Office Cubicle Still Preferred

People are making the decision to “work from home” in increasing numbers. In spite of this, cubicles and various other types of office partitioning are still taken into consideration whenever office layouts and partition designs are being made. Architects and interior designers almost always include them in their plans.

While the popularity of this design in offices has been declining over the past few years due to its lack of flexibility, many companies still prefer them because they provide privacy, they offer comfort and they have a positive impact on employee productivity.

An office cubicle is a small partitioned-off space with a desk inside it that provides privacy for the person who occupies it. The work area is typically surrounded on three sides by walls or panels, while the fourth side consists of half-height partitions that give the occupant some degree of privacy from their neighbors.

Office Dimensions & Layout

Before making decisions on your partition designs, you should know the dimensions of your office so that you can find one that fits the space. Additionally, you should know the layout of your office so that you can find a partition that will help you optimize your space for your team.

Typically, the layout is done by your architect in cooperation with the manager. The manager decides how the offices or cubicles, or your staff is arranged. For this, he considers the flow of information of your business.

The sales and marketing departments are mostly grouped alongside. He may consider that the finance people are at the innermost block of the office. Most offices now have reception counters where the receptionist screens the visitors. Whatever the information flow, the manager decides and the architect fits this in into his layout.

Sound-Proofing of Cubicles

You might need soundproof partitions depending on the environment in which you work and the people who will be in close proximity to you. Sound transmission can be reduced by noise-cancelling partitions, allowing workers to concentrate on their tasks without being disturbed. It is dependent, however,  on the available funds, as the cost of these soundproofing materials can add up to a significant amount.

Some Soundproofing materials used are polyurethane foams, felt, polyester fiber, fiber glass, silicone, and even cork. But the most common among these is the polyurethane foams.

Polyurethane foam is quite effective in regulating high frequency sounds. Its material is porous in nature so it absorbs and reduces acoustic reflection. One drawback though of this material is that it is flammable.

The type of flooring, the rugs, the carpets, and also the furniture inside the cubicle like the chairs, tables and cabinets can also have an impact with your sound-proofing.

Most on-line tutorial services providing one on one instructions would always want these soundproofing gizmos to be a part of their cubicles.

Visual Privacy of Partitions

You should look for a partition that offers visual privacy but does not impair sound transmission, such as one made of frosted or translucent glass. Frosted glasses is done by two methods. Etching with acid or sandblasting. These two methods create patterns on glass that can be used for frosting. Frosted glasses allow some light to pass through them.

While some glasses obscure your view of the outside world, others permit you to see what’s going on behind them. The cost of these glasses, on the other hand, is more expensive. Why not just use stickers that look like frosted glass? They can be purchased without much difficulty in the marketplace today. You just have to pick some skillful suppliers to do this for your full glass dividers.

Attaching these stickers on your glass panels may take creativity and skill. One way to do this is to fix the stickers in the large surface in the center and have light enter into the room through the transparent sections at the top and bottom and also the sides.

Materials & Partition Designs

Very important here as some materials are better than others. You should consider design, including color, style, and finish.

Fabric partition panels

The most common material used for the partition panels is the fabric. With dozens of colors to choose from, the fabric is simply the easiest choice. And not only that it is less expensive. Fabric panels can also be cleaned by just soap and water.

Then there’s the laminate. Laminates can be quite expensive compared to the fabric, but they do enhance the appeal of your panels. Laminates are the easiest to clean. Ordinary office dirt and smudges are just a cloth and water away. Laminates also come with a variety of textures and colors. Your office partition supplier would usually give you sample swatches to choose from.

Aluminum partition panels

Aluminum materials are mostly requested by sleek and trendy offices. The panels are thinner compared to the fabric partitions. But this comes with a hefty price of course.

Aluminum Partition Panels are made up of two corrosion-resistant aluminum sheets. For added advantage, a polyethylene core sheet is sandwiched between these two aluminum sheets.

The combination panels

These are partitions that combine different materials to form a single panel. Combining wooden framed fabric panels with glass, aluminum frames with laminates and glass, laminated panels with glass, aluminum sheet panels with glass. These are some of the common and sought for combinations.

Maintenance of Cubicles

You should consider how much maintenance each partition designs need so that you can keep your office clean and organized.

Fabric materials fade in a couple of years and would mostly sport scratches and dirt. Some offices, to conserve expenses, would have their panels “refabric.” It simply means that the panels will be stripped off of their old fabrics and refitted with new ones.

Aluminum and laminates are the easiest to clean. In fact, they hardly get smudges. If ever, you just have to wipe them off with soap and a clean cloth.

Workzone provides you with these types of panels. You may contact us thru email.

If you work in an open office, you’re likely all too familiar with its drawbacks. From constant distractions to the never-ending sound of people typing, poor concentration, lack of privacy and many more.

These things affect a lot of your productivity.

Noise levels affect productivity and peace of mind in profound ways. Unwanted noise interrupts the workflow and hampers the productivity of a business. It can increase frustration, which lowers the quality of workmanship.

An excess of background noise can increase the levels of stress, mental fatigue and hinder creativity.

Most of the office workers now are what we call knowledge workers. And knowledge workers would want spaces free from distraction. Noise can have a negative impact on the amount of work done.

It is especially bad for millennials, who are used to an incredibly quiet workplace where they can focus completely on the task at hand and at their own pace.

Right now they are accustomed to working from home. And according to some surveys, they would rather face termination than going back to the office.

Why would that be? Probably one of the possible reasons, aside of course the tiresome commute, is the lack of privacy and distraction of the office environment.

Even the slowest employee is able to work at a faster pace when it’s quiet around. They can focus more on the tasks and be more productive.

A 2013 study by The University of Sydney found that “noise and loss of privacy are the main sources of workplace dissatisfaction in open plan offices.

Some proponents of “back to the office” paradigm offer the noise-canceling headphones. Though these gadgets are one way to combat this issue, they’re not always practical.

One solution to these open office problems is by reconfiguring the office itself. Rearranging personnel’s tables and chairs and even some furniture.

Full soundproofing of the office may require a sizable budget. Like installing thick floor carpets and heavy curtains.

With carpet cost ranging from $3 to $5 per square foot excluding labor, management would likely throw out your proposal.

Add to that, carpeting your office would involve the movement of your existing staff to a temporary place.

The most economical way then would be to install office partitions. Cubicles can reduce noise levels and create a sound-resistant barrier for best privacy.

By containing the sound within each individual unit, cubicles act as a sound-resistant barrier, creating a more peaceful and productive work environment.

They can also be beneficial for those who need privacy, as they offer more than traditional walls.

Now your office cubicles should have specific dimensions to efficiently reduce noise levels.

Dimension like the height of the panels. The standard height of the office cubicles here in the Philippines is 120cm, most of the offices.

To attain the reduced noise level, your panel height should be 150cm to 180cm. At least 150cm. Installing taller panels not only reduce noise but would also give you more privacy.

Another way of lessening noise coming in to your office cubicle is by using acoustic panels. Usually ordinary panels are made of plywood attached to a wooden frame and covered with fabric.

Acoustic panels are sponge-like blocks of materials. They are also attached to wood-frames. The principle of how they work is that these sponges, these soft materials, increase air resistance thereby bouncing off sound.

Most of the time these acoustic panels are made of polyether or polyester and are pretty good sound insulating materials.

Cubicles can be made of metal, wood or glass. The noise level will depend on the material used for the cubicle panels.

Some panels are even made of aluminum, some laminate. Metal and wood are not sound-proof and glass is semi-sound-proof.

Another attractive way to reduce noise in your cubicle is decorating your space with potted plants. I said it is an attractive way because it does beautify your office.

Plants absorb sound. You might want to choose plants that are intrinsically suited for indoors.

Some potted plants could wither in just a couple of days so its quite cumbersome to maintain these type of plants. There are also plants that have poisonous leaves in them. Might as well avoid these.

Some of the most common indoor plants are the Croton, Lemon Lime Dracaena, Golden Pothos, Anthurium, Lucky Bamboo, Snake Plant, and Peace Lily to name a few.

Among them, the Croton is the most popular. The Golden Pothos is also popular but it is quite dated.

The thing here is that the more plants, the more sound absorption happens. You may have noticed that in some offices the are plant boxes that act as dividers. These boxes can carry plenty of plants and would some sort of greenify the office, if you would.

You can also place some pots inside your personal cubicle. Some pots could be placed nearby your office chair. Really depends on your aesthetic taste.

Some office personnel would want plants that reflect their personality and others plants the symbolized luck.

Whatever the case maybe, your purpose for these plants is to reduce the noise circulating in your office.

Colors of Cubicles

The most common question I am often asked is “what is the best color for office partitions?”

It seems that a fair number of the clients haven’t decided on the colors of their furniture. I believe that some may not have an inkling that colors affect the moods of their clients and affect the productivity of their employees.

The most common colors in the office are white, beige, and grey.

There was a study done by a prestigious university in the USA that found colors alter the moods of people, and impact employee productivity.

Colors like gray and beige, for example, bring in emotions of sorrow and unhappiness. On the other hand, blue and green improve concentration and competence.

No wonder, then, that those big businesses have specific colors for their offices. They have even extended these colors to their logos, advertisements, and other paraphernalia.

If you are thinking of installing dividers, partitions, and cubicles, then the colors mentioned below may help in your choice.

These are the main colors. The shades and variants could fall on these main colors.

1. Red

Now let’s start with Red. Dozens of studies support the theory that the color red raises your heart rate and increases your blood flow.

If the work in your office requires mental alertness and physical activity, you will not go wrong with the red color. This color is also associated with passion, strength, and energy.

Red is good in offices that work at night since this color increases brain wave activity, therefore doing away with drowsiness.

Red is great when your company is involved in construction and engineering activities.

2. Blue

How about blue? By far, this is the most productive color. Some say blue is for the intellectuals, the elites. Uhm… Really? Well, most of the industries we know are associated with the blue color: banks, accounting firms, consulting organizations, and the like.

A study done by the University of British Columbia even found that just changing the computer screens to blue produced employee output twice that of other colors.

I was thinking that the computer screen is just a small part of the environment. How much more if one is inside the blue cubicle?

Blue is associated with relaxing the mind, clearing thoughts, and easing mental tension. Light blue is the first choice in accounting offices. Wonder why? Accounting tasks are repetitive. There is the need to be focused and, yes, productive.

Blue is for tranquility, peace, and security. It is also associated with being orderly. Have you ever been to a business that seemed chaotic and messy?  Did you notice the dominant color of their environment?

3. Green

Motivating people that work extended hours can sometimes be a challenge for management. Management wants results. It wishes its employees to stay focused on their specific assignments. That’s where the color green comes in.

Green is harmony. It does not burden the eyes. This color induces calmness and reassurance. If your people seem to be almost always swamped by the tasks you have assigned, then why not try changing the color of your office environment, the color of your partitions to green? This could probably help.

4. Yellow

Now comes yellow. Studies show this color promotes creativity. The yellow color is uplifting. If you are stuck and need some creative juices to flow, then try yellow.

You might not know it, but yellow is the strongest psychological color. You might argue that it’s red. But studies show it is such a powerful color when it comes to influencing the analytical side of the brain. Yes, the left side of the brain, where reason and analysis reside.

It is no wonder, then, that boosting your environment with this color helps employees retain information. Training rooms with this color,  have been found to have their trainees absorb more information. One office I have visited have their tables and chairs accents of the color yellow.

There is, however, a caveat to misusing this color. Too much exposure can lead to eye strain. There was even one study that showed that long exposure to this color stimulates agitation.

5. Orange

The Welcome Color. It is a combination of red and yellow. When you think of red as the color that affects you physically and yellow influences you emotionally, then you have an orange that stimulates your mind and body.

Orange creates a sense of comfort and relaxation, of warmth. Most BPO offices choose this color to accentuate their lounges.

This bright color is sensed in business as being affordable, being of reasonable quality. You should be careful about using this color, though, as it may not jibe with the image that your company is pushing.

Also, the same study mentioned above indicated that while this color improved productivity with female employees, it did the opposite with males.

Color Preferences

The colors of office cubicles may be of less importance in the minds of some decision-makers. But get this, the world’s biggest and most innovative companies, like Apple and Google, take the color selection seriously.

The Google offices are exceptionally colorful. They are intentional in their preferences. Their color choices depend on what they want to accomplish. Like blue rooms, if they want their employees to create and yellow rooms when they want decisions made.

You may have your colors of choice, even variations, but these five are the predominant preferences in most of the offices.