How to provide the right level of privacy in an office

14 Oct How to provide the right level of privacy in an office

It is becoming increasingly important for companies to think carefully about their office design and structure. Why? An office acts as a focal point for the entirety of a company, which is why the appearance is of the utmost importance.

No matter what business you’re in, be it marketing, finance, logistics, for example, your company must maintain a positive image, and by using your office as a starting point, you can use that feel-good factor for other areas of the business.

With that said, there’s no point in designing a sleek, state-of-the-art office space that doesn’t match up to requirements of you and your staff. An office may look great filled with off-the-wall gadgets and ping pong tables, but if there’s nowhere left for a working space, it’s not appropriate.

Most offices in the UK are open plan, so if you’re looking to reflect your business ethos and values in your office design, then it’s time to get creative, and a great way to do that without undertaking major construction work is to install office partitions.

What Are Office Partitions?

Office partitions are the easiest, most time-efficient and cost-effective way of creating a more productive working space. Office partitions can be either temporary or permanent fixtures and can be styled to fit in just about any space you can think of.

They are available in numerous designs – from glass to timber and wood, so there’s a good chance you can find something that suits your style and identity.

What Types Are Available?

Wood & Timber Partitioning

If you’re looking for a natural and homely feel, wooden partitions offer a practical and pleasant feel to the office environment.

Just like doors, most wooden partitioning will be available in a wide range of styles, colours and finishes and can be easily modified to suit the dimensions of your office space, in either straight or curved finishes to reflect your interior design preferences.

Remember: Wooden partitioning is perfect for conference rooms, executive offices and boardrooms where simple sophistication and practicality is essential.

Glass Partitioning

When choosing glass partitioning, there are a few different types for you to consider, such as solid, single, double or triple glazing panels.

The variations of glass panels are well suited to a wide assortment of office designs, including frame options from steel to timber and glass styles such as tinted, frosted, coloured or printed.

Remember: Glass partitions are an excellent choice in modern office spaces since they can provide stylish space divisions, as well as bringing in plenty of natural light, which is crucial to a happy working environment.

Deconstructable Partitioning

This is especially effective since it’s easy to dismantle and reassemble if you’re looking for some flexibility to move the office around regularly.

Remember: Sliding and folding door areas are perfect if you’re looking to close off or open up certain areas of the office for different purposes.

Free Standing Working Pods

One of the issues you might face when designing an open plan office is creating areas for employees to come together to work collaboratively without causing disturbance to others, which is particularly challenging if you don’t have designated meeting rooms.

Working pods are perfect for offices searching for a low cost, versatile and aesthetically pleasing solution that allows people to come together in a quiet and friendly zone to work together.

Remember: If you’re operating on a tight budget, then an office pod might be the perfect solution; especially since they are quick to install and can be tailored to suit any office style.

Acoustic Partitioning

Open plan office spaces are designed to ensure an inclusive, collaborative feel, but they do offer up some challenges that businesses will need to address, such as noise and lack of private areas.

If your number of employees has increased to the point where noise is a distraction and private meetings aren’t possible, then acoustic office partitions could work well for you. These kinds of partitions have a thick acoustic foam, inserted in between each panel to absorb sound waves and dampen any excess noise.

Remember: If you choose to invest in acoustic office partitioning check that they’re produced with only the very best quality materials to ensure you’re up to scratch with fire and building regulations.

Examples of Creative Office Partitions

Ultimately, once you’ve decided to travel down the partition route, you can be as practical or as creative as you wish, we’ve collated three of our favourite examples from well-known brands below.

Dropbox Office

DropBox is certainly one of the most creative organisations in how they’ve designed and developed their brand and their use of office partitioning reflects this.

By using the rule of three and some creative signage, the team have cornered off one side of the office into three separate glass partitions separated by room dividers.

AOL, Palo Alto

AOL’s Palo Alto office was built by taking inspiration from the offices of the 1980s and brought up to date with a contemporary flourish. This office uses integrated glass partitioning and room dividers at the centre of the office, each designed differently to be used for a different function.

For instance, a casual meeting room has three parts room divider and one-part glass room partition and is decorated with unique AOL branded film. The other glass partitions around the office are branded and designed in a different way depending on the room’s function.

Zynga

Social Media game developer Zynga has divided their meeting room using half glass partition and half room divider to contrast between open plan and private space. By also installing different light fixtures within the room, they’re able to create the impression of two distinct spaces, which deviates the meeting room from the main office.

At Optrys, we’re specialists in the interior design of office spaces of all kinds, from large scale projects to smaller, more personal refurbishments.

If you want more information on what we’ve covered in this blog, or you’re interested in any of our services, contact us today on 01223 789 234 or drop us an email at mark@optrys.com for your free, no-obligation consultation.