Modern offices may be very different in layout and form to those of years ago, but managers can still make some important choices about layout. Few of these can be more enlightened than choosing to install glazed partitions.
In the past, offices tended to be highly segmented, with companies often having small rooms with one for each department, all separate from where the bosses would be in their own personal offices or the boardroom.
However, from the 1960s and 70s, open plan offices became more fashionable. In some ways, this had clear advantages. It could be seen not simply as modernisation for the sake of it, capturing the architectural zeitgeist of the age, but as increasing accessibility as well.
Indeed, an obvious benefit was that it would be easier to find people and know who was in than in a building where most of one’s colleagues were behind the door of another room.
What Is The Downside Of An Open Plan Office?
The downside, of course, is that this comes with a noise problem. Some offices might be very quiet, but in reality, wherever there are necessary face-to-face conversations, phone calls, printers whirring away and the legendary ‘water cooler’ moments, this is unrealistic.
However, introducing glazed partitions can bring a range of clear advantages:
- It is still possible to see where people are
- It avoids light being blocked in a way that other partitions would cause
- These benefits can be enjoyed while keeping out excess noise
- It enables conversations to be kept private and confidential when necessary
The importance of natural light is a theme to which we have continually returned and for good reasons. Apart from the dose of vitamin D it provides and the energy-saving benefits of needing to use less artificial light, it can be a major mood enhancer.
Why Do Architects Focus On Getting More Natural Light Into Buildings?
In recent years, a focus on increased natural light has been a major theme of architecture and design. Good design that gets more natural illumination into buildings is not just aesthetically pleasing, but it is healthier and creates a greater sense of space.
This is one of the benefits of buildings having large windows and glass curtain walling. However, even this is not enough on its own. The internal furnishings and layout will make a big difference.
Any time you bring a solid physical barrier into an office space, some of this benefit is lost. Add in the invisibility of people it will also produce and the benefit of those glazed partitions makes so much sense as to be a no-brainer.
Indeed, if you are revamping an office, you can go further and do even more to maximise natural light, with glass staircases and glass balustrades to permit even more light to permeate through the building.
A further benefit of internal glazed partitions is their flexibility. They are not a one-size-fits-all solution, but can be tailored accordingly, whether you need to partition a whole room, seal off a corner for a small office or adjust the position using their sliding doors for this purpose.
What Type Of Glazed Partitions Are Best For Your Office?
Having understood the benefits of glazed partitions, the next part is to choose which ones are right for you. The choices we offer are:
- Single glazed partitions
- Double glazed partitions
- Banded glass partitions
Single glazed partitions are stylish, affordable and practical, giving you a versatile and effective option while allowing the flow of natural light.
The double-glazed option also adds two extra features, as the additional glass layer offers not just acoustic insulation to keep the noise levels down and conversations private, but also great thermal insulation to keep the office warm in winter and cool in summer.
Banded glass offers a different option. Being translucent rather than transparent, it allows all the light through while creating a sense of privacy, which may be especially valuable in the most confidential meetings.
They can also be invaluable in buildings that the public have access to, where you may often need a side room that is private.
You can choose these as single-glazed or double-glazed and with an array of different colour choices, which may match the décor or even your corporate colours.
In doing so, you can enhance the aesthetics of the office while creating the visual barrier that you may need.
You may find that, especially in a large office, using more than one of these options suits you. But whatever you choose, you can enjoy the great benefits of natural light, sound reduction and temperature control, helping to make your office a great place to work.
