The Case for Rooms
citylab.com
The Case for Rooms
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Re: The Case for Rooms
#2I have a lot of clients. The ones with separate rooms are especially inefficient, in that teams seldom see each other and organize long meetings to compensate.
So separate rooms are equal to "remote" work for all practical purposes.
At the end, "remote" teams with monthly get-togethers and weekly calls are best IMHO.
Re: The Case for Rooms
#3It has to be a mix. Fully open isn’t great because you can’t make your space your own. You have to consider the entire rest of the floor or building. Give everyone private rooms and everyone works in isolation. This might look productive but I would argue it’s not: everyone has a physical barrier around themselves, they don’t even need to set boundaries any more.
But if you can give your teams a group space to themselves, they get the benefit of an open collaborative space between them without polluting the dynamics of other teams.
Rather than one open space, create that hotdesking area, then your large team rooms, and then scatter your generic meeting rooms and video call booths around so you can still opt for privacy.
This takes more effort but it is worth it. Your teams will generate subcultures of their own to make it easier (and more enjoyable) to work together. Give them that space.
Re: The Case for Rooms
#4Most of this was historical in nature, which is fine but largely uninteresting to me at the moment. But I did perk up when I recognized one of the issues highlighted by an open floor plan in your home - noises not being contained to one area. For example, trying to watch TV while someone wants to get something done in the kitchen. My spouse and I do this to each other all the time. Someone wants to grind coffee, grab a snack or wash some dishes, but it makes hearing the precious TV so much harder!
Re: The Case for Rooms
#5I have a lot of clients. The ones with separate rooms are especially inefficient, in that teams seldom see each other and organize long meetings to compensate. So separate rooms are equal to "remote" work for all practical purposes. At the end, "remote" teams with monthly get-togethers and weekly calls are best IMHO.
Did you read the article? This is about history of and changes to places that people live in, not open-plan vs. separate-office workplaces.
Re: The Case for Rooms
#6Maybe this will spread to office spaces.
Re: The Case for Rooms
#7The open (Kitchen) floor plan to me represents the idea that cooking isn’t a chore separate from eating and socializing. I want to cook for an hour without being alone. Privacy in the kitchen would never be desireable. “Entertaining” doesn’t require guests.
There is also a matter of space. A shared living/dining/cooking space can use a lot less space than three separate rooms. I couldn’t afford the separate solution without it feeling cramped. In the open configuration it’s vast. The article mentions energy use - and living smaller is better in that regard.
Re: The Case for Rooms
#8Most of this was historical in nature, which is fine but largely uninteresting to me at the moment. But I did perk up when I recognized one of the issues highlighted by an open floor plan in your home - noises not being contained to one area. For example, trying to watch TV while someone wants to get something done in the kitchen. My spouse and I do this to each other all the time. Someone wants to grind coffee, grab…
This has been one of the motivations for making kitchen appliances quieter. Quieter dishwashers and garbage disposals are a thing.
Re: The Case for Rooms
#9It'll be fun to watch this one and see all the discussion about open plan offices from people who didn't read the article.
Re: The Case for Rooms
#10My parents live in a house built in 1840 (in the UK so this isn’t too unusual) and I grew up being continually told to close doors (every room is separated from connected rooms by doors) to conserve heat and, particularly importantly for the kitchen, to stop the house smelling of cooking.
All the homes I’ve lived in as an adult (mostly in the US) haven’t had the same separation and I like when my house smells of cooking (as long as I don’t burn something) but it definitely changes what I cook, knowing that the oven will heat the entire apartment definitely changes plans in the summer, whereas my mother can simply open the kitchen door