Allsteel cosponsored a tech report on how going wireless impacts facility design and furnishing decisions. They determined that cubicle raceways will remain useful for power distribution. After all, wireless devices still need to be plugged in pretty often. Plus, landline phones that are hardwired will still be used in many offices. Some designers see the potential for placing wireless antennae within the hollow structure of cubicle panels – meaning raceways would still be useful for antenna cabling.

The main change Allsteel sees over the short term is actually in the covering for cubicle panels. Some fabric covered panels apparently have the potential to interfere with wireless signals. This may foretell a change in the materials that are used for cubicle panels. Perhaps glass or laminate tiles will continue to make inroads to replace fabrics. Or, new materials may be engineered to minimize barriers to wireless communication. It’s possible that a balance will need to be struck between acoustic comfort and transparency to wireless signals.

How could this be useful? Let’s say you are constructing a new office but you are moving to a transitional space with leased furniture in the interim. With traditional warehouse storage, you would have to load and unload your existing cubicles on two trips – first from your old office to the storage center, then from the storage center to your new office. A mobile storage solution would allow you to pack up everything from filing cabinets to cubicles, store these items securely as long as needed, and then ship them directly to their final destination.

Measure, Plan, Double Check

When you go through the free space planning consultation stage, having accurate measurements is essential. Remember that the location of everything from doors to built in casegoods and electrical outlets may affect whether your office furniture can actually fit where you want it. To avoid last minute changes, walk through your office space and double check your space plans against the actual area in question before finalizing your furniture order.

Get Your Contractors Working Together

If you are having cubicles installed that are designed with raceways to hold electrical wires and data cables, this affects the set up time. All your contractors should be on the same page regarding who does what when. Your office space planning specialist can advise you on the most effective layout to minimize the amount of wiring/cabling required to support all your workstations.

Prepare the Space

Although the installers will clean up thoroughly after their work is done, it’s always nice to start out with a clean space. When you are preparing for the delivery of new office furniture, this is the ideal time to have carpeted areas steam cleaned and spot treated to remove stains. That way, the whole work space will look new.

Multiple Slatwalls can be installed in a stacked configuration to provide as much organizational space as needed. Each one can support up to 60 lbs and the system can be field installed. Brackets are available to match the Slatwall with many different cubicle brands. So, even if your workplace is populated with a mixture of used cubicle panels from several manufacturers, you can still add these Steelcase accessories later.

Key Findings

The Herman Miller report covers 3 main areas:

1. Waste produced
2. Energy consumed
3. Emissions that could impact climate change

The study used several different scenarios to estimate the environmental impact of each system over a period of 12 years including the likely rate of replacement. The initial numbers upon installation show modular cubicles and walls consuming less energy and generating significantly less waste than fixed options. The architectural walls and millwork had a slight edge in emissions.

Comparison Diverges at the Decade Mark

The numbers start looking very different 10 years out. By that time (as a conservative estimate), 50% of casework and 60% of walls would require replacement/remodeling. At this point, fixed options soar in environmental impact in all three areas measured. The explanation is simple. With a built in wall, you have to tear it out and build a new one out of fresh materials. The debris from the demolished walls and millwork goes straight to the landfill.

In comparison, modular walls and casework can be reconfigured without being destroyed. Individual components can be replaced if they wear out. The rest of the system can be reused over and over no matter how often the office environment is remodeled. Plus, the renovation process is much less disruptive with furnishings that are designed with reconfiguration, expansion, and relocation in mind.

Each panel is outfitted with magnets at both ends. This means an unlimited number of partitions can be connected to create a giant caterpillar-like wall. Cubicles (or collaborative workspaces) could conceivably be created using these versatile and highly flexible dividers. For example, the wall could be set up in a gently curving, repeating S shape. The higher the number of curves, the more structural stability the wall has. A desk could be nestled within each curve to create a series of semi-private workstations. Sure, it’s not a traditional cubicle concept; but it might be just the thing for a training environment that needs to be rearranged frequently.

For true mobility, you have to look no farther than…Japan. The Atelier OPA design firm has developed a workstation called The Folding Office in its line of “kenchikukagu” or architectural furniture. It’s gone from a concept to an actual item available for purchase since the company began manufacturing these units at a factory in Shanghai, China. The self-contained cubicle system includes a desk surface, shelving, a chair, and LED lighting. These aluminum workstations are available in black, white, silver, red, brown, and wood grain finishes. When closed, the mobile office looks like a sleek storage locker.

These motion detecting sensors are attached to the underside of chairs, desks, or conference tables to track occupancy over a period of several weeks. The data is transmitted to a wireless receiving station. From there, the information is compiled, analyzed, and used to create detailed reports. You can see a breakdown of when each area of the office is used hour by hour and day by day. This can provide accurate insight into where space is being fully utilized and where it is being wasted.

Designer Soojin Hyun has created a cubicle that recaptures a sense of childlike play. She believes having a private space of their own is what adults crave. This is a step up from the sheet tents of our youth. Each tiny office can be constructed to match the user’s preferences. With 5 different roof options and 16 wall choices (including walls with windows or bookcases), there is no shortage of potential permutations. Hyun envisions these being used alone or in groups to create a “town” inside a modern office environment.

Cube Bases

Some cubicles come with stabilizing feet set at right angles to the panel itself. These are designed to keep the walls from tipping inward or outward on free standing panel systems. You will often see this feature on lighter weight, low cost cubicles like the Verse collection from Maxon. The T-base may be adjustable so that the panel can be leveled. One issue with stabilizing bases is that they may stick out pretty far from the office cubicle walls. You have to take care that these don’t create a tripping hazard.

Thicker Panels & Special Configurations

High end office cubicles can be up to 3” thick (Maxon’s Empower collection is an example). This is wide enough that the panels are fairly secure in a rectangular configuration. In a honeycomb layout, they are even less likely to shift around. That’s because the hexagonal structure doesn’t feature any right angles (like you would see in a typical cubicle). This layout is one of the most inherently stable designs in the natural world – and many people also find it more attractive than the typical cubicle configuration.

Wall & Worksurface Brackets

Attaching your panels to a wall or worksurface with sturdy brackets is another way to make sure they stay in place. Panels that are fastened down this way take a little extra disassembly time if you want to rearrange your workspace. However, it is the best option if you really want to make sure your office cubicle walls don’t get knocked out of position. Brackets are also essential if you are installing cubicle panels that feature heavy accessories like overhead bins.