The Amazing Shrinking Cubicle - Storage in the Collaborative Workspace
The Los Angeles Times recently reported that, along with worker expectations, office cubicles were shrinking in size compared to just a decade ago. Generous space allotments have fallen by the wayside: the average employee is now working in a space that is less than 200 square feet, with 6' x 8' or 6' x 6' sized-cubicles being the norm.
Many contributory factors are at work including the economic recession, Vertical partitions the cost of office space in large metropolitan areas, and businesses scaling back, cutting staff and downsizing overall square footage.
Deeper societal shifts now challenge the basic concept of the standard office arrangement with its ubiquitous, but shrinking cubicles. Development of the eco-friendly green movement and LEED standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) are changing the way architects, designers, building owners, and workers think about the office environment, taking advantage of fresh air, natural sunlight, and recycled content in items they purchase.
Demographics and technology are transforming the work place in unimaginable ways. Shared jobs, telecommuting, web conferencing, and the virtual office are having an impact upon the space we call 'the office.'
As corporations downsize and many move to a more flattened, flexible hierarchy not all employees are content. Although twenty- and thirty-somethings are used to working on the fly in compact, shared workstations, this can be a big adjustment for Baby Boomers. The coveted office that took years for Boomers to earn is hard to forgo to become a player in today's more collaborative workplace.
Social Inclusion and the Mixed Demographic - Rethinking the Cube
Typical workplace design locates executive and managerial offices on a building's perimeter, scaling office size to a hierarchical standard. A CEO would have an office three times larger than a manager, a Vice-President twice the size of a manager, etc. Aaron Arbuckle, architect with Architectural Nexus and contributing writer to the American Institute of Architects, talks about the concept of social inclusion in design. "The old style corporate arrangement leaves the center area of the office as one large open workspace with cubicles in rows as the most efficient arrangement to accommodate all of those who are not executives. Typically this arrangement serves to separate the executives from other employees, and in many respects, both of the group's social interface will reflect this."
Arbuckle suggests a design approach that is more socially inclusive to foster collaboration. It creates 'neighborhoods' or pods of cubicles focused around fewer, manageable numbers of employees that include executives. Lower partitions, communal work spaces, and informal meeting areas break down barriers and create a more human environment that encourages social interaction and a team atmosphere. Of course, even this idyllic arrangement is usually accomplished within a downsized space that can pose challenges and tax physical resources including space for storage.
No Space: Where do I put my stuff?
Whether that shrinking cube is part of an open 'neighborhood', or one of many row-upon-row Dilbert-like enclosures, an issue frequently not addressed with downsizing is the lack of storage space. How do you store all of your stuff in a 6' x 6' or 6' x 8' cubicle where there's barely room for a person, let alone a standard lateral cabinet?
Although businesses in general have reduced the amount of paper they generate, almost all retain some documents and files. Workers still carry laptops, backpacks, and briefcases. Then there are binders, books, office supplies, and other items that need to be stored.
Store Smarter - Look Up
Maximizing space and storing smarter are the ultimate answers to lack of space. Almost every business has unused space already paid for, but frequently overlooked. Vertical space is free. This wonderful storage opportunity can be exploited with smart space planning. For example, the area depicted below shows collaborative group storage using ten lateral cabinets. Thoughtful space planning can transform that space to hold the same amount or more of stored items, but include room for four 6' x 8' cubicles by using free vertical space. In the new floor plan an Aurora Mobile Storage System with a compact foot print adds three more tiers of vertical storage and brings team workstations close by. The capacity of an Aurora Mobile high density mobile can increase storage by 30-50% while reducing space needed for access aisles required in the typical lateral cabinet floor plan. The stored material is now adjacent to the work group, access to material is improved and more efficient, and the collaborative environment is preserved all within a radically reduced footprint.
Small Cubicle Storage
Storage in mini-cubicles can be solved by using a modern day alternative to the lateral file, the rotary storage cabinet, which also takes advantage of free vertical space. The layout below shows a 6' x 8' cubicle with a 7-tier dual-sided Times-2 rotary cabinet with a small footprint. This versatile, space-conserving unit holds the equivalent of 3 standard lateral cabinets and is outfitted with locking drawers for secure storage, shelves for binders and office supplies and a wardrobe tower to hold a coat and personal items. With a single turn the Times-2 door closes to present a clean and uncluttered appearance. Another turn allows access to stored material, spin again to reveal items on the unit's second side.
Like it or not, the space we call the office is changing, shrinking in size, but growing in other more meaningful ways. The benefits of social interaction and working collaboratively increase job satisfaction even if it's at the expense of our reduced work space and associated storage challenges. Adapt, take advantage of the space we have, use it fully and efficiently. (It may be small, but after all, it's still our own little cubicle.)