Open Plan Offices

Purpose

Open plan offices provide flexible, collaborative and efficient workplace environments that support a diverse range of work activities undertaken by academic, administrative and professional staff. These spaces should facilitate communication, knowledge sharing and teamwork while providing appropriate settings for focused work, meetings and day-to-day operational activities. Open plan offices should promote effective space utilisation and support evolving workplace practices across USP campuses

 

Design Objectives

Open plan offices should:

• Support a range of individual and team-based work activities within a collaborative workplace environment. 

• Provide functional and ergonomic workstations that support staff productivity, comfort and wellbeing. 

• Encourage communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing among colleagues and work teams. 

• Incorporate a balanced mix of work points, meeting spaces, focus spaces and collaboration areas to support diverse work styles. 

• Provide reliable information and communication technology infrastructure to support both in-person and virtual work activities.

• Ensure equitable access to natural light, ventilation and workplace amenities wherever practicable. 

• Minimize distractions through appropriate acoustic treatments, workspace planning and furniture arrangements. 

• Ensure accessibility and inclusivity for all users.

• Provide comfortable lighting, thermal conditions and indoor environmental quality that support staff wellbeing and performance.

• Use durable, maintainable and sustainable materials suitable for high-use workplace environments.

• Enable flexibility and adaptability to accommodate organisational change, workforce growth and evolving workplace practices.