How your office space looks, flows, and feels matter. This goes beyond aesthetic purposes as your office’s layout can have a significant effect on your team’s morale, productivity, and efficiency. After all, nobody wants to work in a disorganized workplace!

Granted, teams react differently to a diverse range of environments, so explore your options first before committing to an office layout for your employees. The right layout can also do wonders in developing your company’s culture.

Of course, we’re here to help you organize your office. Below are several types of office layouts, each with their own pros and cons. Consider each layout carefully and, if possible, get your employees to weigh in on the layout that works best for space.

Remember: high engagement leads to great company culture!

THE CELLULAR LAYOUT

Perhaps the most traditional among the office layouts, the cellular type workplace is divided into smaller cubicles often clustered together according to teams or departments.

Since employees get individual cubicles most of the time, privacy for everyone is guaranteed. And if you’re the kind of boss who encourages team members to let their personalities shine through, cubicles can also be decorated with personal effects depending on its occupant.

Why it’s great:

• If the cubicles are grouped together according to teams, you allow fast communication and collaboration among team members. At the same time, you give them their respective private spaces.

• Employees can decorate their cubicles as they see fit. This gives them a sense of control in the workplace which, in turn, would help them perform better.

• Having cubicles is the antithesis of the coworking layout. With clear divisions and boundaries separating each individual workspace, employees can focus more on the task at hand.

Why it’s not so great:

• If designed poorly, a cellular layout can result in a crowded workspace with hardly any space to move or walk around.

• Cubicles tend to be bulky and eat up a lot of space.

• Face-to-face communication with other team members becomes difficult with divisions separating each workspace. You might see an increasing reliance on emails and messaging apps instead.

All things considered, a cellular office layout is highly recommended for any line of work that requires some level of privacy and minimal amounts of direct interaction such as auditing and telemarketing.

THE OPEN SPACE LAYOUT

If you want a slightly more flexible version of the cellular layout, then perhaps an open office plan might work for you.

An open office layout does away with the cubicles. Lower partitions (or sometimes none at all) are used to define individual workspaces. This gives the office a brighter and more open atmosphere. And since you are most likely to see the person working in front and beside you, face-to-face interaction and collaboration becomes incredibly easy.

Since the open office layout is considerably less territorial than its cellular counterpart, it isn’t as easy to make an individual workspace truly one’s own. It’s still possible to decorate it, but on a less personal level.

Why it’s great:

• The open office layout is an environment that is 100% conducive to team collaboration and verbal communication. This makes it ideal for companies where employees constantly need to work together to get the job done.

• It can work in both small and spacious offices.

• It’s cost-effective as there is no need to build separate workstations for each employee. You can consider using ergonomic office tables that can easily be stowed away or combined with others depending on the need. Not only do these add to your office space’s aesthetic value but also, they are efficient space-savers.

• Thanks to the low partitions and open space, there’s more eye contact going on between you and the rest of your team leaders. Your increased visibility can lead to more enthusiastic engagement and more unified workplace culture in the workplace. They know you’re there and they know they can approach you.

Why it’s not so great:

• There’s less privacy for you and your employees.

• The open environment can also easily give way to distractions. This can lead to lower productivity and work performance.

Because of all the aspects above, we highly recommend the open office layout for startups and companies with a younger demographic, as well as teams that require constant collaboration and verbal communication. Tech and creative startups would do exceptionally well in such a work environment where ideas can flow steadily.

THE CO-WORKING LAYOUT

This one completely dismantles everything about the traditional office layouts (we’re looking at you, cellular and open office). In a co-working layout, desks, chairs, and tables are laid out like an open office but there are no such things are partitions and workspaces.

It’s a free-for-all, first-come and first-serve kind of working environment. Everyone can transfer desks whenever they want or just stay in their favorite spot (provided they come early to claim it).

As the employer, however, you have the option to designate certain areas of the office to specific teams or assign desks to your employees.

Why it’s great:

• There is so much flexibility for everyone. You and your team members can easily transfer to another desk or spot in case a change of scenery is needed.

• The co-working layout opens up avenues for networking, especially if your company shares the space with other companies and freelancers who work outside of your organization.

• It’s an affordable option to set up your team in a co-working space. You won’t have to deal with utility and maintenance costs, as well as office equipment and other facilities. The price you pay for desks or a designated area will cover these and sometimes even more.

Why it’s not so great:

• If an open office layout still offers some semblance of privacy, a co-working space hardly offers any. That is unless you choose to rent a semi-private office for your organization.

• A co-working layout might not be as secure there will be many other people going in and around the office. Second, a wireless internet connection might not be secure enough for your organization’s line of work.

• There can be plenty of distractions as you will be sharing the office itself with other people and companies that have their own work cultures.

Co-working offices are great for freelancers, young start-ups, and even large companies looking for cost-effective work environments. Think Loft, for example. The difference is that we also offer custom build-out offices if you want a private space for you and your organization.

THE PRIVATE OFFICE LAYOUT

Unlike the first three options, this layout puts a premium on private spaces. Each team will have not just their own cubicle or workspace but a private office and all the works.

Since employees will be working separately, there should be common areas such as break rooms and pantries where they can interact with their colleagues.

Why it’s great:

• Everyone gets to have their own office! That means they can decorate it however they please and enjoy the utmost privacy.

• Lesser distractions. Working in a private office enables each employee to concentrate on their work.

• It is conducive for frequent one-on-one meetings and work requiring 100% privacy.

Why it’s not so great:

• There’s hardly ever any face-to-face interaction with most communication relegated to emails and social apps. This poses a challenge if you’re only about to build your company’s work culture.

• In the design process, it’s easy to forget to create common spaces that encourage collaboration, casual chatter, and interaction. This may result in employees feeling out of touch with each other.

• Assigning employees into individual private offices can be expensive. You need to outfit each space with furniture, internet connection, and the like.

Private offices are highly recommended for companies in the legal, real estate, and healthcare industries. The key to making a private office layout a great work environment, however, is to dedicate spaces (pantries, relaxation rooms, even the hallways) for interaction and collaboration.

COMBINATION LAYOUT

It’s possible to combine two office layouts, especially if you find that your company can thrive in such an environment. Typically, people approach this by partnering aspects of cellular office design with some open office elements. When done right, you get a balance of private spaces and common areas.

Why it’s great:

• You and your employees can enjoy the best of both worlds.

• A combination layout can be conducive to inter-team or inter-department communication.

• Team members can still enjoy privacy, focus on work, and maintain their autonomy without being completely isolated from their colleagues.

Why it’s not so great:

• Whatever the pros and cons there are from both office layouts, you will experience here as well. There might be challenges with sustained productivity and focus.

• Plotting out the combination layout’s floor plan can be tricky. Every nook and cranny of the office space must be planned carefully to create an effective combination-style office.

• A standard operating system can be hard to implement. Teams will still be clustered and they will most likely have their own way of processing things. This can lead to miscommunication and a certain level of disorganization.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT OFFICE LAYOUT FOR YOUR COMPANY

Now that you have all of your options laid out in front of you, how do you choose the right one for your team? Here are 5 factors to consider before taking out a lease or making an offer on office space:

1. Your team’s or company’s size
   Some office layouts work best depending on the size of the organization and its potential for growth and expansion. Cubicles and private offices will best suit you if you already have a set number of people in your team as these still need to be assembled or built. Meanwhile, open office plans and co-working spaces are flexible enough to accommodate a workforce that is in a constant state of flux.

2. The size of the office space
   As mentioned earlier, cubicles can make a small- or medium-sized office feel crowded if these are not laid outright and if the furniture is disproportionate to space. On the other hand, an open office layout can work in just about anywhere.

3. Your company’s line of work
   Different office layouts also complement specific industries and certain types of work.
   Cubicles and private offices are better suited to work that requires quiet and privacy. If your team needs to constantly communicate and collaborate, these physical boundaries might prove to be challenging.

4. Expenses
   Before moving into an office space and choosing a layout, consider your company’s budget.
   Cubicles and private offices tend to be more expensive (although you can find cheaper options for the former) as each individual workspace must be outfitted. You might also need to hire contractors to help build the space.
   Open office layouts are relatively affordable as there are fewer partitions. Lighting and utilities such as heating and cooling can be shared, as well. If new people are coming in, it’s easy to make space. Of the four, co-working spaces are the most cost-effective. For what you pay, you get access to amenities, utilities such as phones and connectivity, and other services.

5. Atmosphere
   If you are expecting clients and partners to come into the office for meetings, your office’s layout can have an impact on impressions. More importantly, it can be easily tied to your company’s workplace branding.
   A cellular layout with cubicles and private offices should have receiving areas that are warm and welcoming. Co-working spaces, meanwhile, can have two kinds of meeting areas: those for formal discussions; the other, for informal huddles.

With Loft’s custom build-outs, we can accommodate your company’s growing needs and workplace essentials. Talk to us today at [email protected] or (02) 284-8789 / 0917 899 1111.