There are five main ingredients in the recipe for holistic workplace design: productive, healthy, social, efficient, and responsive.
People are territorial by nature. Objects, spaces, relationships, and behavioral roles are areas in which people claim ownership. Territory can help to create social belonging and establish a sense of comfort.
How does this affect life at the office and the creation of workspaces? Before making plans for a new building or facility, designers need to keep several things in mind: territoriality, status, the need for privacy, the value of informal spaces, and the benefit of creating balance.
Let’s explore these elements, and then look at holistic workplace design, a modern approach that helps neutralize issues of status and territoriality.
Territorial behavior: We are cavemen
Although there are various ways in which people engage in territorial behavior, there are two areas of focus: marking and defending. Marking can be control-oriented or identity-oriented. Examples include hanging a jacket on a chair or putting a framed photo on a desk. You can see references to this in pop culture. WKRP in Cincinnati’s Les Nessman outlined his workstation in tape on the floor. In The Office, two co-workers divided their workstation by inserting a fence made of pencils between them. People are inherently territorial. Territory carries connotations of power, status, and hierarchy. So, in the workplace, where people seek to establish organizational order and meaning in work, understanding territorial need is key to creating workplace harmony.
Territory can be defined by individual workstations, team areas, and by neighborhoods. It can also be fostered by items that can be controlled by employees, such as lockers, file drawers, or personal desk accessories. It can also be controlled by teams, such as bulletin boards, community spaces, and lounges. Respecting the human need for territory and providing layers of control for individuals is critical in developing a successful workplace design.