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Open-plan offices have been a popular layout for many companies, but they come with both advantages and disadvantages.

At Tapper Interiors, we supply and fit office partitions to divide open-plan spaces and improve the working environment. Although an open-plan office can have several advantages, we believe it’s always a good idea to have at least some separate spaces for private meetings or a quieter workplace.  

Advantages of Open Plan Offices

There are several advantages of open-plan offices, and depending on the size of your organisation or the structure of communication, you may find them helpful. Some of the main benefits of open-plan offices are:

Easy Collaboration and Communication: Open-plan offices allow for easy communication and collaboration among employees, as there are no physical barriers between them. This can lead to increased idea-sharing and teamwork.

Layout Flexibility: The open space means the office can be easily rearranged. Desks and workstations can be rearranged where required for better collaboration or as the size of the team changes.

Share Natural Light: in an open-plan office, natural light is able to flow freely throughout the office. This creates a brighter and more spacious environment.

Access to Managers and Management Involvement: Without physical barriers in an open-plan office, managers can easily oversee their teams and provide support when needed.

Disadvantages of Open Plan Offices

Now we have considered the advantages of open-plan offices, here are some of the disadvantages:

No or Little Privacy: Open-plan offices offer little privacy. This has been known to be detrimental to tasks that require concentration or confidentiality. Employees may feel uncomfortable discussing sensitive matters or making personal calls in such environments. This is why it’s a good idea to have a smaller breakout office built using office partitions. This can allow employees to have their private discussions but still use the open-plan office for the main working area.

High Noise Levels: An open-plan office has no walls or partitions, so noise levels will be higher. This can lead to distractions and decrease productivity for some employees.

Partition Solutions for Open Plan Offices 

To get the best of both worlds, you can segregate the space in your open-plan office using office partitions. Contact Tapper Interiors today to discuss the options for your open-plan space. We have several different options available to suit your space.

If you are hoping to create smaller offices with lots of privacy, we suggest a solid wall partition. We offer these as metal-framed stud walls with plaster boards. They offer great acoustics and ticking boxes for sound and visual privacy.

If you need to reduce noise levels but want to maintain as much natural light as possible, then some of our glass partitioning systems would fit your requirements. We offer double-glazed options for added sound absorption.

Partitions from Tapper Interiors 

For more information on our types of partitions or to discuss your options, please contact a member of our team today.

Full Office and Warehouse Fit-out

We were recently contracted to complete a full office interior fit-out. This was one of our more significant projects and included many elements. 

Plasterboard partitions and ceilings are our speciality, and we work on countless projects each year. For this project, it was all about dividing the space to create smaller functional areas for privacy whilst allowing for light to flow through the building.

Glass partitions were also used for segregating different office areas. Because of the building regulations and requirements, there was a combination of both fire and non-fire-rated glass partitions. The glass partitions came from Komfort and included their Sonik acoustic glass doors. 

A mezzanine floor was built; these are great for expanding your available floor space in buildings with high ceilings.

This was a complete office fit-out, so we also fitted a kitchen and various W.Cs, complete with flooring, ceramic wall tiling and kitchens from Howdens. 

An automatic door from Axis Entrance Systems was fitted at the entrance to the office, along with various laminate timber doors throughout. 

Overall, this was an excellent project for us, and the finished space is now a pleasant working environment.

Earlier this year, we were contracted to work on the Schüco UK showrooms. We worked in collaboration with OWA, who designed the layout and provided the products for us to fit. The Schüco UK showroom is a versatile space for events and product displays. However, concerns arose regarding the acoustics, particularly echoing sounds that hindered clear communication. To address this challenge, we helped to devise and provide a solution in collaboration with OWA UK. The result was some stylish and functional acoustic solutions.

Acoustic Solutions Provided by Tapper Interiors 

Free Hanging Acoustic Absorbers

Working closely with OWA and the team at Schüco UK, a tailored solution was implemented to reduce the noise level and echo during events in the showroom. The introduction of acoustic ceiling canopies not only improved sound clarity but also seamlessly blended with the showroom’s sophisticated interior.

RAW Concrete Bespoke Rafts

We installed some Monolithic rafts above the primary conference area. These rafts provide exceptional sound absorption properties to help with noise levels. The perimeter of each raft was elegantly framed with a black metal profile, enhancing the overall visual appeal.

S80 Demountable Raft

Above the mezzanine level, we installed a trio of innovative OWAtecta S80 demountable perforated rafts. These rafts are equipped with black acoustic fleece and class A acoustic pads for added sound absorption. We fitted these rafts around the existing lighting fixtures. Their modular construction allowed easy assembly, seamlessly integrating into the showroom’s design scheme.

S14 Canopy

We also installed OWAtecta S14 ‘one-piece’ perforated metal canopies, which are designed for practicality and aesthetic appeal. 

Corpus Acoustic Shapes

Above the bar area, we installed OWAconsult Corpus cuboid shapes, which not only provided acoustic absorption but also looked stylish and in keeping with the overall style of the showroom. These versatile acoustic boxes offer flexibility in layout, contributing to the showroom’s unique ambience.

Working with Tapper Interiors

If you have an interior fit-out project, Tapper Interiors are here to help – contact us today. 

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