A few decades ago , offices were treated like machines
, catering only to organizational requirements , with little consideration
given to the ‘people’ factor which played almost no role in
determining the design of the office. Offices are trying to move away from
airless , box-like rooms , to better ventilated , well lit , ergonomically
sensitive spaces. Increasingly these are being designed by professionals who
, apart from seeing that the spaces work with optimum utilization are able
to add an aesthetic touch.
Nowadays offices are considered to be a status of a person. In India
,previously the offices were either a part of the home or the royal court.
The equipment that made these function were no more than the pen , paper and
ink. The first sign of automation or mechanization came with the
introduction of the typewriter in the nineteenth century. Then the second
bit of mechanization came with the telephone and the cyclostyling machines.
In the fifties and sixties , offices were rather simply organized. A very
strong hierarchical system prevailed and the office was divided between the
bosses who had their rooms , the junior managers who had their small
personal cabins , and the general staff who sat in the hall. Then the
revolution started with the introduction of mainframe computer in seventies
and then there was no looking back , these were followed by mini computers ,
then with the arrival of personal computers in early eighties and the office
set-up began to change dramatically.
The strong hierarchical system was no longer relevant , and a new office
order , namely the open office , came into being. The open office had light
, air and privacy for all. Typically low height partitions were erected
between pieces of furniture to give visual privacy but they were not able to
provide the acoustic privacy and the noise was the biggest hurdle. The open
plan system can accommodate a wide range of functions from reception to
conference room. Here ,both executives and staff are placed in an open area
divided into individual or shared workstations , defined by independent
storage units or partitions of varying heights. The heights of the dividing
panels will depend on their function. Low panels upto 4’ , create a
feeling of privacy when seated , yet allow one to see or reach over when
standing . 5’ high panels offer more visual privacy and though the
extra tall can still see over are usually high enough for Indian users.
Taller panels can be used to define different departmental areas. Partitions
can be useful in concealed old unmatched furniture so that this does not
clash with modern additions , which would ruin the aesthetic appeal of the
office
Then there were so much developments in the designs and now is the trend of
modular offices. Designing new offices involves making thousands of
decisions . Some of these are easy , others may take more time. Then the
difference between a well designed office and a poorly designed one is
enormous . get it wrong and you are faced with high overheads , little
design flexibility and worst of all – the unhappy staff and in the last
the work suffers. Space in the office as always at a premium. The key is to
use it as well as you can. By coming up with an adaptable partition system
to customize your floor space , and full filling all the furniture needs ,
the designer can help you maximize the use of the space available. In recent
years , India has been waking up to another genre of furniture that has long
been popular in the west – well made modular furniture in wood and
particle board. So now the question comes , what exactly is the modular
furniture ?? Quite simply , furniture that can be broken down into modules
and put back together at will. Machine made for the most part , it is devoid
of frills . The advantage of this kind of furniture – often referred to
in the trade as CKD (Complete Knock Down) are many.
- For the largest segment , going modular is the key to better
living.
- Because it can be dismantled , it is ideal for people who have to move a
lot.
- It is cost-effective and convenient , and gives one the freedom to play
around with color and form.
- It being light and simply structured , is ideally suited to the match box
sized dimensions of modern day apartments.
The atmosphere in the office can greatly influence work output and an
increasing emphasis is being placed on making the modern office as pleasant
as it is functional. This is not always easy , given the increasingly
smaller work spaces to contend with. In such a set-up , going modular is a
great idea. Stylish , color co-ordinated contemporary and both environment
friendly and practical modular furniture is here to stay. Most furniture
lines come is a range of models, to be selected as per individual
requirements and budgets. With multiple work surfaces and storage areas
above and below the working levels , space is used very effectively. One can
add draw units , cabinets , display panels and pin boards whenever and
wherever one needs them. All these systems are easy to install , upgrade or
relocate and they adapt well to all modern communication data and computer
equipment.
Thus , Image is a subtle component that is affected by several variables ,
some of which may not be possible to change; like the location itself. Image
also conveys an important message to those who work in the office. Design
requirements will vary from office to office , according to function ,
organizational style , budget and of course , the image the company wants to
present to the world. A pleasant work environment is the management’s
way of showing that it cares about its people.
