Workspace Design Attempted But Gone Wrong
This post was written by Jacob McNulty
We’re doing work with a large organization to help them support their knowledge networks by building learning communities, increasing collaboration, etc. Unfortunately we couldn’t get to them before they moved into their brand-spankin’ new office space because they missed a golden opportunity.
This new space is actually quite progressive – it’s touted as the first fully LEED certified building in Denver and with that comes nice aesthetics, trendy fixtures and many other neat amenities. Where they went wrong, though, is in some of the construction decisions. A great example of that is in the kitchen/copy rooms…
They made a great decision by putting the copiers and supplies in the same space as the refrigerator and micowave – it is intended to serve as a central spot where people will happen to be as part of their day and engage in informal conversations…thus leading to knowledge transfer and collaboration of course.
The problem is that this space is quite narrow. When people are standing at each copier shown above it’s too cramped to walk through and certainly not inviting for an ad hoc meeting. Same at the other end – the microwave, water machine and refrigerator are all so close together that you can barely stand at one without being in the way of someone at another. I’ve seen many impromptu conversations spoiled by someone needing to walk through or just not happen at all because of the confining feelings generated by the space.
What opporuntiies are there with your space to foster more informal conversations? Look at the areas with an eye for welcoming spots that have plenty of room for people to meet and chat while others that aren’t involved can easily drift past unnoticed.
Tags: business training, corporate training, development, knowledge economy, knowledge worker, learning, learning strategies, office layout, Organizational Learning, professional development, social business design, workforce development, workplace design, workspace, Workspace Design
Agreed…It’s bad enough trying to make copies when the copier isn’t cooperating, but add to that the feeling of claustrophobia and people trying to get by behind you, and there’s a real problem!
Nice lighting, though!
You’re absolutely right – there are countless examples of interaction that I’ve seen spoiled in that very space.