I read an interesting article this morning in The New York Times titled “Office Work Space Is Shrinking, but That’s Not All Bad“. It was a timely article as just yesterday we moved around some work spaces here at Captico HQ and I ended up with a bigger office and desk and a new roommate. As a small company that continues to grow and adapt as it finds its place in the market, we have played office musical chairs a number of times in our current space – as well as in the spaces we occupied previously. We have experimented with open floor plans, clusters, expansive spaces and tightly packed work stations. At our first location in Chinatown (Washington, DC) we even joked about stacking people up with bunk-bed like desks to take advantage of our high loft ceilings and low square footage.
At our current location in Severna Park, MD, we occupy a small office broken up into rooms similar to that of a residence, so most people are paired to an office, except for the developers who all share a large room together – which brings me back to the NYT article.
When you think of technology companies, you probably think of hip offices, modern furniture, sleek styling, and a foosball table in the break room (well, I do). And while many a company does look just like that – Google in particular is known for its amazing culture and office environment – old school Intel was known for its “endless rows of gray cubicles, low ceilings and fluorescent lighting. For decades it resisted any changes to its office environment.” But in the last two years, Intel has been making changes.
“The Intel Corporation is the leading maker of semiconductor chips and is known for its quest to make computer chips ever smaller, faster and cheaper. It also makes circuit boards and other semiconductor products, which are the building blocks of computers, servers, consumer electronics and communications devices. Intel supplies about 80 percent of the PC microprocessor chips worldwide.” – The New York Times
According to The New York Times article, walls are being repainted yellow, purple, and white, cubicle walls are lower so employees can be seen, lounges are outfitted with flat-screen TVs, armchairs and sleek kitchens. But its not all for cosmetic reasons. Intel is interested in promoting collaboration amongst its employees to better foster innovation. And to do that, you have to get people out from behind their desks and the privacy of their cubes.
But collaboration isn’t the only benefit. Companies are saving a huge amount of money by downsizing their employee footprints.
As employees become more mobile and less tied to their desks, the average amount of space per employee nationwide, in all industries, has dropped to 250 square feet from 400 square feet in 1985, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial brokerage and property manager. Within 10 years, that is expected to drop further, to 150 square feet.”
“The office status symbol seems not to be as important. People are living for more flexibility in their lives,” said Peter Miscovich, a managing director for corporate solutions at Jones Lang LaSalle.
By allotting less space per person, companies can squeeze more employees — sometimes double or triple as many — onto a floor. One newly redesigned floor of Intel’s campus can now accommodate 1,000 people, up from 600. In some departments where employees are often on the road, two people may be assigned to a desk. – Kristina Shevory
Opening up offices into collective spaces forces employees to interact and encourages conversations, group problem solving and collaboration. It can speed up solutions and help put faces to job tasks. Keith Perske, the president of Group 5 Consulting, a workplace consulting company in Austin, TX says, “It makes you feel more loyal to a company if there’s some energy or buzz” in the work space.
“A lot of thinking about the office has changed. The work setting was a reflection of your status,” said Jim Keane, the president of Steelcase. “A job focuses more on collaboration than on the individual now.”
Tags: collaboration, Corrie Davidson, cost cutting, dynamics, employee, environment, intel, money saving, office, open, redesign, space, work space
