The office as we know it is shrinking. Square footage allotment per employee has been on a steady decline year after year. With this comes smaller worksurfaces, employees working in closer proximity and a trend towards more open plan office environments. Needless to say, a reduction in square footage has a number of implications for employees and their work environments. 1.) Employee privacy is reduced 2.) Individual workstation square footage decreases 3.) Personal storage is limited 4.) Noise levels increase and 5.) Some may argue productivity suffers as a result of these affects.
There’s no indication that this trend will reverse itself anytime soon so organizations must get creative when planning environments for employees that align with space limitations but also accommodate their employees’ work styles. At KI, we believe Active Design not only addresses these issues but also encourages healthy, productive activity throughout the work day.