Building Dialogue

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34 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / JUNE 2015
M illennial or Gen-X? Text
or phone call? Office
or workstation? Board-
room or coffee bar? By 2015, we’ve
all worked with other genera-
tions, and heard much about the
scramble to keep pace with the
perpetually evolving needs of the
workplace. Industry analysts and
product vendors feed the frenzy,
pitching us with solutions to prob-
lems we’ve barely had time to define.
Which of these frequently cited me-
mes truly impact the workplace, and
how are end users and workplace de-
signers navigating the trends?
Accommodate and retain older workers
while attracting Gen Y talent entering the
workforce. We often hear that extreme
generational diversity within office
settings is the source of multiple is-
sues around the use of technology,
private vs. open office spaces, sound
transmission and desire for choice.
Yes, but … motivated employees of
all ages appreciate a comfortable en-
vironment with technology to sup-
port their job functions. Designers
are responding with flexible spaces
designated for specific types of work
– for example, high-concentration
activities, quiet zones, private areas
and group collaboration spaces, as
well as better acoustical privacy and
improved ergonomics for individual
task areas.
Leverage technology and mobility as a
work style. Forward-thinking compa-
nies invest in technology to enhance
work process effectiveness, connec-
tivity, flexibility, ease of mobility
and overall interaction. Two or more
monitors per workstation, office-
wide WiFi, “drop-in” workstations,
and large, connected, wall-mounted
screens are nowminimumstandards.
With no limit to the cost, higher-end
audiovisual features, such as full-
room touch screens, large-audience HD video confer-
encing, and multisite controls, are obligatory in some
industries, but seen as indulgent in others.
Emphasis on collaboration. Collaboration, a popular
buzzword for today’s work environment, has been a
widespread trend, and the practical result has been
fewer private offices in favor of smaller cubicles with
low partitions, and average space usage dropping from
250- to 300-plus to 150 to 200 square feet per person.
While clever design responses such as transparent
glass walls help preserve privacy and perceived open-
ness, another design strategy is to standardize the
size of typical offices and collaboration spaces, for in-
terchangeable use. In practice, small rooms equipped
for audio- and videoconferencing are now as prized as
large meeting spaces. The need for face-to-face meet-
ings varies with job function and company culture,
while communicating with outside clients and other
company sites is increasingly prevalent.
Moving workers to smaller, more open workspaces
may save on rent and check off the box labeled “collab-
oration,” but its success depends on the function of the
team. At the risk of stating the obvious, graphic design-
ers and app developers need visual interaction, while
salespeople need acoustic separation, and code writers
Mary Kay
Sunset
Principal,
Semple
Brown
TRENDS in the Workplace
David Lauer Photography
This collaborative space for the Sterling-Rice Group was designed
to impart a relaxing, residential look and feel for the Sterling-Rice
Group in Boulder.
David Lauer Photography
These flexible, varied seating conferencing areas were designed to
encourage inspiration and remote work at Sterling-Rice.