Raffles International Institute Lesson_Office principles that work Module: Design Studio 3 Lecturer: Sandra Draskovic

1. DESIGN STUDIO 3
TERM: JUN 2013
LECTURER: SANDRA DRASKOVIC
OFFICE DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT WORK

3. 1. Open Plans
Humans are social animals and want to be able to
interact with each other. Studies have shown that
an open plan improves the mood of employees. So
modern offices are often designed to encourage
collaboration, as modern employers understand
that employees being able to interact while they
work is beneficial to long-term productivity.
Let employees carve out their own space.

4. Hybrid Office - Los Angeles

5. Open Office layout

6. Ebay office in Turkey

7. OR?

8. So in the last several years, the
move away from cubicle
structures and toward more
open floor plans, where
collaboration is as simple as
looking across the desk to see
your co-worker sitting five feet
away, became incredibly
popular.
A space that's full of collaborative
space but has zero quiet space is just
as unsuccessful as a space that's full
of offices and has no collaborative
space. It's about finding a balance,
and what that balance is for each
company. That ratio depends on the
type of work that companies do."
BALANCE
COLLABORATION

13. 2. Hot Desking
Having employees who aren’t chained to their
desks translates to reduced office costs and
increased networking opportunities. Open spaces
have also become more valuable as technological
advances now allow workers to work from almost
anywhere.
Hot desking is a work space sharing model in which
employees outnumber desks. In some such
environments, each work station has its own
computer and the worker logs into a virtual
desktop.

14. 2. Hot Desking
The hot desk – a workstation not assigned to an
individual – is quite a common feature in office
space design already, but it is set to assume even
more importance in 2012. Many top performing
organizations utilize hot desking to break down the
formality of office space. Hot desking
encourages employees to interact with other
employees they might not otherwise have come
across.
Hot desks are to be found in a range of
environments often including traditional
workstations, meeting rooms, breakout areas and
chill out zones.

15. 2. Hot Desking - rethink
technology – GENERATION Y
Internet
Mobile phone
Laptop
Mobility (not connected to place)
Flexibility (work anywhere)
Sharing (small space requirements)
File storage (immediate and long term
files)

16. HOT DESK

17. 3. Common Spaces
Designing informal areas for ad-hoc meetings and
collaboration on larger projects create a
community feel to the workplace. Working
collectively on tough problems can vastly improve
productivity. Activity rooms, break and rest spaces,
variety in their design and flexibility of use is the key
to keeping up motivation at work.
Improve creativity, concentration,
socialization, efficiency through “ break”
spaces design
PLAY, INTERACTION & FUNCTIONALITY

22. Personality and needs of employees.

23. Sense of belonging, different seating

25. 4. Functional Buildings
Large corporate office buildings are now
increasingly equipped with cafes, restaurants,
libraries, bars, and gyms. Google is probably the
best at this, the theory being that a happy
employee at work is more likely to stay at the office
longer. Idea generation is the name of the game,
so many employers don’t mind whether a great
idea comes from an employee at the office gym or
a worker as his desk.
So long as the ideas keep coming, both
parties will be happy!

26. The Absolute Towers in Mississauga, Canada

27. Building spatial organization& architecture

28. LOUNGE AREA

29. SAUNA AND SPA

30. SPORT ACTIVITY
Create people magnets.

31. RELAXATION
Communal areas away from the core
booths

32. FUN AND GAME

33. 5. Sustainable
Increasingly, green is the new black in office design
projects, more businesses want to design their
space in a sustainable and environmentally friendly
manner. It’s not just employers; environmentalism is
often a key issue for many employees, too.
Numerous issues are discussed here: How to
choose the most sustainable materials for finishes,
such as flooring, and also how to select finishes,
based on their impact on indoor air quality (IAQ).

34. Support the work of individuals
Workspaces that support the job.
Standard cubes make layout easier, but they may
also give space that is more or less than is actually
needed. Flexibility, adoptability and enough space.
Proximity.
Where the things and people associated with the job
are not to hand, it makes work harder and reduces
efficiency.
•Adequate storage at desk.
•Nearby services (printers, coffee, stationery, etc.)
•Teams near other teams with similar interests,
customers
•Connect both functional specialists and
operational teams.

35. Support the work of groups
Groups also need good workplace design.
They must be able to easily work together.
They must also feel like a group, exchange and
collaborate.
1. Create community.
2. Link communities.
3. Design collaboratively.

36. Create a motivating environment
To give of their best, people in the workplace must
be well motivated. And the design of the
workplace can make a big difference.
Light and comfortable.
Natural light as a shared resource: not just a
management perk.
Color that alleviates boredom and creates
interest.
Comfortable and ergonomic furniture.
Social spaces.
Shared space should be perceived as beneficial
and useful by the majority.
The ‘buzz’ of an active office is a positive social
signal, indicating the presence of co-workers
and providing cues to encourage active work.
Clear signage so even visitors can find things.

37. Shared areas
Create people magnets. People often need to be
encouraged to talk together.
Quiet areas away from the core. The opposite effect of
‘towards the core’ is where people seek quiet and
isolation.
Booths, with panels between seater tables (possibly with
benches) are both space-efficient and provide a
balance of privacy and openness for informal meetings.
Propose shared space. Increasing space shared across
the site reduces the need for individual and team
space, but requires that people be prepared to share.
No white elephants. Soft-seating areas, and play areas
although inviting can be shunned when people are
concerned at appearing to be not working or where
they are too far away.

38. Reflect company values
Does your office reflect the
culture of your organisation?

40. What were the
shortcomings of the
former space
planning?
1. ƒHigh proportion of space
assigned to individual
work space, low
2. Proportion to shared work
space and support space
3. ƒInflexible
4. ƒDid not support informal
collaboration and
teamwork
5. ƒAccess to daylight and
views were limited
ƒGuidelines for better design
1. Accommodate both interaction
and individual concentrated work
• Support the need for privacy
• Deal with noise and distraction
ƒ Support high levels of collaborative
work
• More meeting spaces
• More varied settings for meetings
ƒ2. Respond to users’ desire for
change
• Greater consistency of space
allocation
• Better paper handling and file
storage
• Present a fresh image for the UN – in
space and its management
• Improve environmental quality

43. Boundaries
Boundaries that separate but do not divide.
People need a strong sense of identity, both
individually and with people with whom they work.
Boundaries mark the edges of these groups,
separating ‘them’ from ‘us’.
The more complete the separation (preventing
visual and verbal connection), the greater the
perceived division and the less communication
there will be between groups.
Physical things help mark boundaries,
including aisles, walls, partitions, flooring,
light, color.

50. Collaboration is new work model
As a small company there is always a buzz,
an energy between employees. When
company grows, move into large, more
traditional office spaces. Employees end up
getting private offices with windows and
view. And the energy get lost.
Maturity of company = traditional plan?
Collaboration and interaction are the key
words in contemporary office planning
toward efficiency!

51. ANZ, Melbourne

52. ANZ, Melbourne

53. ANZ, Melbourne

54. ANZ, Melbourne

55. ANZ, Melbourne

56. Good buy Big private Office
Hello shared private Enclaves
Space planning can restore interaction
between people and enhance
entrepreneurial buzz without sacrificing
privacy. Sharing table, work space,
technology, internet, lounge, meeting
space will make a team spirit among
employees.
Stations as middle space, satellite offices,
multi-use furniture, lounge mixed with work
stations, co-working facilities

58. Good buy Big private Office

59. Good buy Big private Office

60. Good buy Big private Office

61. Managed noise
•Build a noise gradient: a greater noise may be
expected at the core, with quieter areas at the
periphery.
•Match the people to the bustle. People have different
noise needs. Some need calm and quiet whilst others
feel lonely and left out if they are not sited near the
centers of action.
•Manage the natural noise points. There are points
where noise naturally occurs and where people should
not be put at desks if they have a significant need for
quiet.
•By coffee machines and other intended break areas.
•Next to meeting areas.
•Next to people with louder tendencies.
•At junctions where people pause before going their separate
ways.

62. Walkways and places between
1. Promenade. Many people like to take occasional breaks
from their desks and go for a stroll to think and refresh. This
kind of area is sometimes called ‘Main Street’.
2. Excuses to pause. When people are out walking they may
meet others but they often need an excuse to pause and
maybe have a common topic to talk about.
Ways of doing this include:
Notice boards (especially if they are well-laid out and up to
date).
White-boards where they can doodle.
3. Space to stop. Where people stop, others need to pass by, so
ensure these areas are wide enough.
4. Connecting shared areas. A walkway that connects breakout
and other shared areas encourages groups to visit one
another.
5. Anchors at the ends. Just as shopping Malls have major stores
at either end to ensure people walk the full length, office
walkways can have major points of attraction at either end.

63. LAYOUT ORGANIZATION WORK
OPEN OFFICE CUBICLE TEAM SPACE
PRIVATE OFFICE SHARED OFFICE WORK LOUNGE

64. LAYOUT ORGANIZATION MEETING
SMALL MEETING
ROOM
LARGE MEETING
ROOM
SMALL MEETING
SPACE
LARGE MEETING
SPACE
BRAINSTORMING
ROOM
MEETING POINT

65. LAYOUT ORGANIZATION - SUPPORT
FILING AREA BREAK AREA CIRCULATION
LOCKERS ACTIVITY ROOM MAILING

66. LAYOUT ORGANIZATION - SUPPORT
LIBRARY AND
DOCUMENTATION
PENTRY & FOOD PRINT & COPY
STORAGE SMOKING ROOM
RECEPTION &
WAITING