Workplace Design: The Open Office—Shashi Caan and Ken Wilson

Interview by Kemp Harr

The transition from private office space toward the open environment workplace has changed not only what flooring products are specified for the corporate environment but also how those products must perform, especially with regard to acoustics and the definition of zones. Here, Shashi Caan of The Collective US/UK and Ken Wilson of Perkins+Will discuss the benefits and shortcomings of the open office environment, as well as the culture driving this change.

Q: What is driving the trend toward open or collaborative office spaces?
Caan: I think there are two key business drivers for the collaborative open office.
One is philosophical. The open plan literally takes individuals out of architecturally enclosed space and places them in a visually and audibly accessible environment and in closer proximity to each other. This often prompts spontaneous and serendipitous knowledge exchange, along with improved communication and idea flow. The competitive edge of companies, whatever their size or sector of activity, lies in their ability to combine knowledge and skills in order to come up with solutions that meet increasingly complex needs. The open plan presumably fosters cross-disciplinary ideas and also easily accommodates flattened hierarchies.

The other relates to real estate efficiency. Two of the largest fixed costs for business remain the human resource and physical space. The open plan allows for flexibility and often a more densely planned office environment. Fitting more into less lowers overhead and streamlines business expense.

Wilson: There are several reasons. One is a real estate play. Moving to an open office environment can substantially reduce a company’s square feet per employee, and therefore reduce real estate costs. For the senior management this is a big reason, although it is often not talked about much.

Open offices, by their nature, provide more opportunities for people to see and connect with each other, therefore increasing collaboration. Architecture firms have always known this, and that is why virtually all architecture offices are open environments.

Also, the millennial generation seems to not care as much about the privacy or status of a private office. They would rather have a variety of work environments that are shared than one specific work area that they “own.” The high panels of the Dilbert cubical have been lowered for views to the outside and enhanced connection between employees.

Changes to the way we work have also enabled a more open work environment. Prior to the Internet, we all spent a lot more time on the phone. Now the majority of our communication is through email, making for a quieter office, which facilitates openness.

Q: When did this trend really start to take hold?
Wilson: It has been moving in this direction for some time now, but it really started to accelerate during the recession. Companies needed to reduce their real estate costs and the furniture companies needed a good reason to sell new products. I think the idea of creating a more collaborative environment was genuine, but it was also often used as a justification when the real driver was to reduce real estate costs.

Caan: I believe the open plan office was initially explored in the 1950s with the advent of the glass and steel corporate office building.

Q: Does this type of environment work better for some tasks versus others?
Caan: Some people feel that with correct accommodation for sound, light and privacy considerations, the open plan office can work for all tasks. However, the open environment may not be so conducive to tasks that require quiet or privacy. Accounting, editing and writing, for example, require focus and careful attention to detail, and other tasks, such as HR functions are privacy sensitive. On the other hand, in certain professions, such as advertising agencies or trading floors, where teamwork is essential and dominant, the open plan excels.

Wilson: Absolutely. An open office is not for everyone. The “next big trend” is not for everyone. Certainly some types of businesses work really well in open environments—like architecture firms. But some just don’t, and it is important for everyone to understand this. If you are sitting next to someone who needs to be talking on the phone all day, and you have to write an important proposal or read a contract, you are going to be miserable.

Q: Is there a generational factor that comes into play that makes this better suited for certain groups of people?
Caan: Yes and no. The 2013 Millennial Workplace Trends Survey found that 90% of those younger workers in the U.S. preferred interpersonal collaboration to any other method, making them better suited to the open office plan, which is built for quick, casual meetings. Even though Gen X, baby boomers and the G.I. generation did not grow up in multi-tasking, open work environments, each has a unique and valuable set of skills. Since we know that innovation depends on exposure to differing ideas and perspectives, workplaces that isolate generations by treating them differently may be counterproductive.

Wilson: Generational issues definitely play a part, although the baby boomer generation is getting used to it. Even baby boomers have learned to work any place, any time, in any environment, and we use the same tools as everyone else. We all know offices are getting denser and the private office is fading away, and most of us accept that.

Q: Is productivity really being enhanced with this change in office layout?
Wilson: It depends on the type of work you are doing. I don’t believe that an open office, in and of itself, increases productivity, but I think other things do. Access to natural light and views, better indoor air quality, a more functional layout, building materials that don’t off-gas harmful chemicals, good acoustics and better ergonomics can all improve productivity.

Caan: Work effectiveness is largely driven by the individual. For business success and employee satisfaction, it is important to understand and best align the task at hand and the general quality of environment required to support an employee’s specific work. Happier, more satisfied people will produce more.

Q: Can workers be conditioned to concentrate in the midst of a flurry of activity?
Wilson: I think in some cases they can. People who have worked in open environments for extended periods of time learn to block out activity going on around them. When there is a constant din, you tend to focus on the work at hand. Just look at people who do work in a Starbucks.

Caan: It is our intrinsic nature to be adaptable. As humans, we are able to handle any (and especially extreme) circumstances for short spurts. However, this is not sustainable. Research and popular reporting continue to focus on some of the negative aspects associated with open plan office design. The usual issues identified are noise and distractions, which present a challenge for those doing focused work.

Q: How do you deal with an employee’s need for personal space?
Caan: Providing a series of settings, which allow the employee to choose their desired environment for work on any given day, is important. It allows ample space for contemplation, collaboration and casual collisions, which are all different types of activity one might experience throughout a workday. However, whether hot desking or communal sharing, it is important to provide some space—albeit a locker—for the dedicated use of each employee.

Wilson: For the majority of the businesses we work with, some personal space is still important, somewhere to put your personal stuff when you come into the office and know that it is safe. In an open office that is subject to relocating staff, probably the easiest way to do this is to have a lockable mobile pedestal file or something similar.

Q: What role does floorcovering play in the design of these new workspaces?
Caan: In my opinion, the floor is one of the most important elements in our built environment. It is the one surface that all people touch almost all of the time. When crossing a threshold, the floor underfoot provides us with visceral information about how noisy, safe, upscale or casual we can be. Of course moving through the space, we make sense of the environment using all of our faculties. However, the feel of that first step can set the tone. Hence, all functional and material detail aside, a deep knowledge of the variety and implications of the different floorcoverings is essential for good design.

Wilson: I think that floorcovering can help to define zones within an open office environment that has limited partitions. Soft floorcovering can also help with acoustics.

Q: Do you think this is a fad or is it a movement that will continue to build momentum?
Caan: As long as human beings are employed, I think the exploration of improved work environments is a necessity. We will continue to have concern for real estate and systems efficiency along with productivity and employee well being.

Wilson: I think that for the types of offices that benefit from a lot of openness, it will be around for a long time. But for the other types of business where open offices have been implemented for the wrong reasons, it will transition to something else that better supports that type of business. An open office is clearly not for everyone, and even the furniture manufacturers are recognizing this.

Q: Are these kinds of work environments trending across the globe or do they lend themselves to certain cultures?
Caan: A shared global economy and markets ensure that like manufacturing and products are used around the world. So, yes, this trend is pervasive. In the Middle East, training centers providing immediate access to mentors are becoming popular. In the UK, offices are shifting away from heavily wired workstations to more flexible workspaces thanks to mobile technology. Brazil’s rapidly growing workforce operates in varied spaces from traditional offices and conference rooms to think tank spaces for small groups. China, however, still subscribes to traditional corporate business models and enclosed workspaces.

Wilson: Open offices can be found everywhere on the planet, but they are more common in Europe, where real estate costs are higher and there are worker requirements for natural light and views to the outside.

Q: What are the sustainability advantages of this type of work environment?
Wilson: There are a number of sustainability advantages. You are using less material in an open office in both the furniture and the hard construction. An open office is also more flexible for reconfiguration, meaning less demolition and waste in the future. A much more efficient lighting system can be designed in an open office, and more natural light can be brought in. Also HVAC systems work more efficiently.

Caan: There are many immediate advantages. Density of occupation and streamlined energy systems show immediate benefits for reduced energy use and greater efficiency. Larger areas can quickly be installed with less material use and waste.

Q: What have the furniture manufacturers done to facilitate the shift toward this type of environment?
Caan: The manufacturing industry has a vested interest in remaining abreast of the cultural shifts and changes affecting and affected by their products. Some of the best research is conducted by the furniture manufacturers. In this way, they often help to lead change.

Wilson: I believe that some of the trend to open office is being driven by the major furniture manufacturers. Obviously, it is in their best interest to sell new types of products, and it is harder to do this if the office environment stays the same year after year.

Q: Won’t it ultimately mean less for them in the long run?
Wilson: Not at all. Although I believe the pendulum has swung to the open office, it is about to swing back—which will mean a different way to think about the office environment and selling new products to support this. I don’t think we will ever go back to mostly private offices, but it will be somewhere in the middle and will depend on a number of factors, including how well the economy is doing.

Caan: I don’t believe so. It will be different. While we may now be using less material, as with product installations such as benching versus cubes, the basic need for surfaces, panels, chairs, etc. has not diminished. Offerings for more integrated settings have become popular.

Q: How can a facility manager or end user test this type of environment before they invest in a wholesale remodel that might not work with their specific task or group of employees?
Caan: Educating one’s self and becoming familiar with the issues, possibilities and existing installations is always a good place to begin. Using an empirical process, observation and documentation, with a specific user group within the company provides for the surest and most tailored results.

Wilson: A number of our clients have tried out new work environments as smaller test cases, where there was a need for a small expansion, and those projects implemented new open office standards to see how well they worked. We have also had cases where a larger tenant knew they were going to move and have tried out a few new open work areas in their existing space prior to the design of new office space.

Q: What’s on the horizon in the evolution of collaborative spaces?
Caan: For many industries, competition is taking place on an ever more level playing field. The new competitive advantage lies in a company’s ability to carve out new markets through the fusion of business, technology and creativity. Some are approaching work with a new type of environment, by turning to changeable and customizable space that is portable, transferable and flexible.

Wilson: I think there will probably be even more collaboration through technology in the future. It is still important to have person-to-person interaction, but there are lots of ways to do this without actually being in the same room. The technology that we already have to support this will become even easier and more invisible.