Why open plan offices are so bad - and what we can do to make them better
Open plan offices have become the standard choice for modern workplaces today, whether it’s with free or fixed seating arrangement. Unfortunately. many open plan offices are actually poorly designed, resulting in widespread dissatisfaction and criticism around the world. Open plan workspaces can vary dramatically in quality, and too often, they fail to consider basic productivity and comfort, which is why they’ve developed a notoriously bad reputation.
This article aims to explore how, with the right design principles, they can actually be places for collaborative, productive and comfortable work environments. We'll look into the common pitfalls that have made open plan offices so bad, and what makes an open plan office work.
Size matters
A big reason why open plan offices often get a bad reputation is because of their size and layout. Many are just huge rooms designed to hold dozens or even more than a hundred employees. The workspace often turns into a sea of desks with little to no separation. This can cause a lot of problems, such as too much noise, not enough privacy, and constant distractions.
Furthermore, when an office is just one large space, it can feel too open and impersonal. Not only can it be hard to manage light, temperature, and noise well in such a big area, but psychologically it is harder for people to feel like this is 'their' space.
No other space options available
Another critical flaw in many open plan offices is the absence of varied breakout spaces (rooms, booths, areas) - whether it’s for focused work, video meetings or a private phone call. Without these, employees have nowhere to retreat for quiet, focused work, confidential discussions or longer video meetings. They’re simply stuck at their desks, with no options available to them.
Mismatch in team dynamics in the shared space
In many open plan offices, teams are placed together without much thought about how they work or interact. This can cause problems. Teams that need to talk a lot and collaborate often might benefit from being close to each other. But if teams work very differently, or don’t need to talk much, being close might just lead to frustration and distraction.
A big issue with many open plan offices is that they mix teams together without thinking about what each team needs to do its best work. For example, putting a loud sales team next to a quiet accounting team usually doesn’t work well. The sales team’s noise and energy levels (which may be necessary to keep the high pace and performance) can interrupt the accountants who (may) need quiet to focus.
Noise and acoustics
Noise is one of the biggest problems in open plan offices. The constant background noise from conversations, phone calls, and even just the sound of typing can make it hard for people to concentrate.
In poorly designed open plan offices, there is often little thought given to how sound behaves in the space. Without proper acoustic treatments, noise can bounce around and fill the entire office. This not only makes it difficult for employees to focus but can also lead to increased stress and reduced productivity.
Managing noise it’s a hygiene factor. In the context of workplace design, a hygiene factor doesn’t lead to greater satisfaction when it’s present, but its absence can cause significant dissatisfaction. Effective acoustic design is therefore not just a preference—it’s essential for preventing dissatisfaction and maintaining a baseline of comfort that allows employees to function effectively.
Air and light - especially daylight
In many open plan offices, there's an oversight concerning air and daylight, both important for a healthy indoor environment. Often, these offices are vast spaces with numerous desks, where natural light can't reach everyone. Many employees find themselves more than 7 meters from the nearest window, leaving them dependent on artificial lighting. This setup ignores the fact that natural daylight is vital for energy levels and even sleep quality. Even a single day without adequate daylight can negatively impact that night's sleep, demonstrating how important daylight in the (open) office space is.
Moreover, ventilation is another critical aspect frequently overlooked in large open spaces. Without proper airflow, air quality deteriorates as carbon dioxide levels rise and pollutants accumulate. This can lead to discomfort and at worst reduced cognitive function ("brain fog").
Is the open plan office doomed or can we do something to make them into the collaborative and inspiring environment they are often promised to be?
Creating an inspiring, comfortable open plan office that increase employee satisfaction and collaboration is actually possible. It’s not even that hard. There are some rules to follow throughout the design process, and some to follow after moving in. To combat the above major concerns, the design process is of course very important.
Open plan offices surely has a place in the modern workspace. It can even be well-functioning without assigned desks (free seating) if done right.
We’ve created a guide for you to use - completely for free! The guide will give specific and detailed advice on how to succeed with an open office space.
It is mainly directed towards architects and other types of office space planners, but can be useful for anyone involved in an office planning design process. We really hope that this can contribute to making open plan workspaces more enjoyable.
We have also collected some interesting articles from external sources on the subject:
Read this article called ‘The truth about open plan workspaces’ to read how important it is to gather data, experiment and customize when designing office space.
Read this article called ‘How to Make Sure People Won’t Hate Your New Open Office Plan’ to learn more about how psychology also plays a major role - not just the physical environment, but also something dubbed ‘place identity’ can affect satisfaction with the office space.
Book a meeting with us to discuss how we can assist with data collection and analytics.