I recently read a post describing why one of the interviewees concentrates more on coffee than in his own office.
The open office trend is not a new one, but sharing the desktops is a new trend; this has taken hold in the creative and IT sectors. Offices that require little paperwork and where most of the work is done and stored in digital media, have adopted this practice in order to create more "comfortable" workspaces.
Every great idea has its detractors, open spaces are usually aesthetically beautiful, the feeling of spaciousness, high ceilings and wide spaces, give peace. Facilitate communication and socialize with co-workers. But all these benefits end when everyone wants to converse at the same time; without walls that attenuate noises, you find yourself immersed in many conversations and sounds in your head that don't allow you to listen to your own thoughts and concentrate on your work.
My current workspace is not far from this trend. We are islands of 6 to 8 desks each. Each one with the decorations or decoration that you prefer in your space. Everything is white, floor, ceiling, walls, desks, filing cabinets. Their only contrast is the black chairs and clothes we have on us. Panoramic windows allow for the healthy and delicious illumination of the sun and a beautiful view of the starry sky when night falls. My current space has an "unlimited" espresso, and 3 meeting cubicles with capacity for up to 8 people each. As a plus, it has a balcony half the size of the main office with a table tennis table, floors, flat-screen TV, sound and a barbecue.
I don't complain, but these are the things I would add/remove to make the place I spend 8-10 hours a day in, even more comfortable than it is.
Carpeted areas: nothing more comforting than a silent and attenuated footprint. My ideal office has areas with sofas and carpets where you can relax or take a call. I'm not complaining if my island is carpeted too.
Additional small cubicles: While there are experiments that show that ambient sound stimulates thinking and analysis, all in excess is bad. Occasionally I use one of the huge rooms to create a space between my mind and my laptop. These cubicles, preferably carpeted, would be the ideal space for the end of the day or when it is time to accompany the night.
Nap rooms: I don't need to sleep in the afternoons to feel good, but when I did I felt a little more energy and concentration. I do this for a moment at lunchtime on my desk. The same previous cubicles could be conditioned for this.
More color, less white.
Wooden floors and spaces with furniture that looks and smells like this: wood has always seemed relaxing to me, both in view and smell. I know it's hard to take care of, but what good and valuable thing isn't worth it?
Unlimited latte: because a cappuccino at least a day is always good. I dream of having a coffee machine or Nespresso in my work. I wouldn't bother with several of these in different places?
