| Topic Name: |
Preferred working space - office v. cubicle |
| Message Name: |
Depends |
| Date Posted: |
02/15/2000 |
| In Reply To: |
I am not a programmer but I have space planned and done multiple reconfigurations for an IT company where even the President had a cube. Fact is that he also had "Conference Room A".
Anyone who needs peace and quiet to concentrate is going to hate a cubicle. The concept of open communications facilitated through cubicles sounds great in theory. Reality is that the rentable square footage cost of space in New York and other large cities is really driving cubicles. Sheetrock and cabling are no more expensive than high end cubicles with cabling. You could still create a 50-60 square foot office (not very much but that is the average cubicle)with wall length glass door and sound attenuation in the walls for about the same price. Allow telecommmuting and incorporate hotelling (shared space on a reservation basis) where appropriate plus a fully stocked kitchen and an employee rec room. It's not just the cubicles... its the entire space. |
| Message: |
I can well believe that it's square footage costs that are driving cubicles, and all other methods of squeezing the maximum number of people into the smallest possible space.
I am, however, left totally mystified as to what form of analysis goes through the managerial mind when they conclude that this makes any sort of economic sense. The reality is that a high-tech employee's salary is large by comparison with the cost of the floor space allocated to them. It only takes a trivial increase in productivity to pay for an improvement in working environment.
I am a software engineer. At times my work requires intense concentration. If the environment in the office prevents that, then entire days can be written off. I can't believe that I'm unique in that respect.
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