Tired of noise and chaos: Now your open-plan office seems to get smaller

  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           NEW feature! Listen to this article as a podcast 

Noise hell, concentration killer vs. valuable knowledge sharing, inspiration, innovation - the open-plan office and environment have divided the waters since it spread from the Hamburg suburb of Quickborn in the late 50s.

The often quite emotional discussions have taken on new impetus as global companies - now five years after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic - have begun to call employees back to their physical offices in large numbers.

Office workers worldwide have grown accustomed to the privacy and convenience that home offices and hybrid work arrangements provide to make their workflows more enjoyable.

As a result, both companies and employees believe it is time to rethink the design of open-plan offices to ensure they function optimally according to today’s standards and preferences. 

Bad for concentration

"70-80% of European office workers today work in open-plan offices, but several studies show that these open and often tremendous office spaces are bad for concentration.

Especially in connection with cognitively demanding analytical, perspective-taking work, open spaces can be problematic," Danish associate professor and behavioural scientist Peter Holdt Christensen says.

Currently, 70-80% of European office employees work in open-plan offices. A series of studies, however, indicate  that this setting hampers concentration - particularly for cognitively demanding tasks, a Danish researcher states.                   Photos: iStock

"Our use of open office spaces today has changed in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Working from home has become a safety valve, allowing me to take a break from the noise of the office environment and then choose the open space if I want a high level of knowledge sharing with my colleagues.

According to Peter Holdt Christensen, many Danish office companies have become increasingly aware of the various disadvantages of open space, and they are now reducing their open-space offices to typically six to eight workstations. 

Activity-based solution

"It's a good idea to organize your work so that you work from home on days you have cognitively demanding work and come into the office on days you have more routine tasks on the agenda.

Most workplaces today have quiet rooms, meeting rooms or hidden sofas, which you can use to get a quiet moment for your work during the day," Peter Holdt Christensen adds.

For most companies, the solution could be an activity-based design that breaks up the large room's rows and groups of desks by new environments, rooms and zones tailored to the different types of tasks of the workday.                                                                                    Photo: Tribes Brussels Central Station

For most companies, the solution could be an activity-based design that breaks up the large room's rows and groups of desks by new environments, rooms and zones tailored to the different types of tasks of the workday.

Experts point out that the time must be mature to further develop stiff, outdated office landscapes into new, lush working environments that support and promote innovation, creativity, and well-being.

Half-empty offices

According to a recent study by the major British real estate agency Savills, the average European office occupancy rate has increased from 59% to 60% over the past six months - before the pandemic, the average occupancy rate was 70%.

Overall, office occupancy rates in Europe remain higher than in most American cities, where occupancy is currently down to 30-40%.

Hybrid working has left numerous global offices more than half-empty, especially on Mondays and Fridays, while on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays they are occupied with almost as many employees as before the pandemic.

Office occupancy rates tend to decline on Mondays and Fridays. In contrast, occupancy levels on Tuesdays (68%), Wednesdays (67%), and Thursdays (65%) are similar to those seen before the pandemic.

The Danish associate professor emphasizes that the high number of partially filled offices indicates that employees only utilize their workplaces about 50% of the time they work. This thing doesn’t have to be negative, as it may enhance their concentration and efficiency.  ● 

Read more:
Thinktanks.io: How to create a balanced & productive open office design
Business.com: How open office plans affect workplace productivity
Rtfconstruction.com: Transforming office spaces for productivity
Monday-8am.com: It’s time to rethink open-plan offices