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Office Furniture Evolution
By Carol Jones
The evolution of office furniture over the last 30 years has been driven by the three principal factors of technology; employee health, safety and welfare; and changing work practices.
In the 1980s, workplace design was largely status and hierarchy centered, which resulted in a high proportion of closed, private offices rather than open and collaborative spaces. Writing surfaces were the primary focus of the workstation since computers were used only as a reference and considered an accessory to the workstation. Peripheral equipment, such as printers and fax machines, were remotely located and documents were primarily stored in hard copy form, creating demand for storage cabinets.
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In the next decade organizational structures began flattening and teams and technology moved to the forefront of importance in workplace design. Increasingly functional planning caused a complete shift in the workplace with fewer private offices and increasingly open work spaces. Computers proliferated and became the primary focus of every desk/workstation; all other surfaces became secondary. Constantly changing organizations demanded greater flexibility in office and workstation arrangements but held on to the need to store hard copy documents. With technology costs dropping and an increasing demand for printers, scanners, and other peripherals, users suddenly found themselves pressed for desktop space but also feeling the effects of continuous computer usage. As a result, the demand for ergonomic furnishings flourished.
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Since the arrival of millennium, technology has dominated the workplace with furnishings viewed as accessories to support computers and ancillary equipment. However, although technology has become increasingly pervasive, it has also become more recessive through flat screens, smaller hardware, and laptops. Greater mobility can now be seen in the workplace and users are demanding furnishings that they can reconfigure themselves. There is also greater trust in computerized document files, which has resulted in fewer filing and storage cabinets.
The last 30 years has witnessed an increased emphasis on attraction and retention of the best possible workforce. This mandate, together with a surge in sustainable design, has placed increased awareness around the health, safety, and welfare aspects of workplace design. Furnishings products are now selected for their ecological value, with increasing emphasis placed on the sustainable practices in the shipping and manufacturing of products. Fortunately, the office product manufacturing industry has led the way by offering a wide range of ‘green’ furnishings.
The demand for ergonomic furnishings has created the greatest variety of user-friendly office furnishings ever seen including seating with adjustable arms, seat height and depth, and back flex. Workstation surfaces can now be manually or electronically adjusted, allowing employees to sit or stand at their desk. For the first time in history, our workforce is composed of at least three generations, producing the need to satisfy differing ergonomic requirements and work styles. Access to natural light has become a universal design goal, leading to lower panel heights between workstations and the use of more transparent materials. In addition, not only have panels become lower but they are also rising up off the floor, allowing better air flow. Seismic and accessibility concerns, along with panel height reduction, are leading to the demise of overhead bins in favor of personal storage ‘towers’.
Workplace design used to be based on two assumptions that no longer apply: first, that people are at their desks all day and secondly, that the workday starts at 9 and ends at 5. Studies have shown that technical and professional employees spend more than 50 per cent of their time away from their desk, with a higher percentage for managerial positions. The personal workstation is rapidly becoming a “home room”, where the day starts and ends, with a series of formal and informal meetings in between. This change in workplace behavior combined with the fact that computer equipment is smaller and monitors are often above the desk surface, has allowed workstations to shrink in size. This means that more office real estate is dedicated to meeting and project rooms, as well as collaborative and touch down areas.
Today many of the drivers behind decisions about furnishings have more to do with changing business climates than supporting hierarchy. Furnishings are assigned based on functional requirements rather than status. Employers are concerned with encouraging collaboration and team work and look for furnishings that are mobile and easily reconfigured. Manufacturing leaders are typically ahead of the curve in anticipating changing furnishing and workplace trends and invest significantly in research and development. This positions them to support design professionals and offer products that are appropriate to the constantly changing workplace. Ultimately it is the combined goal of corporate employers, the manufacturing community, and the design profession to create high performance workplaces that nourish and stimulate the people who work in them.
Carol Jones, RID, CFM, FIDC, FIIDA, FIDIBC, LEED®AP, is a principal at Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. |
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