When office partitions are mentioned, the mind may immediately jump to the dull and monotonous workplaces of old, the type filled with rabbits’ warrens of cubicles where workers would huddle in individual boxes for the majority of the day.
This use of office partitions is certainly outdated, and not something any of us are keen to go back to. These days the ideal design for an office space encourages collaborative working, creating thinking and innovative practices and old fashioned partitions that separate workers simply don’t seem to fit into this ethos.
The need, however, for an office partition in modern workplaces is still present and will be for many years to come. While many companies recognise that collaborative working is invaluable and can be encouraged through open plan layouts, the fact remains that most employees need privacy and above all, a place to focus in order to work effectively. In modern interior design office division are thus used to intensify a workplace, creating specific zones within more general departments.
The trick to using partitions effectively in a contemporary setting is to reach a balance between an open layout with general spaces for employees to congregate throughout the day and a system of workstations which provide sufficient peace, privacy and focus for independent work. Finding this balance for the effective use of partitions is perhaps the most difficult part of designing a new workspace but it can also be the most rewarding. It can be the key to a more productive and efficient workplace.