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I'd be surprised if cubicles fared any better. The real problem is packing large numbers of people in a big warehouse, regardless of walls. I think the best so

I'd be surprised if cubicles fared any better. The real problem is packing large numbers of people in a big warehouse, regardless of walls. I think the best solution is having a small number of people working on the same project share an office. There should be numerous small conference rooms for when maximum concentration is required.

gaius 18y ago
Funnily enough that is how the facilities people sit where I work. Engineers are on open floors of hundreds of people.
tallanvor 18y ago
"The research found that the traditional design was better - small, private closed offices." They're not suggesting the use of cubicles - I know I wouldn't really consider cubicles to be much different than open plan offices.
- evilneanderthal 18y ago
  Not much different, but somewhat. Someone is unlikely to sneeze over your cubicle wall unless you're competing with them for a promotion =]
- potatolicious 18y ago
  Traditional design may be better for health, but it destroys collaboration. IMHO the best office design I've ever been in were simple team rooms - everyone on a team (or sub-team) would work in a large office that they can tailor the way they like (lighting, decor, etc). This really helped build team cohesion, and since everyone is just a shout away it broke down the walls preventing collaboration. And I suppose it has the added benefit of only getting one team sick at a time :)
  - tallanvor 18y ago
    It really depends on the type of work you're doing. For jobs that require a lot of collaboration, open areas holding around 10 people can be good. Some jobs would benefit more from having offices that hold 2-3 people each, and for jobs that require you to be on the phone a lot (sales, marketing, support, etc.) private offices really are a better option.
silentbicycle 18y ago
Studies generally agree with that. See the book _Peopleware_ for much more in-depth investigation of these issues.

gaius 18y ago

Funnily enough that is how the facilities people sit where I work. Engineers are on open floors of hundreds of people.

tallanvor 18y ago

"The research found that the traditional design was better - small, private closed offices." They're not suggesting the use of cubicles - I know I wouldn't really consider cubicles to be much different than open plan offices.

evilneanderthal 18y ago
Not much different, but somewhat. Someone is unlikely to sneeze over your cubicle wall unless you're competing with them for a promotion =]
potatolicious 18y ago
Traditional design may be better for health, but it destroys collaboration. IMHO the best office design I've ever been in were simple team rooms - everyone on a team (or sub-team) would work in a large office that they can tailor the way they like (lighting, decor, etc). This really helped build team cohesion, and since everyone is just a shout away it broke down the walls preventing collaboration. And I suppose it has the added benefit of only getting one team sick at a time :)
- tallanvor 18y ago
  It really depends on the type of work you're doing. For jobs that require a lot of collaboration, open areas holding around 10 people can be good. Some jobs would benefit more from having offices that hold 2-3 people each, and for jobs that require you to be on the phone a lot (sales, marketing, support, etc.) private offices really are a better option.

silentbicycle 18y ago

Studies generally agree with that. See the book _Peopleware_ for much more in-depth investigation of these issues.