Incorporating office dividers into an office design can have an incredible number of benefits on employee morale and productivity. Open concept offices are a current trend, and while there are definitely advantages to an open area where collaboration can happen naturally, it is still essential to a productive workplace to create private spaces where people can work and think.
Office divider walls can be used in a wide array of configurations and designs customized to fit the purpose they are intended to serve. Privacy options can create offices that are completely divided or private areas that still feel as if they’re part of the company culture and aesthetic.
Types of office dividers
There is a wide range of office dividers to choose from when designing an office, and each one serves a unique purpose and enhances a particular design.
Wood
Wood office divider walls best complement traditional office designs. They can be manufactured as solid wood or veneer-finished MDF and come in a wide variety of finishes, including cherry, oak, maple, and walnut. These office dividers can be integrated with glazing to provide a warm feel in the office while still letting in natural light.
Aluminum
Aluminum office separators create a more industrial feel in an office. They can be solid aluminum or an aluminum frame paired with glazing to create a more open feel. Aesthetically, they aren’t as pleasing as wood or glass, but they definitely serve their purpose in creating office separation where it’s necessary.
Glass
Glass privacy walls may be the most versatile option for office dividers. They are aesthetically pleasing as well as incredibly functional. They are also an environmentally-friendly choice as they can be recycled once they have reached the end of their use. Creating necessary separation while still maintaining the open feel that is so desirable in today’s modern offices is a hallmark of glass divider walls, which is why the majority of this article will focus on the inclusion of glass divider walls in your office design.
Benefits of office separators
While seemingly straightforward, dividers for an office can fill a range of needs in a modern office. These office separators allow for the creation of private space, increased aesthetics, enhanced collaboration, added flexibility, and a cost-effective solution to business needs.
Creation of private space
As offices trend towards a more open design, it’s still important to really understand the needs of employees and the work environment in which they can be at their most creative and productive. Creating private space not only allows employees the quiet and a space to think, but it can also act as meeting space for small groups and team collaboration. Another way that an interior divider wall can be utilized to create a private space is in the creation of a conference room.
Increased aesthetics
Office privacy walls and divider walls are not only functional, but can also be an incredible design touch. With a wide range of styles and customization options to choose from, the standard carpet covered cubicle dividers are a thing of the past. Glass wall dividers create a clean and modern look while still being incredibly functional.
Enhanced collaboration
In an office environment that makes use of modern office dividers, namely glass, employees can feel as if they are part of the overall culture of the company while still maintaining a private space in which to conduct business. The ability to see what others are working on allows each person to determine who they can go to for collaboration and when. This encourages collaboration because the help is visible.
In a space where people are closed up in individual offices and unable to see colleagues, it takes an added effort to get up and go to another office to ask for collaboration time. The other person might be on the phone or in a meeting or otherwise unable to collaborate. Using glass privacy walls allow employees to determine if someone is available to collaborate with or talk to.
Added flexibility
Dividers for an office come in options that are incredibly flexible. A modular system, for instance, is pre-assembled and can be installed quickly, allowing you to use your new office dividers in record time. They can be reconfigured when necessary to adjust to new and ever-changing office needs.
Many office divider systems are demountable, meaning that they can be removed from their tracks and reconfigured at a moment’s notice. This adds flexibility to your office space at the same time it allows you to maintain a beautiful and functional space.
Another option that makes privacy walls for an office a perfect option is LCD Smart Glass, which allows you to create privacy with the flick of a switch, turning the glass from transparent to translucent in mere seconds.
Cost-effective solution
The needs of a modern office are ever-changing and since glass partitions allow for flexibility and a reconfiguration of the office space, they have become one of the most cost-effective solutions to these changing needs. Undergoing a costly remodel that includes framing walls and installing sheetrock not only creates additional expense, but it also creates a disruption in the office that costs money in the form of lost time spent on work.
Glass interior divider walls can be installed quickly, and some wall divider systems come pre-assembled. Demountable glass walls can be reconfigured to accommodate changing needs with little disruption to the work space.
Uses of office dividers
Many times, the phrase “office dividers” calls to mind rows of cubicles designed to keep employees in their separate space rather than create a cohesive work environment. Today’s modern office partitions can be used for much more than the standard cubicle.
Conference rooms
Creating conference rooms from glass divider walls may seem counterintuitive at first. Conference rooms generally necessitate privacy, and with the myriad of options that glass office separators provide, privacy can be gained without compromising aesthetics, connection to the larger office, and an open feel.
A variety of design options means that you can customize the conference room interior divider walls to your exact needs and specifications. Where less privacy is needed, the walls can be entirely glass, allowing natural light to flow into the room while maintaining a connection with the office as a whole. If more privacy is necessary, blinds can be integrated into a double-glazed system between the glass panels and controlled remotely. This not only protects the blinds from unsightly damage, but also creates instant privacy when it’s required for important meetings.
Co-working spaces
A design that is trending and sees no sign of slowing down is co-working spaces that are integrated into an office. As a middle ground between an open concept design and a cubicle farm, co-working spaces allow employees to meet and work as a team in a designated space.
These spaces can be as large or as small as the needs of the office dictate. Seeing others work collaboratively can encourage less enthusiastic employees to do the same.
Private offices
In an open concept design, complaints can form around the fact that there is little privacy and a large amount of noise in the office. Office divider walls can combat this by creating private offices that still remain part of the overall office community.
Small meeting rooms
Another requirement in many offices is a quiet place in which to conduct small meetings. These meetings may be with a small group of clients or a small team meeting. They differ from a co-working space in that co-working spaces need to be dynamic with plenty of resources that allow employees to collaborate and create. Small meeting rooms on the other hand, can be simple, many times consisting of a small table and a few chairs, but the space still needs to be welcoming and functional. Modern office dividers create this space and allow it to flow seamlessly with the rest of the office design
Office divider design ideas
Mix textures
Freestanding office dividers have incredible flexibility that allows them to be installed virtually anywhere. These office separators can be combined with other styles of cubicle walls to create a variety of work spaces. This design also encourages the flow of natural light through the middle of the space, allowing it to reach the cubicles around the edge of the room.
This office layers a variety of textures to create an interesting and inspiring space in which to work. Large wooden beams are complemented by the wood defining the small meeting room that is designated with privacy walls. The brick wall adds an industrial edge to the modern light fixtures and contemporary furniture.
A partial wall divides these two offices that are fronted with a glass office divider wall. This allows for two separate spaces to be created out of one, multiplying the room’s functionality.
Create a bright space
In this design, light from the exterior windows floods into the room and through the glass office dividers. Employee well-being is a primary concern in most modern offices, and encouraging the flow of natural light can help to increase levels of vitamin D, ward off seasonal depression, and decrease health risks that can result from an environment lit with flourescent lighting.
Creating a space that utilizes white as the primary design color enhances the natural light that enters through floor to ceiling exterior windows and continues into the interior through glass interior divider walls. Incorporating lots of white allows the natural light to be reflected and brighten the work space.
Personalize the design
A unique feature of glass privacy walls for the office is the ability to customize the design. Whether through custom frosting, company logo, or a one-of-a-kind design, the office dividers can reflect the personality of the office and company culture. These designs have the added feature of increasing the level of privacy without blocking the flow of natural light. An additional benefit of choosing free standing office dividers is that they can be placed in the most convenient space, creating easy access.
Frosting windows on the bottom half creates additional privacy inside the office separators while still allowing light to flow through the transparent top half. When a meeting or collaboration is happening inside, those sitting at the table can talk without the eyes of the office on them while still allowing for a bright space. With the ability to customize the design, the frosting can be positioned in the ideal place to best serve the needs of the office.
Using a simple design on glass office interior divider walls can create a pleasing effect and serves to break up a large expanse. The curved pattern on this design complements the curve of the glass divider, the walkway, and the curve of the chairs. Choosing a custom design that complements the rest of the office aesthetic is a great way to pull design elements and company culture together.
Incorporate divider doors
Office room dividers with doors create flexibility by allowing the space to be open to the flow of traffic or closed to encourage privacy in a meeting or collaboration session. A variety of options for divider doors means that you will find something that enhances your office design. Sliding barn doors, assisted-close, and automatic doors save space as they slide along the divider. Hinged and pivot doors close quietly and create a quick private space.
This small conference room created with room dividers with doors highlights the benefits of creating a designated space for smaller group meetings. Positioning the dividers near the windows allows for the flow of natural light to enter the room and brighten the space. A sliding barn door creates easy entry and exit as it glides smoothly on its track.
Located in the middle of the larger office, these small meeting rooms employ sliding doors to allow employees and clients to meet in a designated area that creates privacy without isolating them from the office as a whole.
When designing or remodeling an office, it’s important to understand the materials that are at your disposal. And now, more than ever, the options to customize and create a space that is truly one-of-a-kind and that exudes company culture are nearly endless. Incorporating glass office wall dividers into the design helps to create a space that encourages productivity and collaboration while maintaining a necessary level of flexibility crucial to the modern office.