When I accepted my first office internship at Human Capital Media, I asked many of my friends the same question: “What’s your office like?” I heard much of the same answer: an open office space.
As the trend toward open office spaces hits the workplace and studies emerge about their effectiveness and innovation, questions are rising about this Silicon Valley-inspired model that is supposedly the future of office spaces.
How does it boost productivity and deal with office distractions? Does it further disconnect employees with the eternal presence of technology? The discussion becomes more interesting when you consider in conjunction with another rising workplace trend: remote working.
Many employees work from home and have flexible work arrangements, so their comfort level has seeped into the office design. Airbnb’s office is said to be like entering someone’s house; creative homey nooks with hanging lights, colored walls and antique portraits and memorabilia for private concentration, standing-only desk cubicles or large sleek lounges with wall plants and dog-friendly spaces had the company received rave reviews for its space.