As we all know, the open office is the latest design trend. It aims to reduce space per person while promoting mobility and collaboration. However, is there a point when density overtakes productivity to shrink the space footprint? I think there is.

The Eudaimonia Machine, as described in Cal Newport’s book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, offers principles for office space planning that seek to avoid many of the well-documented deficiencies of today’s open plan office. How does this concept differ from the current...

By: Keith Fentress (President, Fentress Inc.) and Mike Jones (President, Major Security Consulting and Design, LLC)

Many workplaces choose not to have physical security. The reasons could include a lack of funds, the concern that visible security will be off-putting to clientele, and the hope that...

Since its advent in the 1960s, each new iteration of the open office has had its critics. The current 21st century version is no exception. Given all of its well-documented deficiencies, should we dump the open office concept and convert back to private offices as some suggest? Maybe not. A new...

By Keith Fentress (President, Fentress Inc.) and Mike Jones (President, Major Security Consulting and Design, LLC)

The number of people working from a home office either full-time, part-time, or just on occasion is steadily increasing. Though there is a lot of guidance on the benefits of home...