During most of my corporate working life my “office” at work has consisted of a smallish rectangular cubicle with 5 foot high partitions in a large open area. The cubicle would house my desk, some shelving, and cabinets. I often had space to park my bicycle in it. It was perhaps 8 feet by 10 feet.
In recent years it seems the cubes have been downsizing, until this year at my workplace the standard cube was reduced to 6 feet square, with 4 foot high partitions, and very minimal furniture (desk, chair, and small rolling file cabinet).
The downsides of the downsizing are reduced personal space and privacy, fewer places to store your stuff, and more distractions from those talking nearby. I’ve noticed the higher occupant density also puts strain on the restrooms, with stalls frequently fully occupied.
The modern technical office doesn’t need as much space for books and paperwork. And it is true that the open space with the lower partitions does yield a brighter environment. Especially so for those too short to see over the previous 5 foot partitions. An effort has been made to provide more informal meeting space and some private small rooms for phone calls and small meetings. And we have ample separate lab space for working on computers and other equipment.
This photo was taken during the construction of the new office space.
And the finished product, including my personal cube.
For visual and emotional health purposes I think the lower cubicles are nice. The distractions have to be detrimental though.
Ooh, that’s quite a bit smaller than I remember your old one being (at Sequent)!