Open office floor plans have been the big trend for a number of years now, and some companies are finding that after taking down the walls to foster interaction and collaboration, they have done the job too well.
An article in the Wall Street Journal, “Why You Can’t Concentrate at Work” (May 9th, 2017) says that “visual noise” is an unforeseen consequence of today’s open-plan work spaces that is distracting workers.
From the article: “Visual noise, the activity or movement around the edges of an employee’s field of vision, can erode concentration and disrupt analytical thinking or creativity, research shows. While employers have long tried to quiet disruptive sounds in open work spaces, some are now combating visual noise too. The answer could be as low-tech as strategically placed plants or more drab wall colors.”
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| Earth Walls with Sansevieria separating a lounge area from a walkway (above) |
The article goes on to discuss a number of solutions to the problem, including placing plants to break up large lines of sight to help shield workers from visual distractions. The plants have the added benefit of keeping the noise down too.
We have seen this first hand at Everything Grows Interior Landscaping with our Silicon Valley customers and have a wide selection of plants and containers to create beautiful natural visual barriers with the added benefits of noise dampening and fresher air.
Our most popular solution for open work spaces that are too open is our Earth Wall. They come 3 to 4 feet long and stand 4 to 6 feet high depending on the type of plant selected. They can be moved around, and we even offer casters for concrete floors that make it even easier to re-position the Earth Walls as the office space grows/changes.
Earth Walls are great for separating meeting areas or walkways from work areas. Here are a few examples below:
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| Earth Walls with Sansevieria in the background and Agloanemas in the foreground separating a collaboration area from work areas (above) |
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This display shows three different types of plants in Earth Walls on casters. From left to right: Sansevieria, Neanthe Bella Palm, Agloanema (above) This downtown San Francisco office used Earth Walls extensively to help break up an overly open work space. Distractions went down and productively went up. (above) Do you have an overly collaborative or visually distracting open office that could benefit from Earth Walls to get your employees refocused on the task at hand? Contact Everything Grows today to have one of our in-house designers visit your office for a complimentary consultation and design proposal. Let us help you get more productive! |