Avoiding the Cube Farm - Effective Office Floor Plans?

scorp1us asks: "My company, after cramming 30 people into 3000sq feet, has a new lease on life in a 7700sq foot office (pun blatantly intended!). We are primarily a 3D animation/software company and we hope to avoid the cube farm design, but with a large open area in the middle, it is the default solution. We would like to know what effective strategies are used at other places that avoid the cube farm, and produce an inspiring, motivating work environment. This location has a split level and 12' ceilings, so it has a lot of potential."

Comments

Dilbert

[Kj0n]

Scott Adams has written some excellent literature on this: first start by assigning 4000 sq feet to a place called scorp1us-ville, dedicated to illegal gambling and drinking.

If you do use cubicles, don't forget to extort money from people in exchange for larger ones.

Suggestion: Office at the beach

[failedlogic]

You mentionned having a large open space. How about buying employees laptops, longing chairs and heat lamps, sand and some sound machines to simulate the sound of water. Everyone dreams of working at the beach. So, why not make it happen?

The beach area can be where management works (sits) all day long ... and if any body ever questions their workload, don't bother them since they're working on their tans! You can wear bearfoot (though some you might want to encourage to wear shoes to hide their feet from others). This idea, I hope you will find, will be extra motivation for employees to work harder to make it to management. I think it will be a productivity boost. And who wouldn't want to have company meetings on a beach?

I will forward my resume immediately if this idea is implemented. I've always wanted to work in management, and based on the ability to tan all day long, I believe I will be a great asset to the company.

Re:Suggestion: Office at the beach

[Pig Hogger]

If we work on our tans, we have to wear speedoes.

Or thongs.

Pre-Bubble Burst

[pipingguy]

Aura Module

Re:Joel Spolsky's Bionic Office is a Cube Farm

[matt4077]

If it's got a partition the average person can't see over, it's a cubicle. If it's got a floor to ceiling partition and no door, it's a cubicle. If you don't want a cube farm, you are left with half partitioned open spaces and real offices with ventilation and doors that close.

Well, they have doors. So you're basically saying if you have a private space with walls up to the ceiling, windows and doors, that's a cubicle.

English is my second language, but I would rather call it an office.