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Guidelines for Open Office Layouts
By Ed Kraay
The situation
84% of companies surveyed claim using some Agile practices*Open office formats used to enjoy low cost or free communication – aka “Osmotic Communication”With more firms “going Agile” more managers are tasked with making open space team rooms workCommon questions we get:
How much space do I really need?What configuration will optimize communication for my team?How much power do I need? How many whiteboards? What about private space? Do I get tables or use desks….
*Source 2009 State of Agile Survey Version One
Common problems with open space moves
Moving from cubicles to an open space often results in:
Cramped conditionsNot enough power or networkNo space for design sessionsCross team noise (bad noise) vs Team noise (good noise)No private space for phone callsBarriers to flowFixed configurations with no room to adapt
Two Key Principles to keep in mind
1. Workspace should never be an obstacle to getting work done
2. Keep the workspace configurable so you can adapt it to your changing needs
Guidelines: Size and Layout
Space6 feet by 8 feet per person (enough so they could have had a cubicle)
Privacy for the teamHigh Walls, Doors Optional
» orEnough space to create separate team areas
WindowsHumans get stressed without access to natural lightOne wall, preferably two or three walls with abundant natural light
Working Areas
FreedomGive teams freedom to adjust their working area to suit them without a work orderEasy to move tables are goodSome organizations even attach wheels to their desks!
AvoidFixed to the wallInstalled furniture
Enough room to work together side by side to pair programAvoid
Corner DesksPhoto by Carlos Villela
Wall Space
Ample wall space for task boards, burndown charts, whiteboards everywhereWhiteboard paint works very wellSome teams use movable walls for this
Photo by Carlos Villela
Technology
PowerAmple amounts as unobtrusively as possible (in desks, dropped from the ceiling)
ProjectorsFor video conferences, planning meetingsWe see more teams using large screen LCD TV’s for this
Video conferencing and Smart boards for distributed teams
High definition web cameras work wellLarge Flat Panel Monitors - two per workstation (>20 inch)
Breakout Rooms
A mix of small quiet areas for private conversations for 2-3 people or phone callsLarger collaboration rooms for conference calls or planning meetingsSome teams use an open space for this
Table Configurations
Long Tables
U Shapes
Drawing by Dean Cornish
Drawing by Erik Doernenburg
Notice the open space between desks
Photo by Sudhir Tiwari
Photos of the ThoughtWorks Bangalore Office…the principles in action.
Photo by Sudhir Tiwari
Plentiful access to power and ethernet
Wall space for card walls.
Photo by Sudhir Tiwari
Cube Area for Marketing and Recruiting Team
Photo by Sudhir Tiwari
Meeting Rooms Along interior walls, so desks can be along windows
Photo by Chris Stevenson
Windows to let in natural light…
Photo by Chris Stevenson
Adjustable chairs
= Happy team.
+
Enough space so that each person could have had 6’x 8’ to themselves
Photo by Chris Stevenson
Another collaborative workspace design
Drawing by Anupam Kundu
These are some team room configurations…
What's yours?
Summary of the Principles
1. Workspace should never be an obstacle to getting work done
2. Keep the workspace configurable so you can adapt it to your changing needs
Appreciations to:
Erik Doerenburg, April Johnson, Sarah Taraporewalla, Daniel T. Abel, Dean Cornish, Peter Gillard-Moss, Benjamin Butler-Cole, Anupam Kundu, Sudhir Tiwari, Chris Stevenson, Rajeev Singh and Johnny Leroy for photos and ideas.
Resources
BooksAgile Software Development by Alistair CockburnPeopleware by Demarco and Lister
LinksMartin Fowler on the Team Room: http://martinfowler.com/bliki/TeamRoom.html