Archive for the ‘Office Space Planning’ Category

Do You Need A Professional Office Furniture Consultant?

Friday, August 27th, 2010

If you are planning to furnish a new office or renovate an old one, enlisting the assistance of a professional office furniture consultant can be a wise move – especially when you can receive a free consultation. Although picking out desks, chairs, and cubicles may seem fairly straightforward, there are actually a number of problems you can run into. Having an advisor to walk you through the planning, selection, and installation process can be very helpful for the following reasons:

Efficient Space Usage

If you do all the calculations for office furniture placement yourself, it’s easy to miss out on making the most of your square footage. Simply calculating the footprint of each workstation and leaving room for pathways isn’t the best way to do space planning. There are dozens of tips and tricks that professionals know that increase the number of employees who can comfortably fit in your office environment. A consultant can also offer advice on how to save money on cable and electrical installations by arranging modular furniture in a spine based layout.

Brand Selection

A professional office furniture advisor (who isn’t an exclusive dealer for one manufacturer) can give you objective information about the best brands and models for your workspace. Without a consultant, you would have nothing to go on but customer reviews and the advertising provided by the manufacturers of each brand. Digging through the web to compile enough information to make a good decision takes up a great deal of time. It makes sense to ask for a consultant’s top 3 or 4 recommendations that fit your price range so you can narrow down the field and just research those few choices.

Acoustics, Ergonomics, and Aesthetics

Some of the most frequent complaints employees have about office furniture is the noise level of the cubicle environment and the discomfort caused by inadequate chairs and workstations. A consultant can help you select the items that will maximize worker satisfaction and create a pleasant office environment. In addition, you can bounce ideas for different color schemes off an experienced designer and end up with a look that fits your branding and doesn’t clash with the rest of the décor.

LEED Certification

If you are trying to earn LEED points, it’s an especially good idea to consult a professional. Office furniture selections that are sustainable and that don’t negatively impact IAQ (indoor air quality) can help you achieve certification. Again, this is an area you could research yourself, but it makes more sense to make use of the knowledge already accumulated by a specialist.

Keeping Office Cubicle Walls Stable

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

A tall cubicle panel in a busy office space can be prone to tipping or shifting if it gets bumped. Making sure your office cubicle walls stay in one place is an important step in the setup of your cubes. There are several options manufacturers offer for ensuring the stability of full height panels.

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.

Cool Cubicles To Spark Your Imagination

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

cool cubiclesAlexander Kjerulf, the Chief Happiness Officer over at the Positive Sharing website, has put together a terrific collection of photos showing cool cubicles and workstations from around the world. Featured companies include Pixar, Mindlab, and Red Bull (it give you wings!). Of course, Google is on the list with its usual “coolest place to work” image to uphold.

The number of collaborative workspaces shown in Kjerulf’s post is a testament to how the walls are tumbling down in many ultra-modern office environments. While not every job is suited to a panel-free workstation, having that option available is becoming more common. The mix of open areas, pods, and enclosed, private office cubicles is often ideal for promoting both productivity and creativity.

HON Office Furniture: San Diego Employers Get Real Answers

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

HON Office Furniture San DiegoHave you seen the online educational resource published by HON Office Furniture? San Diego businesses that don’t have a dedicated, experienced agent purchasing their workplace furnishings can really benefit from the type of advice contained in this short booklet. It covers everything from planning basics to desks, seating, cubicles, and storage.

HON entitles this document “How to Purchase Office Furniture: Real Answers, Real Simple” – and it is a quick read. The last page is a useful checklist that can be used to order directly from HON. However, it is generic enough to act as a planning sheet for buying from any manufacturer. As the HON booklet points out, most buyers research online but many still seek out a local office furniture dealer for help with office space design and layout. That’s an approach that makes sense if you can get a free consultation (like the one we provide at up to a $1000 value).

HONOverview of HON’s Tips

Understanding Your Purpose

Section 1 gives you a list of questions to ask about the “why” of your purchasing decision. It includes suggestions on the type of atmosphere you can create with different types of furniture and finishes.

Learn Your Terminology

Section 2 has a list of commonly used worksurface terms. Find out the difference between a return and a bridge along with what purpose each one serves in the work environment.

Seating Considerations

Section 3 advises purchasers not to buy conference room chairs as a substitute for task seating. Chairs made for temporary use just aren’t comfortable enough to sit in all day.

File It Away

Section 4 points out that filing cabinets need to be level for the drawers to operate properly. This means you need to either purchase storage units with built in levelers or plan to place shims (cardboard or otherwise) at the corners.

HEREOENotes on Panel Systems

Section 5 covers considerations for cubicle purchasing from HON Office Furniture. San Diego employers can learn a little about raceways and wiring here; but HON recommends a consultation with a local dealer for more specific information.

Are 6×6 Cubicles Too Small for Comfort?

Friday, July 9th, 2010

6x6 cubiclesThe trend toward miniaturization hasn’t just impacted the computer chip industry over the last 20 years. Modern cubicles have also shrunk as employers seek to make the most out of their office real estate. According to a report from Reel Grobman, fewer than 50% of organizations in the tech industry use standard 8×8 workstations. A shift toward much smaller 6×6 cubicles became prevalent around the year 2000. Now, some telemarketing firms even use cubes as small as 2×4. Ironically, working in a larger company tends to correlate with fewer square feet allocated per employee.

Today, the trend may be changing again. A few companies are making a point of purchasing larger cubicles to give employees a little more elbow room. Many more are focusing on enhancing comfort without actually increasing cubicle size. It appears that 6×6 cubicles can be perceived as reasonably spacious if an effort is made to use smart design.

canadian flagCanada’s National Research Council has done quite a bit of experimentation on this topic. Here are some of their findings for ways to increase employee satisfaction in a cubicle-based work environment:

  • Arrange workstations so that as many workers as possible are near an exterior window or have one in their line of sight.
  • Use lower panel heights and pale color schemes to increase the penetration and reflection of natural light into the workspace.
  • Install lamps in each cubicle so employees can control light levels with their own dimmer switch.
  • Specify acoustic cubicle panels that are higher than the heads of seated employees.
  • Arrange workstation entrances so they are not facing high-traffic areas.
  • Check cubicle layout to ensure that ventilation is even and there are no uncomfortable drafts.

The NRC does recommend increasing cubicle size as one possible strategy to achieve better acoustic privacy. However, they also point out that the use of noise masking technology can serve a similar purpose. All in all, most of their recommendations can be implemented in an office setting where 6×6 cubicles are used. And, you can discuss all of these issues with our consultants during a free office design planning session.

Popular Cubicle Configurations

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Knoll Spine basedSqueezing as many workers into a space as possible may seem like the best way to make use of expensive office real estate. However, there are other considerations besides square footage that make proper space planning essential from a budgeting and productivity standpoint. For one thing, the way you arrange a cubicle system affects the amount of wiring/cabling required. The orientation of the workstations within the office can increase or decrease the effectiveness of natural lighting and the flow of air. The direction an employee faces inside the cube also impacts the perceived size and privacy of the space provided.

Here are a few commonly selected cubicle configurations along with the perks of each layout:

Quad Station

cubicle configurationsIn this example from the Compose line by Haworth, all employees are facing in one direction. Ventilation can be provided from a single angle (say, above and behind) to serve the entire group. Four workstations are combined to create a very stable structure.

Double U

YorkThese two U-shaped York workstations from Knoll share a central seating area to save space. Since the workers are facing away from each other, there is a greater sense of privacy. Storage can be shared or separate depending on the needs of the employees.

Spine

spine cubiclesOne of the most popular cubicle configurations for efficient electrical and data wiring is the spine setup. Workers can sit facing each other along a single work table for greatest space savings. Panels and workstations can be added along the spine to create separate cubicles in a less collaboration-oriented environment.

Honeycomb

Resolve honeycombThe Resolve system from Herman Miller is an example of one of the newer cubicle layout designs. It uses 120 degree joints to create honeycomb shaped workstations. These give employees a sense of having more room while actually conserving space. They can be set up along a zig-zag spine or arranged in clusters.

Office Furniture Storage: Cubicles

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

storage cubiclesAre you going through a period of downsizing that involves moving to a smaller office space? You may need to put some of your office furniture in storage. Cubicles are often relatively simple to break down and take up much less space when they are stored as separate components instead of full workstations. Here are a few tips for making sure they remain in good condition and are easy to reassemble when you need them again:

Accurate Inventory – Label each part prior to or during disassembly. This is especially important if not all of your cubicle models are identical. Use masking tape and only stick it to areas where it won’t leave an unsightly adhesive residue after removal. Make a full list of how many cubes you have – including sizes and accessories (work surfaces, shelving, etc).

Protection – When possible, layer panels between cardboard or moving blankets. This will keep metal and laminate surfaces from being scratched. Keep fabric panels away from sunlight or they may fade. Secure the stored panels firmly in place so they don’t fall over and injure an employee.

Modular Office Cubicles – Going Off Module

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Modular Office CubicleCubicle systems, by the nature of their design, are built and expanded on as modules. Simple, repetitive architecture makes modular office cubicles easy to use in creating a layout plan. However, sometimes having everything exactly the same isn’t what you need. This is why many cubicle manufacturers offer design features that are listed as “off module”. This could be overhead storage bins, panel connections, or other components.

In general, off-module cubicle structures permit greater flexibility. A panel system might have connectors that permit several configurations to accommodate interior building features like columns or windows. Or, you might have the option of integrating a storage unit at any 6” interval along a panel instead of just in one set spot. The customizable nature of off-module cubicles can also make them a better option for a diverse workforce. For example, being able to select the preferred height for a worksurface can be a boon for very tall or very short employees.

Typical Cubicle Layout Criticized By Programmer

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

HeadphonesSoftware developer Adam Lane has written an interesting article expressing his personal opinion on the office vs. cubicle debate. He makes a good point that for people in a line of work that requires uninterrupted concentration, an open cubicle layout may be less than desirable. That’s why many employees in his line of work use headphones and music to drown out the noise created by their coworkers.

The author runs through a pretty impressive list of benefits to giving each developer his/her own office space while also leaving some areas open for collaborative tasks. Of course, he acknowledges that this approach is more costly than setting up cubicles. However, he argues that the increase in productivity and reduction in errors makes up for the initial investment.

There are actually quite a few cubicle manufacturers who also offer architectural walls. The Altos collection from Teknion is one example. These walls are reconfigurable (although not as flexible as a cubicle system) and reduce noise very efficiently. This type of solution might be a good option for companies that want to spend a little extra making their “thought workers” happy and reduce distractions.

Office Cubicles Design – Attack of the Clones

Friday, May 7th, 2010

58 CloneWhile human cloning is still the stuff of science fiction, office furniture cloning has been taking place for quite some time. Cloning companies mimic an OEM office cubicle’s design to create knock-offs of the original product for business owners who want to save some cash. It’s kind of like buying a faux Coach bag – only with cubicles.

The Clone Difference

These manufacturers advertise their products as being just like the real thing at a significant discount off OEM pricing. They also claim that their cube parts are fully compatible or interchangeable with those of name brand manufacturers such as Herman Miller. This would theoretically allow a company with a current fleet of HM workstations to add on cloned cubes without paying full price for an actual Herman Miller product. That’s a tempting prospect for employers who are faced with a tight budget for office space planning and provisioning.

Of course, any patented office cubicle’s design features would not be duplicated in the clone (if the cloner doesn’t want to be sued).  In addition, cubicle cloning companies admit that shoddily constructed overseas replicas of mid-grade furnishings have given their industry a reputation for poor quality materials and workmanship. Many U.S. clone dealers are now providing extensive guarantees and warranties to build trust with their client base.

What’s In a Name?

There is no question that some of what you pay for when purchasing new cubicles from companies like Haworth, Steelcase, and HM is the name tag. Of course, these companies have earned their reputation for extremely high quality and durability. It is certainly possible that some of these features can be duplicated by less well known manufacturers and reasonably sold at a lower price. This is something purchasers must evaluate on a case by case basis.

Cloned vs. Refurbished

Cloned cubicles are advertised starting at 25-35% less than new, name brand office cubicles. Design features and materials are promised to be similar to the OEM products. This is in contrast to a cost savings of up to 50% for an actual name brand cubicle that has been restored to like-new condition. Ask yourself this question: Which would you rather spend your money on – a brand new KIA or a certified, pre-owned BMW?

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