Undoubtedly, commercial furniture can be ordered for buildings, offices, homes, and rooms of all descriptions. That includes everything from the most luxurious offices of the world’s top CEOs to the tiny bedroom where an individual is set up to work from home. What is also certain is that, for office furniture to provide the functionality required, it must be the correct and most appropriate for the room and surroundings it will be located in.
One such scenario is an open office. That is not simply an office where the door is always open, but an office where everyone working there can see each other across the room due to there being no partitions or walls between them. You may even find open offices with more than one company based there and who share the rent for the office.
The advantages of an open office are mainly that it encourages greater communication between colleagues, provides a greater sense of all working as a team towards the same company goals, and is often a great environment for the sharing of ideas and brainstorming sessions. The downsides are that there is little privacy, productivity can suffer, and health can be compromised due to everyone working in the same room without barriers.
On balance, most feedback and discussions about open offices come down in favor of them. So, if you already use an open office plan or are thinking of switching to one, you will need office furniture in there for it to function correctly. As for the guidelines you should follow to determine which office furniture to purchase, here are some points we believe will help you decide.
Standing/Adjustable Desks
By using standing desks, you not only provide employees a means for better physical health but also discourage them from becoming cocooned and isolated at a sitting desk. The best ones are adjustable and can be used for standing and sitting throughout the working day.
Communal Desks
With one of the tenets of an open office being the encouragement of communication, there are few better ways of achieving that than having employees sitting at a communal desk. These can accommodate anything from 2 to 12 employees, assuming you have the necessary space available given the size of such a desk.
Furniture Which Also Provides Storage
Space is always at a premium in offices, which is no different in an open space. Minimal furniture can mean a lack of storage, but a remedy is having office furniture with storage, such as desks with one or more drawers.
Adjustable Workstations
In a fast-moving business based in an open office, the need to adjust quickly is paramount, and that same principle should apply to office furniture. That is why a great option to consider is adjustable workstations, whereby their configuration and layout can be altered to suit the necessary work.
Comfortable Seating For Breakouts
Sitting or standing at a desk, even in an open office, might not always be the most conducive way for employees to brainstorm or carry out discussions related to their work. This is why having a breakout area set away from desks with comfortable seating is often where some of the best ideas within a business are born.
Quiet Pods
Even in an open office, there will be occasions when privacy is necessary, whether it be an employee wishing to discuss a problem or a meeting that must remain confidential. For such occasions, a so-called quiet pod is a solution that has transparent walls but also a door so that what is said inside remains private.