Open space or closed offices – which is better for the team?

The way an office space is organized can have a huge impact on a team’s efficiency, work atmosphere and employees’ daily comfort. Over the years, many companies have experimented with office layouts – from classic, locked rooms to trendy open spaces designed to foster collaboration and open communication.

Over time, more and more companies have begun to recognize that both open spaces and closed offices can bring real benefits – provided they are properly tailored to the needs of the team. Which solution works best depends on a number of factors, such as the nature of work, communication style and organizational culture. That’s why there is an increasing reliance on a flexible approach and conscious space design.

My name is Kinga and I myself work in an office on a daily basis – so I understand very well the importance of a space that promotes focus and a good atmosphere.

What exactly are open space and closed offices?

Open space is an open office space in which many people work in one large room. Desks are usually arranged side by side, with no physical barriers. This arrangement is popular especially in startups and creative agencies.

Closed offices, on the other hand, are the classic model, where employees have their own rooms or share space with a small number of people. They are more commonly encountered in larger corporations, law firms or financial institutions.

Advantages and disadvantages of open space:

Advantages:

• Better information flow and easier communication between team members
• greater integration and sense of community
• arrangement flexibility – easily rearrange desks, reorganize team

Disadvantages:

• Increased risk of conflict or frustration when the space is poorly designed
• High noise levels and difficulty concentrating
• Lack of privacy – both in conversations and in work that requires focus

Advantages and disadvantages of closed offices:

Advantages:

• Peace of mind and greater mental comfort – it’s easier to focus on tasks
• greater privacy – useful, for example, during phone calls or 1:1 meetings
• less risk of distractions, which is conducive to work

Disadvantages:

• more difficult spontaneous cooperation and exchange of ideas
• Limited contact with other team members – communication may deteriorate
• Potential isolation – especially in remote or hybrid teams

What does the research say?

Studies show that open space can increase stress levels and reduce job satisfaction if it is not well designed. Employees often complain about noise, lack of privacy and difficulty concentrating, which translates into decreased productivity and even job burnout. On the other hand, enclosed offices provide peace and ease of focus, especially for work that requires a lot of concentration. However, their downside can be limited contact between co-workers, less spontaneity and a more difficult flow of information.

In practice, many companies are coming to the conclusion that none of these solutions is ideal in pure form. That’s why they are increasingly relying on a hybrid model – offices designed to combine different zones: open spaces for collaboration, quiet areas for focused work and private rooms for meetings or phone calls. Such a layout gives teams more flexibility and allows them to better tailor their work environment to the diverse needs of their employees.

If the topic interests you, I recommend the article “The Open-Office Trap“ in The New Yorker. The author aptly shows why open space doesn’t always work as assumed.

Which is better for the team? It depends…

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The ideal work environment depends on many factors:

• The nature of the work – does the team work on creative projects or perform tasks that require focus?
• The personalities of the team members – are they extroverted and open-minded, or do they value calmness?
• Organizational culture – how does the company support collaboration, how does it manage the space?

It’s also worth remembering that even within a single company, different teams may have different needs – it doesn’t make sense to impose one solution on everyone. Flexibility and listening to the voice of employees is the key to creating a space that actually supports effective and comfortable work.

Practical tips for companies

To create a space that realistically supports the team, it is not enough to choose one model. A flexible approach, based on observation and conversation with employees, is key. Here are some practical steps that can help you design an office that suits different needs:

• Ask the team what they need – sometimes a simple survey can yield a lot of knowledge
• Consider dividing the space into zones – quiet for focused work and shared for collaboration
• Invest in comfort solutions, such as acoustic panels, talking booths, soundproofing headphones

How to improve comfort in open space?

If your company uses an open-plan office space, it’s worth taking care of solutions to offset its biggest drawbacks – especially noise and lack of privacy. These can be helpful:

• Acoustic panels on walls and ceilings,
• Soundproofing mats under desks and soundproofing carpets,
• partitions between posts, which, although partial, give a sense of greater privacy,
• Acoustic booths for telephone or video conferencing,
• Quiet zones – designated places where the minimum noise rule applies,
• headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC), made available by the company to people who need more focus.

With such amenities, open space can be much more comfortable and functional – even for those who prefer a quieter work environment on a daily basis.

Summary:

There is no single right answer to the question of which office space is better – open space or closed offices. Each of these solutions has its own strengths and weaknesses. Open space promotes rapid communication and team integration, but can also lead to noise and lack of focus. Closed offices provide peace and privacy, but can limit spontaneous collaboration and a sense of teamwork.

In practice, a hybrid model that combines elements of both approaches – flexible areas for teamwork and quiet spaces for tasks that require concentration – usually works. The key is to tailor the office to the specifics of the work, the personality of the team and the organizational culture. What’s more, it’s a good idea to simply ask employees about their needs – they know best what kind of environment they work most effectively in.

Ultimately, the best office is one that supports people – not the other way around.

Check out our recent realizations for open space:

• desks with soundproof partitions for open space
• Comfortable work in open space: our desks – your space!