option. Sections glide along an overhead track, enabling variable-width divisions. Sliding partitions are easy to reposition to resize rooms or change floorplans.
Free-standing dividers mounted on casters provide the ultimate flexibility for frequent layout changes. These wheeled partitions can be quickly rolled to new locations. They allow fast experimentation to find optimal division schemes before permanent construction.
The biggest downside to mobile partitions is limited acoustic insulation compared to walls. Ambient noise may carry between areas more than desired. But for companies that frequently modify layouts, mobile solutions balance versatility and privacy.
Plants and Greenery
Incorporating greenery is an appealing way to divide office space. Plants provide living partitions that bring vitality and freshness to indoor environments. Desks or departments can be grouped into “outdoor rooms” sectioned off with plants.
Large leafy plants, tall bushes, and trellised vines can create green barriers and borders between zones. These natural dividers improve indoor air quality in addition to partitioning space.
Hanging ferns, succulents and air plants suspended in hanging planters can also delineate areas. Vertical greenery brings a sense of outdoors inside without taking up floor space.
Plants improve office ambience with visual interest and pleasant nature views. Their colors, textures and variations in foliage and flowers create organic yet cohesive divisions. Compared to fabric or plastic partitions, greenery has a warm and inviting look.
Employees working amongst plants tend to be happier, more patient and more focused. Natural elements like daylight and greenery have measurable positive impacts on wellbeing and cognitive function.
The challenges of plant dividers include proper maintenance and adequate sunlight for healthy growth. Plants require regular watering and care. Consult with horticultural specialists when selecting plant varieties appropriate for available office light. But with good plant husbandry, living screens create a welcoming divided workspace.
Booths and Pods
Private booths or pods give employees personal spaces for focused work within busy open offices. These miniature enclosed rooms provide a quiet sanctuary from surrounding noise and conversations.
Pods feature at least one narrow entryway along with full-height walls on other sides. Many utilize sound-absorbing materials and acoustic tiles to prevent noise transmission. Doors, curtains and sliding panels can enclose the small entryways when additional privacy is needed.
Work booths foster productivity and concentration for tasks requiring uninterrupted focus. Employees can work inside a pod without distracting nearby coworkers. Taking calls or video conferences inside pods avoids disrupting the rest of the office.
Despite their small footprint, booths can contain desks and seating plus lights and power connections. Some feature built-in desks and cushy chairs. Others contain just open floor space that users can customize with their own compact desk and chair.
Clustering multiple booths together in a common area creates a “neighborhood” for individual focused work. Employees benefit from having colleagues nearby and can gather for quick discussions in the common zone.
The downside of pods is that they utilize floor space that could otherwise accommodate open workstations. There is a tradeoff between enclosed private areas and spacious collaborative zones. But furnishing pods in a portion of the floorplan provides personal spaces for those who need it.
Whiteboards and Other Collaborative Tools
Incorporating wall-mounted whiteboards and similar collaborative tools can help define zones within a large open area. Whiteboard surfaces enable teams to sketch ideas during brainstorming sessions. They foster creativity and conversation.
Sprawling whiteboard walls form a natural partition separating collaborative spaces from standard workstations. The dynamic surfaces become a focal point for casual meetings and working sessions. Nearby desks and seating cater to the adjacent brainstorming space.
Some companies opt for entire wall coverings with dry erase coating instead of traditional framed boards. The ultra-smooth surface allows writing on any part of the wall. This provides ample idea mapping room that can be erased and refreshed.
Mounted markerboards emphasize purpose-built areas for collaboration. Similarly, tackable partitions where employees can post papers and notes identify interactive areas.
Mobile glass whiteboards on casters wheel to where needed, transforming any space into an impromptu creative zone. These dynamic tools lend flexibility since spaces can be reconfigured by simply rolling boards from one area to another.
Large LCD monitors that serve as interactive digital whiteboards are another consideration. These enable collaborating on and sharing virtual documents.
Rather than physical dividers alone, introducing tools for active teamwork helps differentiate spaces based on activity and purpose. Spaces centered around whiteboards or digital collaboration screens become hives of energy and group work.
Conclusion
Dividing open office space effectively enables creating distinct zones for individual focus, collaboration, meetings, and more. Selecting the right mix of division methods requires balancing acoustic needs, flexibility, aesthetics and cost. Permanent architectural changes promote private spaces but limit reconfigurations. Mobile solutions and freestanding furniture provide adaptability.
Key considerations include noise reduction, ability to rearrange, cost efficiency, and visual appeal. Companies should also examine their unique workflows and team structures to inform suitable division strategies. Observing actual space usage provides insights on which types of spaces employees utilize most.
Well-implemented divisions transform monotonous, undifferentiated office landscapes into vibrant spaces tailored for work modes. Employees benefit from having Options to choose where to work based on immediate needs. A café-like lounge area promotes rejuvenation. Enclosed pods enable deep focus. Open zones allow collaboration.
The end result is enhanced productivity, privacy, collaboration, innovation, and employee wellbeing. When workspace aligns with workstyle, companies will observe measurable gains in job satisfaction, morale, and performance. Dividing space effectively leads to a more functional and appealing work environment.
