Much has been said over the last few decades about the comparative advantages of open versus closed office design. With tech companies that value high-speed collaboration and communication within teams and organizations gaining prominence in the collective imagination, open office space designs quickly overtook the privacy-focused cubicle-based design in the earliest part of the 21st century.
However, that meteoric rise came to a screeching halt due to the COVID pandemic that hit in early 2020. Where previously open exposure to everyone else in the office was seen as a major strength, the desire to stop the spread of the disease within the workplace saw it turn into a huge detriment almost overnight.
A variety of makeshift, DIY and customizable solutions were created to help open-office designers mitigate the damage, including modular dividers and walls that could be installed on benching systems. Despite these quick fixes, the obvious drawbacks of having an almost completely open space while a virulent airborne disease was surging made many office managers and design teams turn back to the cubicle systems that had served offices so well in decades past.
As more offices incorporated cubicles back into their office designs and employees slowly trickled back into the workplace, the other benefits of cubicle systems began making themselves known. Workers were more focused and able to get far more done than they were while completely exposed.
How could this be? Cubicles provide a number of advantages to modern workers that are more applicable to the current generations coming into the workplace than those of decades past.
A major aspect of the millennial and gen alpha’s preferences include a desire for privacy and a relatively peaceful environment in which to work. Both of these generations, in general, seem to take pride in their introverted tendencies. This means that the added level of privacy provided by the modular walls of their cubicles allows them to relax and concentrate on the task in front of them.
This inclination towards introversion also means that a loud and boisterous office space with many people talking and collaborating can actually be detrimental to their work. Cubicle-based environments tend to be quieter, with people utilizing dedicated collaboration spaces like conference and huddle rooms to stage their discussions and brainstorming sessions.
In short, cubicle-based office environments are ideal for focus-centered office designs. For work that does not require consistent vocal communications, a design that incorporates cubicles into their employee equipment is usually the way to go.
If you’re an office manager or controller looking to procure new cubicles for your L.A. office, there’s only one supplier in the area that carries the best lines available on the market today: Creative Office Design. Creative’s stock includes the Novo series of modular cubicles, which provide the ultimate level of customization and quality for modern office spaces looking to keep their sleek aesthetic while benefiting from the cubicle’s unique advantages.
While the debate between the closed versus open office space will no doubt begin raging once again some day, for the time being the cubicle wins out in terms of practicality and functionality. Call Creative today.
Creative Office Design
+17143287627
5230 Pacific Concourse Dr #105, Los Angeles, CA 90045