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Cubicle farm reform

Is the cubicle dead? Not quite. But the latest trends in office design give them new form and function.

By DAVE GUSSOW
Published September 11, 2006

The boss no longer has dibs on the room with a view.

The watercooler is getting more of the cushier comforts of home.

The strips of fluorescent lighting are being replaced, and the cubicle, an office landmark for years, also is getting dressed up.

Cubicle dwellers rejoice: Help is on the way. Adding touches for more comfort, improved communication, easier collabora­tion and more technology, offices are undergoing a makeover.

“It’s really about how to design the ecosystems,” said Franco Lodato, vice president of design exploration and development  at Herman Miller Inc., a well-known office furniture company.

Lodato, who will speak at next month’s  Sarasota International Design Summit, brings an unusual background to office design.

His experience is more technology, including for wireless and wearable tech, yet he looks to nature for his inspiration.

“Nature as a database lets you understand opportunities,” said Lodato, 43. “Somehow, we don’t have the patience to investigate and understand the transfer” of human interaction and information.

Sure, people know that birds influence the design of planes, as can fish. But how does someone look at nature and morph it into an office?

“I’m trained to think different,” Lodato said. “I’m trained to understand and synthesize information to try to offer solutions.”

While Lodato looks three to seven years down the road, Vicki Rich works on design changes today as vice president and principal at ASD’s Tampa office. With seven offices around the country, ASD’s services include assessing space needs, interior design and facility management.

“We go in and get a feel for the company, what they’re about, what their mission is, what their vision is, how they want to present themselves to customers and clients,” Rich said.

Among what’s coming into vogue:

-Larger companies are putting the manager’s office in the middle of the office, with workstations surrounding it — and getting the window views.“It seems more equal,” Rich said, and with a more open feel, workers “don’t feel as contained.”

-The traditional L-shaped desk is making a comeback. Corner units helped with bulky computer monitors, Rich says, but the popularity of flat panels makes that moot.And for those flat panels, more desks have monitor arms that free up more workspace and also eliminate the need for keyboard trays.

-More suspended lighting helps eliminate glare on computer screens, along with higher ceilings. In addition, more buildings are using sensors for energy management, making them more environmentally friendly.

-What Rich calls “softer issues” are gaining in importance: areas for day care, cafeterias, exercise and seating areas where employees can go to chill or work wirelessly on their notebook computer.

“They find that these kinds of things will generate ideas and conversation,” Rich said. “That’s the sort of place where people can meet and greet.”

-Storage is evolving, but the filing cabinet isn’t disappearing because paper will be with workers for a long time. Storage towers that combine filing space and book shelves save space and serve multiple purposes.

-Cubicles are not going away, but they are being redesigned and repositioned. Lower panels enhance communication and collaboration, Rich says, and they are being arranged so people don’t bother their neighbors.

Technology certainly plays a role, but Herman Miller’s Lodato says it shouldn’t overwhelm. And embedding tech, such as hiding cables within furniture, is one way to accomplish it.

“The best application of technology is the invisible one,” he said.

Dave Gussow can be reached at dgussow@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4165. Read his blog is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/tech.

[Last modified September 11, 2006, 21:50:33]