Open Space Office
Everything about designing an open space office layout
This typology of space offers a lot of design freedom yet must be planned in a space-conscious way that keeps things efficient. It can be achieved by carefully curating the workstations while combining them with private areas, alongside other furniture pieces and general facilities of the space.
Dimensions 📏
Rules Of Thumb 👍
Layout Examples ✏️
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- Desk Dimensions
- Chair Dimensions
- Booth Dimensions
- Storage Dimensions
- Computer Screen & Keyboard
Office desks commonly measure around 120 to 180 cm in width and 60 to 80 cm in depth, providing ample space for computer equipment and paperwork.
Office chairs are designed for comfort and ergonomic support during long work hours. They typically have adjustable features like height and backrest, and their standard dimensions range from 70 to 80 cm in width and 60 to 80 cm in depth.
Office private booths are enclosed spaces designed to provide privacy and focus within an open space office environment. These compact work areas typically fit one to four people and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, while a benchmark size could be around 120 to 200 cm in width and depth.
Office storage units are essential organizational components designed to keep documents, supplies, and personal items neatly stored and easily accessible. These units, such as cabinets or shelving systems, come in various sizes and configurations, as demonstrated in a few examples above.
Computer screens commonly have dimensions ranging from approximately 50 to 70 cm in width and 10 to 20 cm in depth, while Keyboards typically have a width of about 45 to 60 cm and a depth of around 15 to 20 cm.
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- Compact vs. Spacious Workstation
- Workstation Circulation
- Workstation Reclining Area
- Private Booth Clearance
The size of a single workstation significantly affects the overall usage of an open space. An average office chair size is between 65×70 cm to 77×80 cm, and an average office desk size ranges between 120×60 cm to 160×80 cm. Determine the workstation size according to the area you are planning and the number of employees that should be facilitated in it.
Circulation between desks should be a minimum of 90 cm, which will enable a walking route for one person, to a spacious 150 cm - which will allow it for two. Determine the circulation between workstations according to the total amount of workstations in the open space, keeping an adequate ratio between the number of workstations to the width of circulation passageways.
When designing workstations across from a wall or each other, remember to leave a reclining area. Reclining for the chair behind a desk should be a minimum of 75 cm, and reclining for that chair with circulation behind it will be 150 cm; 75 cm clearance behind the desk + 75 cm passageway. For back-to-back desks, a minimum of 200 cm (75 cm clearance from each desk + 50 cm between them) should do the trick!
In an open space work arrangement, it is essential to provide a quiet place for workers to have privacy and hold meetings or calls. That's why private booths are often embedded in these spaces.
Circulation between booths should be a minimum of 75 - 150 cm, while clearance in front of them is a minimum of 75x75 cm. In addition, the clearance should be at least 120 cm in case booth entrances face each other.
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- Bench Workstations
- Team Pods
- Cubicle Farm
An open office space should offer a hybrid workspace, providing various settings to accommodate different tasks and work styles. This includes workstations, communal areas, and private booths, allowing employees to find their ideal work environment throughout the day. Three typologies of open space layouts are:
- Bench workstations are a typical arrangement of open space with long desks arranged one next to the other.
- The pros of this typology are its spacial efficiency: it may accommodate many employees in one area compactly. It's also adequate for co-working spaces with people coming and going or hot-desking.
- Nevertheless, open workstations call for quiet areas to hold meetings and provide a private space.
- Some companies have a clear organizational structure in which teams are a core unit.
- In these cases, a team pod arrangement of open space provides each team with a communal desk where they may work individually yet maintain a high level of communication and synergy throughout the day.
- In this layout, it is recommended to add buffers between teams to provide a higher level of intimacy than a classic open space arrangement.
- Tho it is less common nowadays, a cubicle farm has its advantages.
- Its fragmented nature allows for a high level of privacy and is an excellent fit for types of work requiring a high level of concentration or involving many calls.
- Having that said, it is essential also to provide communal areas where employees can interact and acquire the vital feeling of being part of a team.
'I Find That The Harder I Work, The Less I Call It Work' ☕
Last modified 3mo ago