Why It's Time To Rethink The Open Office Design

Charlie Young

MADISON, NJ–The open office concept, a hot design trend over the last 10 years, has now declined in popularity due to lack of privacy concerns plus the constant distractions that are part of an open environment. According to new research commissioned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC and conducted online by The Harris Poll, three fourths of employees don’t mind working in open office spaces as long as there is access to private areas such as phone rooms or small work areas and if there is minimal noise and distraction.

“The open office began as a way to encourage a collaborative atmosphere,” says Charlie Young, president and CEO, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Taking down cubicle barriers and bringing people out of closed-door offices was thought to be a way to encourage more face-to-face communication. With the rise of email and IM communication in the 2000s, open-offices were thought to facilitate in-person communication over electronic communication.”