Inspiration Office: workspace landscape

From offices to cubicles to open-plan workspaces and hot desks, the workspace landscape has evolved a lot over the past few years. With many companies still favouring open-plan work areas, privacy in the workplace has become a key consideration when designing office spaces.

“More access to privacy is critical in today’s workplace,” says Steelcase, a global design and thought leader in the world of work.

“Hybrid work is taxing our brains in new ways. We’re having to think ahead and make all sorts of decisions we didn’t have to before the proliferation of hybrid work. Should I book a space for a meeting? Do I have work that requires individual focus time? If I’m in meetings, are the participants in-office, remote or both? If I don’t have an assigned space, is it okay to take a video call in the open? All of these questions connect closely to what people want most in the workplace now, according to new Steelcase research. Employees in 11 countries ranked privacy first on their list. Spaces for wellbeing are a close second. No surprise, say researchers. The ability to access privacy and finding places in the office that help us think and feel better are woven tightly together.”

As employees need a range of privacy solutions to give them more control over the stimulation around them based on the cognitive demands of what they’re doing, Steelcase offers several options for acoustic, visual, and territorial privacy in the workplace. This includes screens and semi-enclosed spaces, such as the Coppice from Orangebox and the Coalesse Lagunitas Lounge System, and meeting rooms like Orangebox’s Campers and Dens or Steelcase’s Pod Tent.

These products are not only essential for offering employees to self-reflect and process information and ideas but also increase productivity. It enables focus, connection with others and rejuvenation. By giving everyone – no matter their role – access to different kinds of private spaces, the workplace can better support how people feel and the work they need to do throughout each day.

Steelcase is locally available from Inspiration Office, South Africa’s leading office furniture supplier and bespoke workplace solutions specialist. Founded in 2005, the company operates in Johannesburg and Cape Town, offering a remarkable selection of award-winning smart furniture and accessories from top international brands like Steelcase, Orangebox, and PolyVision – perfect for streamlining your office and workday.