Teaching and Research Project
Groupware and Telecommunication
in A/E/C
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BEYOND THE OPEN PLAN: NEW SPACE PLANNING CONCEPTS TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONAL,
TECHNICAL AND ENVIROMENTAL CHARGE
Vivian Lofness, Volker Hartkopf, Susan Nurge,
Derek Rubinoff
Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics
Carnegie Mellon University - Spring 1994
4. Combination Open Plan and Closed Offices
Varying significantly from the combi – office, where 'ill individuals have
small private offices and share diverse group workspaces, is the combinations
of closed and open plan offices we see in most U.S. office buildings today.
Dividing the workforce into closed offices and open plan workstations with
and without windows can result in a traditional hierarchical floor plan,
an inverted "humane' floor plan, or an interspersed open/closed office
floor plan.
One performance criteria which should be considered in the evaluation of
these combination space planning approaches, in both small and vast buildings,
is a count of the number of workstations that are: closed with windows,
closed without windows, open with windows and open without. windows.
Many new headquarters buildings are attempting to provide 50% of their
workforce with windows that are directly in view from the seated position,
in both open plan and closed offices. This is a significant improvement
over the more typical 25% of the workforce, but still a far cry from the
100% offered in the closed plan and combi – office configurations.
4.1 Traditional Hierarchical
The traditional hierarchical combination of open and closed offices sets
a maximum number of closed offices around the entire perimeter of the building
typically blocking access to windows for the remaining 40-80% if the workforce
who occupy open plan 'cubicles'. These closed offices are supported by
an even larger pool of interior open plan workstations for staff and junior
level employees(Figure 21). Some building designs have attempted to maximize
building perimeter by articulated facades and finger plans to increase
the number of 'executive' offices.
The success of the traditional hierarchical plan is the quality of the
workplace in the closed offices, with individual thermal and lighting control,
acoustic and visual privacy, and access to windows. For the individuals
in the smaller, windowless open plan areas, the success of this traditional
plan is in the promise of' promotion.
4.2 Humane, Inverted
When building their new Headquarters in Cleveland, TRW realized that the
square footage, furniture, window, and environmental control amenities
of perimeter executive offices cannot always be justified given the number
of hours spent and tasks completed in these offices relative to hours away
from the desk. Justification is especially difficult when compared to the
investments offered to the more immobile worker, locked into smaller cubicles
with no individual control, but often with more equipment and desk based
responsibility. (Figures 22a A 22b)
As a result, TRW built an inverted, more humane floor plan of combination
open and closed offices, where staff and junior open plan workstations
took over the window and atrium views, while executive offices were placed
internally with views out over their employee workareas through glass walls,
Never more than three workstations deep, the open office areas also have
controllable acoustic quality.
4.3 Interspersed Open & Closed
In a third configuration of combination open and closed offices, closed
offices are interspersed with small neighborhoods of open plan offices
to break down the vast areas of desks and improve access to windows for
all workers, Some flexibility in space assignment on a project – by – project
basis could ensure status, privacy and working quiet for those who need
it and interaction and teaming spaces for those who work together' (Figure.'
23) Although each workstation is assigned in this interspersed open and
closed office environment, it is possible to rethink the ownership of the
different spaces, moving towards the latest space planning concept, that
of "caves and commons".
5. Caves and Commons
Based on improving the success of workgroups and emphasizing employee mobility,
the concept of "caves and commons' was introduced by Steelcase at its headquarters
in Grand Rapids Michigan. Very similar to the combi – office in Europe
and Scandinavia, the concept promoted individual small workstations that
could be partially closed off (caves), surrounding commons areas for meeting,
spreading out work, and relaxation, in addition to shared project rooms,
conference rooms, and equipment rooms. By relocating workers into small
individual offices, or caves, surrounding the teaming spaces, different
specialties could be brought together in new neighborhoods for an innovative
project (Figure 24).
The significant difference between the caves and commons concept and the
combi-office is that the combi-office provides small individual offices
that are completely closed, with windows and individual control of temperature
and light conditions. The combi-office approach requires more perimeter
dominated buildings and a higher investment in building services and controls.
On the other hand, the caves and commons approach enables existing deep
section floor plates to capture some of the spatial benefits of the combi
– office (not including complete acoustic closure), but has not yet accommodated
the environmental benefits.
5.1 Personal Harbors and Coves
To support the caves and commons or combi- approach to space planing, a
number of furniture manufacturers have begun to add to their existing product
lines. Steelcase has been developing Personal Harbors and CovesTM which
support: the configuration of small partially collapsible individual offices;
mobile furniture pieces that can be taken to alternate work locations;
and a growing array of shared work area furniture for conferencing, relaxing,
concentrating, teaming, laying out or presenting work, and multi – media
– ting. Steelcase's Personal Harbor, a 6' by 8' frame with curved walls
and a sliding door, is a freestanding office designed to complement existing
space (Figure 25a & 25b). Like a college study carrel, the personal
harbor could function as a permanent workstation or one of a cluster of
temporary `free address` workstations..
An important aspect of these small workstations is the addition of mobile,
personally owned furniture like chairs, worksurfaces and storage on wheels,
to support teaming activities and individual work in alternate work sites
throughout the building.
5.2 Personal Enclaves
Knoll/Westinghouse is also developing a line of furniture entitled Personal
Enclaves, building innovation onto the furniture already in place in today's
workplace. The personal enclave includes new furniture pieces designed
to increase closure and privacy of the open office, with new ceiling and
wall sections, doors and windows, and new furniture pieces for enhancing
the settings for shared work and "teaming". To further alleviate the standard
distractions of the open office and the new distractions of the collective
work areas, larger closed offices can be assigned as project rooms and
a number of mini closed offices can be used for temporary meetings or concentrated
work (Figure 26a & 26b).
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One assumption of each of these Caves and Commons techniques for the large
floor plate open plan office is still to be tested – the match of building
services to the increasing density and diversity of work spaces, The sparse
air diffuser density, thermal zoning controls, window access and lighting
fixture configuration that has repeatedly been inadequate in conventional
open plan configurations with medium and high partitioning, will prove
even more problematic in the mini semi – enclosed offices and dispersed,
varied teaming spaces. By committing to small, fully closed offices, the
combi – office in Europe has already had to address the simultaneous spatial
and environmental conditioning requirements of each individual in the modern
office.
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