T
GENERALLY in South East Asia of- fice staff work either in small enclosed cells or in extensive barn-like areas where the world and his friend labour, talk, circulate, eat and do business.
Neither atmosphere is condusive to good health or good productivity and it is surprising that research into the effect of environment on office staff and the application of its results has to date been so limited.
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It has taken a large corporation with the necessary funds British Petroleum to start again from the beginning and delve deeply into the question: 'What is a modern office designed to achieve?' The result of this research, physically translated, is the 'panoramic open plan' a new con- cept in office layout designed to make the working day as pleasant and pro- ductive as possible.
BP are using the system to trans- form their offices in various parts of the world, the latest being their Malay- sian office in the AIA Building, Kuala Lumpur.
The main features of the panoramic open plan are comfort, flexibility and
An open plan
within the
sounds of silence
ease of communications within the office. Large-scale regimentation is avoided and there is a free, random- looking arrangement of furniture that is logically positioned from the com- munications point of view. Wall to wall carpeting, air-conditioning, light- ing that is efficient but does not glare, attractive screens thickly upholster- ed, and potted plants are all used to create a quiet, relaxed atmosphere.
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Most important of all, there are no dividing walls or partitions in the nor- mal sense.
BP's Kuala Lumpur office covers one floor of 6,500 sq.ft. Only four senior executives have private offices. In the remaining space staff groups are planned in relationship to one another, with the equipment they need to carry
out their tasks. They are so arranged that each individual can normally see no more than a handful of people in his own section. In order to achieve this effect screens, filing units, book- cases and potted plants are placed so that they form areas that are called 'subjective rooms'.
Areas can be arranged within these subjective rooms to denote that the occupier holds a senior position by allowing more space and carefully placed screens to give him extra pri- vacy. The screens not only serve as visual barriers, they also act as acoustic baffles.
The KL office plan also provides a separate area for relaxation and re- freshment. This aspect of the plan resulted from studies which showed
Far East BUILDER, June 1969
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