In my recent posting Technology, Mobility, Flexibility, and Beyond, I discussed the new open workplace. At this point, it seems appropriate to take a step back and discuss how work practices shape the layout and design of open offices.

In several of my previous entries about space reduction, I highlighted the impact of new technologies on mobile work practices and the resultant effect on the physical environment of today’s office space. In particular, these articles have emphasized the continued trend toward reducing the overall...

Today, in our third and final piece on workplace privacy, we will tackle the issue of personal matters at the office.

The need for privacy in a collaborative space differs from that required in a focus space. On the one hand, we are looking at individual privacy; on the other, we are looking at group privacy. Nevertheless, each has a valid privacy requirement. This article follows my recent post Can Open Offices...

In my previous posting, Focus Spaces, I discussed that, in the absence of private offices or dedicated workstations, staff members who frequently work from locations outside the office still require part-time accommodations to focus intensely and individually on their primary job assignments....