Lessons from Innovations

Juriaan van Meel and Theo van der Voordt describe the interaction between workplace concepts and the functioning of organisations and individual employees. Although scientific evaluations are scarce, it may be concluded that innovative concepts fit better with new ways of working. Teleworking and the provision of different workspaces for different activities support the need for both communication and concentration. Non-territorial use of workspace may lead to a more efficient use of space. Most users of innovative environments like their trendy environment and don't want to return to a traditional office building. However, psychological needs such as privacy and territoriality must not be underestimated.