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16 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / September 2020 Maintaining Privacy in Open Office Setting Requires Creativity P rivacy within the workplace always has been import- ant, but it has taken on new meaning over the last sev- eral months, as COVID-19 has thrust us into a new way of life. Privacy traditionally has beenperceived as a luxurywith- in an open office setting; now it has become essential both emo- tionally and physically. The open office setting likely will never go away because it inherently fosters the engagement, interaction and collaboration that make up a company culture. It also helps balance real estate equations and offset costs through efficiency. So why does privacy matter, and howcan it be successfully incorporated into the open office? • Why does privacy matter? According to Maslow’s hierarchyof needs, safety is abasichumanneed for all people. Emotional safety for many is often achieved through privacy. On-demand privacy has become a necessity, and arguably even a right, in workplace environments. As humans, we need places where we feel safeandeffective, particularly for thoseof uswith more introverted personalities. Also, most people re- quire or desire a space to have confidential, in-person or phone/virtual discussions at some point during their workday. This is true for most industries, but es- pecially true for finance, lawand aerospace. Privacy also provides employees with a sense of autonomy. When people feel trusted and empowered to have a private conversation or simply find “heads down” distraction-free working time, often they are moreproductive. Privacyalsocanprovidethefreedom for people to personalize their space, making them feel more comfortable, while also aiding in produc- tivity. On the contrary, morale and productivity tend to be lower when people feel as if they are constantly beingmonitored. The Harvard Business Reviewnotes that in an effort to protect personal privacy and focus, peopleoftenbegintoblockout their surroundings. Ad- dressing actors, 18th century French philosopher De- nis Diderot wrote that performers should “imagine a hugewall across the front of the stage, separating you fromtheaudience, andbehaveexactlyas if thecurtain had never risen.” He coined this concept the fourth wall. Imagining the fourth wall allows performers to block out distractions fromwhat they cannot control (the audience) while focusing on what they can (the scene). People inopenoffice setting are adapting to do the same through overt as well as subtle ways, from noise-cancelling headphones and do-not-disturb signs to simple body language signals. Typically, the bigger the open office space, the bigger the fourth walls. Giv- ing people the option of privacy helps them control their own working rhythms, yielding happier, more focused and productive employees. • Howcanprivacybe incorporated? Theamountand type of privacy in workplaces differs based on each company’s employee needs. Many of our clients value having an open environment, so we incorporate pri- vacy by planning areas such as private phone or focus rooms designed for a single person, huddle rooms de- signed for two to four people, or other adjustable fur- niture solutions to maximize privacy. Wellness rooms alsoare incorporatedfor individuals tohaveapeaceful moment or provide private space for self-care. Sound masking also is commonly incorporated tomuffle dis- tracting noises and reduce conversational eavesdrop- ping. Likemany of the lawfirmswithwhichwework, professional service-orientedcompanies requiremost, if not all, employees tohave their own soundproof pri- vateoffice.Wealsohaveaerospaceanddefenseclients that require the highest degree of confidentiality such as controlled secure spaces. In these cases, privacy is baked into the architectureof the rooms throughmea- sures such as sound batting in walls and/or ceilings, adding additional layers of gyp board to demising walls, aswell as sealingoff anypossibleareas of sound transmission from room to room. Additionally, mate- rials with acoustic absorptive properties such as wall or ceiling baffles can be incorporatedwithin enclosed rooms or open office environment to assist with addi- Katie Keahey, LEED AP ID+C Senior Project Specialist, Interior Design, EUA Design Forward A focus room at the Red Robin Headquarters (left) and a phone room at Workiva’s Denver office, both designed within an open office environment.