What is the concept of office layout? A detailed explanation of seating arrangements, desk placement patterns, and examples

First, let's look at the changes in the office environment that have come with the recent diversification of working styles, and the reasons why you should reconsider your office layout.

In recent years, working styles have become increasingly diversified due to changes in people's attitudes toward work and the rapid development of technology. More and more companies are looking to shift from the traditional style of "working at set times at a fixed desk" to more flexible and creative working styles.

For these reasons, companies are being forced to quickly improve their office environments to meet the diverse needs of their employees.

The office is an important place where employees spend a lot of time and develop their creativity. It is said that whether or not the office layout matches the way people work has a big impact on the development of a company and employee satisfaction.

By optimizing your office layout, you can expect the following benefits:

By creating a layout that is easy for employees to work in and that is lean, work efficiency will increase. Improving the work efficiency of each employee will eventually lead to increased productivity for the entire company.

The comfort and functionality of an office are important factors in attracting talented people. There is a growing trend, especially among the younger generation, to place importance on the working environment.

An office layout that is easy to work in and comfortable will be effective in terms of both attracting and retaining talent.

Communication is often cited as one of the important roles of an office. By making it easier for communication to occur through clever layout, it can lead to the creation of new ideas and collaboration across departments.

What should you pay attention to when reviewing your office layout? Here we will introduce some ideas and points for improvement that you should know in order to create an office environment that suits your working style.

When renovating your office layout, it is important to first clarify the company's concept and goals. Then, come up with a layout plan that reflects the working needs of your employees.

By properly zoning and creating a desk layout that suits the nature of your work, you can make effective use of limited space.

For example, turning an empty space into a place for open meetings or casual conversations can help promote communication within the company. If your company has a lot of concentrated work, we recommend creating a quiet space where conversation is prohibited.

The key is to balance design and functionality while maintaining flexibility to accommodate future changes.

It's stylish but hard to use... It's functional but somehow feels old-fashioned... Employees will be dissatisfied with such a space. Let's create a comfortable and productive office environment while taking into account the opinions of our employees.

Even if you have already decided on a layout, it is important to review it regularly. Optimize your office environment flexibly to accommodate changes in work styles and company culture.

When deciding on an office layout, the type of seating arrangement to be adopted is an important factor. There are two main types of seating arrangements: "assigned seats arrangements" where individuals are assigned seats, and "free hot desking arrangements" where people do not have assigned seats and can work anywhere they like.

The appropriate office layout will vary depending on the type of seating arrangement adopted in the office space where employees perform their daily work. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of desk layouts when adopting each type.

When operating in an office with assigned seats, a desk layout called "island facing" is common.

Island layout: A layout method in which desks are lined up facing each other longitudinally in an office, creating an "island" for each department. This layout is characterized by its space efficiency and ease of communication within the department.

The characteristics of a desk layout with assigned seats include the following:

[Features of assigned seats layout]

The assigned seats desk layout is the traditional office format currently used by most companies in Japan.
While there are Advantage such as ease of collaboration within the same team and the peace of mind of having your own desk, disadvantage include "it is easy for barriers to form between departments" and "communication becomes limited."

Next, let's look at the characteristics of desk layouts in a hot desking system.

[Characteristics of hot desking desk layout]

The desk layout when adopting a hot desking system would be suitable for companies that value flexible working styles and collaboration across departments.

disadvantage are that it takes time to find a seat every day and there is limited space to put personal belongings. When introducing this system, it is necessary to obtain the understanding of employees and set appropriate operating rules.

Even if you are considering hot desking system to promote communication and make effective use of space, there are many cases where you cannot introduce it because it does not match some of the work content or needs of employees. However, there are probably many people who want to take a step forward from a assigned seats system where you only use your own desk and conference room.

In fact, by taking measures such as "adopting a work style that combines assigned seats and hot desking" and "arranging desks in an innovative way," it is entirely possible to realize a work style and office layout that is perfect for your company!

From here, we will introduce three examples of layouts that can accommodate diverse working styles.

The "assigned seats + activity" layout maintains the traditional assigned seats system while combining dedicated spaces that can accommodate a variety of work activities.

For example, by setting up areas separate from employees' individual desks for specific purposes such as concentrated work, communication, or relaxation, employees can expect to see an increase in productivity and satisfaction.

A universal layout is a layout in which desks and chairs are uniformly arranged in an office space. It is characterized by arranging the same type of seats in a horizontal row regardless of position or department.

It can flexibly respond to personnel increases and decreases and organizational changes, and it reduces the cost and effort of changing the layout. In addition, since there are no walls between departments, it also promotes internal communication.

チームアドレス運用はフリーアドレスの一形態で、部署やチームごとに特定のエリアを設定し、そのエリア内で自由に席を選べるという座席運用のことです。グループアドレス、エリアアドレスと呼ばれることもあります。

Desk layouts are often flexible to accommodate hot desking, but unlike a completely hot desking, team members can work relatively close to each other, which has the advantage of making it easier to organize within the team. This is the seating arrangement and office layout that many companies choose as the first step when switching from assigned seats to hot desking.

ここからは、イトーキがご支援したオフィスのレイアウト事例をご紹介します。働き方や業務特性、文化によって最善のかたちはさまざま。どんな企業がどんな選択をしているのか、ぜひ参考にしてください。

In this article, we talked about the importance and effectiveness of adjusting the office layout to the "work style." The right office environment can greatly contribute to improving employee productivity and motivation, as well as the growth of the company. However, implementing optimal work styles and creating an ideal office layout requires specialized knowledge and experience.

イトーキは、長年にわたりオフィス環境の改善に取り組んできた実績があります。企業ごとの働き方や文化に合わせた、最適なオフィスづくりをサポートしてきました。
そこで培ってきたノウハウを、オフィスづくりにお悩み方にお役立ていただけるよう「ダウンロード資料」と「セミナー動画」を公開しています。ぜひチェックしてみてください！

今回ご紹介した「座席運用」と「オフィスレイアウト」について、よりくわしく解説した一冊です。世の中の企業がどんなオフィスを選択しているのか、座席運用の採用率と実情も掲載しています。ダウンロードのうえ、ぜひ今日からのオフィスづくりにお役立てください。

働き方に合わせたオフィスづくりについてさらにくわしく知りたい方には、過去に開催したセミナーのアーカイブ動画も公開中です。座席の運用について悩んでいる方、そして自社の働き方に合ったベストなオフィスのかたちを知りたい方は必見！ぜひ、お気軽にお申し込みください。