'Open Work Space Research Essay\r'

'The contemplate Recently in the score step up, in that location planms to be a c argonen from this traditional cubicle carriage to a much throw environs for the employees. This shift has me questioning why are innovative companies displacement towards this to a greater extent blunt milieu? It fancyms that these companies are spirit not l one(a) many a(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) for a change in scenery, but a change in the how in that location employees utilize the milieu.During this study, I will use a variety of sources in fix to understand a comma NYSE s excessivelyl quadruplet environment and opposite nurture pertaining the clothes initiationerural throw of a comp either. The questions especially want to explore are: How does the equal to(p) ca-ca infinite effect the collaborationismism amongst employees? How does this lock distance attempt to foster an environment for originativeness and trigger? Informational Sources The sou rces vex used ranged from a variety of places.The information I collected from Kidders studio and Kramer formula chemical group was a large group oppugn which was required for a summer class whither we studied cultures of creative thinking in Detroit, Michigan. These two interviews took place on deluxe 24, 2013. The large group interview too everyplacewhelm a tour of both companies to actually see the locking environment firsthand. Field notes were also taken to athletic seconder record detailed descriptions of the environment at both companies. other source used for this seek include an online magazine called 991. . This magazine publishes explore in a condensed and well-to-do to understand format for the familiar public. It described research on how to build a collaborative field post. I read this to back up better my understanding of what a collaborative dally lieu might look handle and what re some key components for a creative melt down space. Als o watched a video created by surround Street Journal on Googles sassy York serve space be front, declare never been there. This video furnished me to visually see the environment where Google employees work.Another source utilized was a prCICS completed from an article called Building Research and Information. It included research done in this area which assistanceed me tailor- begin myself with prior research already completed on this topic. Previous Research Completed on wrick Space Environment oneness research prCICS I looked at included the importance of collaboration in the work space. They looked at three behaviors that contribute to hard-hitting collaboration: â€Å" sentiency, brief interaction, and collaboration (working together)” (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 2).This termination awareness promoter to understand what is going on in the environment around you. You are able to litigate this with â€Å"spatial features that instiga te awareness” and organizational factors that allow you to see other employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, pars. 4-5). They noted whatever benefits to this ‘high awareness Were rapid information sharing and king to recognize when other employees were struggling Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 6). However there are some concerns for ‘high awareness in a collaborative environment also.It throne be distracting, clanging from employees talking, and create a loss of privacy for the workers (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 7). Another term debateed was ‘brief interactions which means unplanned and dead discussions you have with other employees. This results in â€Å"spatial features that promote interaction” and organizational factors that allow you to run into other employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, pars. 9-10). some benefits include improved information flow, change ma gnitude learning, and increased development Of friendships (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 1). on that point are, however, some drawbacks which include a high potential for stress, an increase in distractions, and the potential for over communicating with employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 12). The other term discussed in the prCICS was collaboration. Collaboration in the work space can result in organizational factors that allow employees to work in project manners (Hangmen, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, ears. 18-19). ab pop out benefits from these project way of lifes are quicker answers, entrance money to other team members, and better project track (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 0). Despite these benefits, there are some concerns including the first clapperclaw for information overload, a shorter amount of age on certain tasks, and less(prenominal) privacy for employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Po well, and Loftiness, par. 21). Evaluating Google and Two right(prenominal) Innovative Companies Google is the federation which typifies an discourteous work space concept. However, I needed to use Kidders Studio and Kramer anatomy radical in Detroit, Michigan because they were local and accessible. two of these companies were much smaller than Google.However, there are innovative and utilize the extend work space concept. Google is cognize for their web search engine and try to make information easily accessible to the users. The Google sensitive York campus occupies an broad(a) bag and dowrys of other floors in a construct covering an entire â€Å" city thrust in Manhattans Chelsea neighborhood” (Alter, par. 7). This campus has grown from around 2,000 employees to close 3,000 and hiring in the areas of media and advertising (Jordan). Due to the arrival of extra employees, the tonicly hired have had to move from floor to floor (Jordan).In this campus as oppose d to Silicon Valley, it is less tech focused and gives the employees a more born(p) working environment (Jordan). Googles competitive and innovative genius attracts many young employees to their company. Despite Googles great benefits, there is still a high turnover rate, which means they have a limited amount of time with their employees. Kidders Studio is an innovative company which is a part Of the creative community in Detroit, Michigan. Since 1 959, Kidders Studio has earned a beatable name for figure out problems with purposes.They started off solving problems by designing boy for the automotive companies in Detroit. In 201 1, Kidders move to their new location on Broadway Street near the Detroit Tigers Stadium. Their divers(a) team of 25 occasion employees design word of honor and websites for advertisements, but their goal is to create the extraordinary (Patrick). They started with 16 employees and are looking to expand to 35 employees. Some of their biggest clients are Dave and Busters, Detroit Tigers, and Andiron Restaurant. At Kramer excogitate Group in Detroit, they specialize in designing the interiors of buildings.There are about 18 to 28 people that work at the division, because there are only 28 desks available. When they work with their clients, they focus on creating a special(a) environment in order to invoke a certain feeling (Kramer). They strive for listening to the client. However, sometimes the client does not know what they want until you register it to them. This company provides swatches of materials to answer visualize the production or prototype built. They are cognise for creating traditional architecture, hotels, and presidential lofts. They have completed such projects in Detroit standardized theMadison Building, Broodier Towers, and Whitney Building (Kramer). Kramer Design Group is starting to plunk down up some business throughout the state. Kramer Design Group and Kidders Studio Work Space company ices are re designing mappings in order to get a more spacious working environment for their employees. This sluttish work space is intended to foster creative thinking and innovation. Designing a place to enhance creativity takes a lot of work not only on the companies half, but on the architects half as well. It is important the architect works in collaboration with their client to create a specific environment.In this case, the architect needs to create an environment that is not only functional to the employees, but pleasing to the client. Open office spaces seem to fuel this creativity through the collaboration of diverse groups of people, the flexibility of the work space, and the atmosphere of the style with numerous examples from Detroit, Machines Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group. A key component to this creativity and innovation is allowing the mixture of diverse groups of people to work together in an leave area.To define diverse, this word is meant to describe how individu als with various conjecture titles and functions can ark cohesively together. Providing people an open environment encourages cosy connections to be made and persuasions to be bounced off one another (Patrick). For example, at Kidders Studio, their work place fosters an environment where colleagues can collaborate with each other (Patrick). The studio is treated up with no doors on any of the offices, even the Coos office. Over the years, the company has develop this serve up to be successful.During their meetings, they encourage administrative workers, designers, marketers, and writers to brainstorm ideas for projects (Patrick). These think sessions involve everyone in the company to work on a project where titles mean nothing (Patrick). Sometimes, deviation can be a bad thing. hardly it has be roll in the hay a useful tool because, it encourages ideas to be explored and defended by the creator (Patrick). The end result is a better thought out solution which provides the c ustomer with an outstanding product.Creating flexibility in the work space seems to be another crucial element which allows this creativity and innovation to flourish. Kramer Design Group utilizes the portability and disability of the get on to create an environment where creativity is maximized. The portable chairs in the lunch space allow the user to set up the space. The emphasis on designing a whippy work space allows people to freely parley amongst one another (Kramer). It also gives the workers an environment which allows easy access to coworkers (Kramer).Some of the offices have glass walls to give the phantasm of a more open space (Kramer). unrivalled thing that stands out is there are a few(prenominal) hole-and-corner(a) offices. Private offices close workers off from the company and do not allow for ideas to be exchange dapple the open spaces help stimulate creativity. In an open space, the atmosphere plays an important role in the minimization of creativity and i nnovation. Kramer Design Groups office is designed with a level of sophistication and professionalism to illustrate their familiarity in the design field (Kramer).The minute you step into the office, it is meant to create a feeling bigger than meets the inwardness. There is wall to wall glass to give an expansive feeling to the area and it makes the ceiling appear taller (Kramer). In the hallway, there are columns spaced equal distances away and a white strip on the rug to give the illusion of a never completion hall (Kramer). Even the lighting plays into the snug ambiance of the room with their modern looking lights which use some incandescent lighting. Their office provides a creative, yet comfortable environment.It allows their employees to think freely in the office with the value of their fellow colleagues. Googles Innovative Design Googles New York campus has a similar goal in their office design like Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group. â€Å"All of the design is meant to encourage interaction between structurally resolve teams” (Jordan). By implementing this open work space, it influences the way groups of Googles collaborate. Googles spirit by using an open work space is to create an environment specifically for the interaction between the workers.A fun design plan Googles architects implemented is the just ladder sloping troughs between floors, because the elevators are never cognize to be on time. This vertical ladder chute promotes unplanned collaborations (Alter, par. 7). Another touch Google added was giving the employees a bag to place their laptop in while climbing up the ladder (Jordan). This bag helped Googles minify the dislodge of dropping their laptops. When workers causally intermingle, it encourages snug connections to be made among colleagues. Senior software engineer, Mike Labels moved from Googles Silicon Valley to Googles New York campus.At Googles Silicon Valley, their offices are created as an individual p lace with their own singular perks and specific design, which help the worker relate to their environment Road). Since Labels has transferred to Googles New York office, he feels that coming to work here you will not mistake you are in some room at an ordinary building; you will know you are at Google in New York (Jordan). It seems Googles New York office has created their own city within their building. Even some of their conference populate are designed as a New York apartment to create a close environment for colleagues to collaborate within.Directly extracurricular these conference room, it is setup like city with a fire hydrant, subway grates on the floor, and a narrow hallway with a cityscape on the wall (Jordan). This use of schematics throughout areas of their building makes it seem like the real New York City outside of the building. Collaboration is a exhaustively thing, but too much can also be a bad thing sometimes. There are many places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the office area. These areas include a reflecting room, a library, a private hone booth, and more. The library is dotted with Victorian photos from principal sum Wars hanging on the walls (Jordan).There are also mystic door bookcases leading to refection or reading retinue (Jordan). Throughout the library are many books to help employees on coding, programming and working with different types of computers (Jordan). One of the coolest features is the virtual wall of books where employees can download books to their phones (Jordan). Theses rooms are meant to give the workers a place to track down to when they get stressed at work. Google jobs can cause high stress because Of all the work demands. They can stop by the library and pick out a book or even download one from the virtual wall.By creating this comfortable environment, it gives the employees a place to relieve their stress. Regional facilities manager, Laura Gimped mentioned with groups growing in Google how proprieties and juxtaposition effect the workers interactions (loran). Laura understands generally information and ideas are divided with co-workers who are nearby. This is part of the originator that Google has positioned their offices no more than 150 feet away from food to enhance informal interactions between its employees. So at any office location there s a micro-kitchen, a restaurant, or cafeteria nearby.This place encourages fellow Googles to go enchant a bite to eat whenever and where ever they may be in the building (Jordan). Their set up enables employees to â€Å"bump into coworkers from different teams within the” work space (Alter, par. 8). She has taken into account the growth of the company with an eye towards this idea of casual collision in the work space (Jordan). This allows fellow Googles to have the opportunity to discuss an idea with someone they normally do not work with (Jordan). Some of the greatest ideas are elysian from unlooked-for inventi ons between people.Findings Coming from an architectural ambit has enabled me to see rooms differently from other people. However, later this research, I was able to look at a room and see the choices and decisions the architect had to make in designing the room. For example, their placement of furniture, walls, doors and windows in a room plays a critical role in how the work space is used. The way an architect designs a room actually plays an important role for what the customer lastly wants. Each of the companies I research ultimately had a similar goal through using the open work space concept.Kidders goals was to create the extraordinary through logos and design. Their office design fostered their employees to be creative. Kramer Design Group specialized in interior designing. Their open work space also did the same by providing their employees with a creative environment. Both of these places were designed, so the employees interacted on a regular basis in order to get their ideas. Through my research even though did not actually visit, Google, the above examples helped me visualize what I could not see at Google. I have come to greater notify the open work space concept and its project atGoogle is to maximize its employees creativity. Through my research on open work spaces at Google, I have come to understand the choices the architects had to make while designing Googles New York office. They choose to design the environment with many singular features to enhance the collaboration between employees. I have now come to see that through creating an open work space it results in good ideas from employees. Essentially, these good ideas are able to be obtained through creating these unexpected conversations and casual collisions. This new understanding can help companies understand ways to obtain ideas from their employees.Through creating this type of environment similar to Google, companies will be able to design an environment to maximize the produ ctivity of workers. Conclusion Google is known as the gold standard for innovation and creativity. Their architects have used the open work space to help them achieve this goal. Through the design of the open work space, Googles from different teams or backgrounds bump into each other casually throughout the day. The intent is for these Googles to discuss an idea with someone they may not work with daily. This chance interaction may be the catalyst for a new and creative idea.This new open work space approach is intended to inspire its employees and support creativity where new ideas can be developed and new discoveries made. Further Questions If another research piece was completed, it may be interesting to see how other innovative companies like Apple, Paxar, and Twitter are set up in regards to their work space design. It would be interesting to see how these companies layout their work space, because there could be similar correlations to how their employees collaborate like Go ogle. In order to answer this question, you would need to look at the interactions between the errors of the company.Since work spaces are always being remodeled by companies, it would be interesting to track innovative companies over the next five year to see how their work space changed over time. It would be ideal to interview employees throughout the change of the work space to see how it has effected them. It may be interesting to also speak to the management to determine whether there were more ideas generated in the newer work space than in the catamenia type work space. This could help understand the reason behind why companies design a creative environment for their workers.\r\n'