Maximizing Value with Interior Glass Door Solutions

Interior glass walls and doors gain traction in workplaces and multiunit studios and lofts

By Barbara Horwitz-Bennett

Driven by a need for distraction-free areas, great daylighting and acoustics, and easily demountable and reconfigurable floor-plate solutions, interior glass partition designs are gaining traction in today’s workplace settings. And in the multiunit/multifamily market, sliding glass doors are enabling owners to create additional spaces inside lofts and studios while also preserving daylighting within the living unit.

Enhanced product features such as non-90-degree-angle glass partitions, track-free designs, and ADA-compliant hardware are making these solutions even more attractive to designers and owners.

Before delving into the specifics of glass door and wall solutions, it is helpful to understand the evolution of workplace designs trends and how the industry arrived at its current set of operational needs.

The Swinging Pendulum

As the world heralded in a new millennium, disappearing cubicles began making way for large open spaces aimed at optimizing corporate collaboration and teamwork. The idea was that physical proximity with employees all in one open space would promote a higher level of inspiration and sharing of ideas.

“The trend was to squeeze more people into a space with hopes that as people sit closer to one another, they will wind up speaking more often, collaborating better, and enjoying their shared workspace together,” relates Jonathan Wasserstrum, founder and CEO, SquareFoot, New York.

The endeavor was a noble one, but unfortunately, the noise and distractions inherent in these settings seemed to backfire as productivity levels actually decreased.

In fact, a 2017 survey of 700 respondents by enterprise software strategist William Belk found that 58 percent of workers need more private spaces for problem solving, and 54 percent reported that their office environment is “too distracting.”

“The biggest complaint we hear is the noise in open environments and the inability to concentrate,” confirms Jonathan Glance, AIA, NCARB, partner, vice president, LGA Partners.

Another more comprehensive project by researchers at the University of Sydney who studied the University of California at Berkeley’s Post-Occupancy Evaluation database of 42,764 observations collected from 303 office buildings found that enclosed private offices had the overall highest satisfaction rate, whereas open office plans had the lowest.

In discussing this study in a Forbes article, “Why Your Open Office Workspace Doesn’t Work,” David Burkus, best-selling author and keynote speaker writes, “The desire for more collaboration among employees was shared by all, but those in open office plans may not have found it to be worth all of the stress and distraction from the bombardment of noise.”

In a similar vein, eye-opening results emerged from Harvard researchers who studied 150 employees in two Fortune 500 companies for several weeks before and after moving to a new open-plan office. The overall face-to-face time decreased by approximately 70 percent and email use increased by as much as 50 percent. The outcome was that the employees were actually collaborating 4 hours less per day in an environment that was created with the goal of fostering collaboration.

Elegantly spelling out the challenge of open office designs in a Chicago Tribune article titled “The Open Office Plan is a Disaster,” office design expert Jeff Pochepan writes, “The office—once a place where your cubicle seemed semi-shielded and dedicated to your needs, a place where you could even hang a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign or at least signal that being at your desk meant head-down work mode—has morphed into something resembling a buffet at dinner time, where first dibs determine whether you will secure a relatively quiet workspace or be resigned to another morning of wearing headphones at the communal work bench to get anything done.”

He adds that completely open offices also present a business privacy issue as phone calls, emails, and screens can all be observed, and in the worst case, even sabotaged if one has a highly competitive team.

These challenges have sent the pendulum back the other way, with today’s workforce seeking a balance of open, shared spaces and quiet, private areas for concentration work. Inherent in these designs—and the current workplace culture—is giving employees the freedom of where to work based upon the task at hand.

“The evolution from the cubicles of the 1970s and 80s through the dark interior spaces of the 90s to the co-working environments of the past decade illustrates an increasing emphasis on providing diverse environments within the workplace,” relates Joshua Zinder, AIA, LEED AP, managing partner, JZA+D, Princeton, New Jersey. “The cafe, the lounge, the conference room, the office, even the sofa—in the mobile era, our work moves with us. Variety of environments and amenities is ‘king.’”

Echoing a similar sentiment, Jesse James, senior project manager, Stantec, Chicago, says, “Our days are filled with times of energy and collaboration, heads-down reports, meetings, sit-down work, social events to promote community—it all varies hour by hour. The spaces we build need to reflect that and allow employees to choose their environment.”

Practically speaking, when a handful of people in an open layout need to discuss something, it can be very distracting for others. Consequently, having options for smaller spaces to gather for impromptu collaboration is ideal, says Beth Ann Christiansen, senior project interior designer, HOK, New York.

“Variety is the spice of life, and so too is variety the key to a successful workspace,” adds Brent Zeigler, AIA, IIDA, president, director of design, Dyer Brown, Boston. “A space that supports a mix of heads-down work areas and collaboration spaces will always be the most successful.” A current interesting example is DMAC Architecture’s new office in Chicago. In gutting the space down to the shell, areas with ceilings shorter than 8 feet were discovered. Embracing these newly

discovered “surprise” areas, the architects captured them as “in-between” spaces, which are now used as private lofts where employees can take private calls, rehearse presentations, or work on designs.

“I love the idea of creating these unprogrammed spaces—unnamed, unassigned, and ready to write their own history by those who occupy them,” relates DMAC Architecture Founder and Principal Dwayne MacEwen.

Glass Dividers

In order to create these much-needed spaces, designers are turning to systems like glass walls, partitions, and phone booths. A relatively easy way to strategically place enclosed areas throughout the floor plate, these types of designs also work to preserve the daylighting and flow of the space.

Take CetraRuddy’s recent design for the offices of a large New York real estate broker. In addition to open benching systems and areas for collaborative work, privacy-enhancing features include a meditation room, private break spaces, lounge-like telephone booths, and a custom glass-tile screen. Glass walls were utilized for all the conference spaces and private offices, which allows sunlight and transparency to penetrate through the entire office space.

Peggy Bennett, IIDA, CIDQ, LEED AP, associate vice president, director of commercial interiors, Hoefer Wysocki, Kansas City, Kansas, suggests that by strategically breaking up floor plates and positioning them in such a way to allow natural light, the space can feel more like a home.

“Introducing natural daylight into interior spaces is not only essential to wellness, but it is also a critical component of creating an effective workplace,” adds Lynn Brotman, NCIDQ, IIDA, associate principal, Svigals + Partners, New Haven, Connecticut. “Glass, even if partially frosted for privacy, allows the light to penetrate deep into the space, fostering a feeling of connection and appreciation for the biophilic value of natural light.”

Practically speaking, a common strategy is bringing the private offices inboard, which frees up the perimeter for workstations, collaborative hubs, and work cafes. In providing separation for these two zones, Donna Leventhal, architect, DL Design Architects, Los Angeles, frequently specifies glass doors to meet end users’ privacy, acoustic, and daylighting needs.

Oftentimes, architects like to get creative with glass systems. A good example is CetraRuddy’s design for its own New York studio. In this case, a magnetic, writable glass partition wall separates a large collaborative area and pantry from the open benching systems, relates Principal and Director of Interior Design Ximena Rodriguez. The wall divides the spaces while promoting daylighting, preserving a feeling of openness, and enhancing the architectural firm’s workflow and collaboration. During the office’s monthly UnCrit, which is a show-and-tell for project teams, the wall serves as a canvas to pin up project images.

For CetraRuddy’s conference rooms, the architects decided to position them deep into the building core. “Specifying glass walls for these rooms was critical in making them feel light, airy, and comfortable,” explains Rodriguez.

For these glass systems, gradient film was selected to create a feeling of privacy from shoulder-height down to the floor. The film is clear on the top and becomes translucent as it descends, which brings light into the conference rooms and creates a sense of cohesiveness without giving too much exposure to people engaged in a private conference. “We have used this gradient approach in other commercial office projects as well, and also in amenity spaces for multifamily properties,” Rodriguez adds.

As another example, Krueck Sexton Partners takes an interesting approach with its larger governmental and institutional clients with large floor plates.

“We think of interior projects as urban environments with neighborhoods, cross streets, and town squares, and we create a hierarchy of zones. The first zone involves the exterior and lobby experience. Next are the streets or walkways along the core and then spaces along the window line,” explains Don Semple, AIA, an associate principal with the Chicago-based Krueck Sexton Partners. “Pulling offices and workstations off the window line and incorporating transparent materials ensures greater access to daylight, and placing these environments within easy sightlines further defines the space.”

Christiansen also points out that glass office fronts lend a more modern design aesthetic. “These days, most of our clients expect glass offices rather than thinking about glazing as an extra or unnecessary cost,” she relates.

Reconfigurations

The reality of office spaces is that they are reconfigured rather frequently. Additionally, JLL reports that the average office fit out grew by 12 percent in 2018. Naturally, many organizations struggle with tight budgets and are looking for ways to postpone or avoid a full fit out, if possible.

Along these lines, demountable walls are a go-to strategy. As opposed to the dust-inducing, more labor-intensive process of drywall construction, glass enclosures can be installed or reconfigured in a short time.

“Demountable walls can be a very flexible and sustainable solution for tenants because they do not require tear down and building new wall systems like traditional stick construction. It is faster and better for the environment,” states Leigh Stringer, LEED AP, managing principal, EYP Architecture & Engineering, Washington, D.C. “Flexible solutions can help make an office environment work for the occupants longer.”

Additionally, commercial leasing companies seeking to fill open vacancies can offer “configure the space as your business requires” as part of the enticement to sign a lease. In such a case, tenant improvement funds will cover the cost of changes and configurations.

These types of design solutions are also more environmentally friendly because they can be moved and repurposed, as opposed to demolition and rebuilding, which is the case with metal studs and drywall. Even within the same space, sliding, stacking, reconfigurable glass panels allow for optimum usage of the room. For example, a conference room can be easily opened up for a larger company meeting by sliding the doors completely into pockets hidden within the wall or provide full clearance by stacking against the wall.

“The opportunity to integrate glazing gives many of these systems a more refined look than drywall partitions and paint,” adds LGA’s Glance. “They impact construction schedules favorably, and clients love the tax benefits of being able to depreciate them just like furniture.”

Standard construction reconfiguration is messy and time consuming, relates Carl Haines, senior project manager, Johnson & Jennings General Contracting, San Diego, in a Building Operating Management article titled “Demountable Walls: Moving On Up.” Unlike regular construction, which can take several weeks, a demountable wall reconfiguration can typically be taken care of over the weekend, without standard construction issues like drying time, dust from debris, or fumes.

From an economic perspective, a typical budget to reconfigure an office space runs at least $15,000 per individual office. With demountable wall construction, the cost can be reduced by as much as 60 percent.

Furthermore, easily configurable spaces help control costs because they can accommodate ongoing changes in building occupancy needs. For example, meeting rooms that can quickly transform into open offices or smaller quiet zones with a framing system that can be changed without interrupting everyday business activities is ideal. However, if a system is too hard to adjust, in Semple’s experience, the organization will not take full advantage of this flexibility.

Offering some overall perspective, Seth Hanley, AIA, LEED AP, co-founder and principal of the architecture and interior design firm Blitz, Culver City, California, states that reconfiguration provides an interesting final layer to a project, allowing for its calibration and evolution over time. However, when professionals with special training are required for reconfiguration, the use of that element tends to decline.

Additionally, the ability to cost-effectively and aesthetically break up floor plates to create additional rooms and privacy can improve the lease-ability of a space. “In buildings where demountable systems are included as part of a lease package, or where a tenant is subleasing a space, existing movable systems enable occupants to move walls and change quickly, which is a plus,” Semple adds.

Consequently, if a space is built out with demountable glass partitions and enclosures, building owners can more easily cater to prospective tenant needs by configuring the layout to fit their needs in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner.

“The benefit here is the flexibility it offers for a variety of different types of tenants to occupy it, as they can put it together and reconfigure it at a moment’s notice,” confirms SquareFoot’s Wasserstrum.

Incidentally, Ron Lustig, AIA, ISHC, EDAC, LEED Green Associate, principal, Earl Swensson Associates, Nashville, adds that abundant glass, more expansive glass walls, and higher floor-to-ceiling heights help to make office spaces more attractive to lease.

Breaking Out of the Square

Some newer advances in glass wall technology are enabling designers and owners to more fully utilize their interior spaces.

For example, a newly engineered mold can create glass partitions in non-90-degree angled spaces, both acute and obtuse. Since the post can be swiveled to any degree, the challenge of dealing with columns jutting out and other structural limitations is very much minimized. Instead, architects can fully utilize what would otherwise be considered dead space.

“On our renovation projects, we often encounter existing conditions with unusual geometries. Such a flexible system can allow for easier integration into these environments,” says Semple.

While Leventhal appreciates the application for floor plates without 90-degree corners, she is more interested in leveraging the angled walls to create more aesthetic designs. Similarly, Glance sees the technology as an opportunity for different angles to be used to add dramatic flair to feature walls or entrances.

Responding to this new possibility of angled enclosed glass designs, Leslie Saul, AIA, NCIDQ, LEED AP BD+C, who runs her architecture and interiors firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts, exclaims, “Fantastic! Get people out of the box and create diagonal-view corridors.”

In a similar vein, Stantec’s James poetically relates, “As interior designers, we love when we get the square buildings with minimal core footprint and perfectly spaced column grid. It makes our jobs a cinch. But as architects, we love anything but a square building.”

Essentially, architects agree that any opportunity to expand beyond the typical 90-degree wall configuration is beneficial when developing a design that is specific for a particular client and in differentiating the space. In seeking to expand beyond the usual office configuration, atypical environments can provide an interesting design aesthetic.

Bringing in another viewpoint, Melissa Hanley, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, Blitz co-founder, principal, and CEO, suggests a design that uses reflection from angled glazing could extend the perception of space and also function as an acoustic strategy, using nonparallel surfaces to reduce sounds reflections. “Ideally, such a system could maintain the utility of a more traditional interior products and become a unifying element throughout a project.”

Practically speaking, the non-90-degree-angle system that offers flexibility to plan for glass partitions in angles would allow designers to capitalize on otherwise difficult-to-plan-in spaces.

“Ultimately, non-90-degree-angle glass solutions offer a lot of options for increasing flexibility, which is always a prime consideration in commercial facilities,” Rodriguez says.

Bringing in a manufacturer’s perspective, Sheryl Hai-Ami, administration officer, The Sliding Door Company, Chatsworth, California, says, “Being able to solve tough space-planning challenges by providing solutions that meet our clients’ project requirements is why we love what we do.”

In a nutshell, having a better “kit of parts” with more configuration options lends itself to more creative and functional solutions.

Light It Up

As noted, solutions like glass dividers, enclosures, partitions, and doors blend well into daylighting designs. And while the benefits of daylighting are well known and documented, highlighting a few noted studies and expert insights can be useful.

Take a 2014 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Lighting Research Center (LRC) study of the impact of personal light exposures on sleep and mood. Here the researchers found that while artificial lighting was supporting work tasks at hand, employees still suffered from lower moods and less restful sleep in winter when the windows provided less natural light.

Additionally, other LRC studies have identified a direct correlation between daylit environments and occupant productivity and comfort, and that daylighting supports the mental and visual stimulation necessary to regulate human circadian rhythms.

Another study done by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology found that employees working in naturally lit environments had higher levels of energy than those in artificially lit workplaces.

“According to several studies, access to natural light may be the most sought-after amenity for employees,” explains Dyer Brown’s Zeigler. “It is easy to see how this will affect the leasing of commercial office space as increased availability of daylight deeper into the floor plate drives up overall value to tenant firms.”

Naturally, daylighting—in addition to acoustics, ergonomics, and indoor air quality—factors into an increased focus on health and wellness in the way that buildings are being designed today.

With direction and guidance from initiatives like the International WELL Building Institute’s WELL Certification and the Center for Active Design’s Fitwel program, designers and building owners are paying more attention to how their buildings affect the physical and emotional states of their occupants.

Compounding the issue is another challenge affecting a noted percentage of workers: burnout syndrome. Officially identified by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon in the international classification of diseases, burnout syndrome is described as feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion and a lack of vocational engagement. This, in turn, causes reduced productivity and a decreased feeling of accomplishment.

Because stress levels contribute to this issue, Eppstein Uhen Architects recently conducted a third-party survey of 500 workers across the country to gather data on employee satisfaction levels in relation to their work environment in addition to how they viewed their work-related stress levels.

Surprisingly, the survey found that 75 percent of respondents reported moderate to high work-related stress levels. And from this subset, 30 percent identified a lack of distraction-free spaces in their work environment as contributing to their stress.

In a recent Work Design Magazine article, “Move Over Stress: An Engaged Workplace is Set to Perform,” Eppstein Uhen Architects Workplace Strategy Leader Heather Turner Loth proposes that the three main factors that could help drive down stress levels in the workplace are safety and security, knowledge sharing, and well-being.

Addressing the latter issue, DMAC’s MacEwen relates, “Wellness comes in many forms. From the spaces we design to the materials we choose, it all has an impact on the bottom line. Wellness is about creating spaces we want to be in, that engage the senses and support our everyday lives in a sustainable way. That is our responsibility as designers.”

Studios and Lofts

While corporate workplaces are embracing the advantages of interior glass partitions, they are also trending in multiunit properties, particularly studios and lofts.

“Breakout spaces are an important emerging trend in multifamily properties and can be a factor in leasing or purchasing decisions,” Rodriguez says.

While a noted percentage people want to live in urban areas, many cannot afford the cost of downtown rent. As a result, Aeron Hodges, associate, Stantec, Boston, relates that an interest in co-living has taken hold. By dividing a space into two separate bedrooms, two parties can then share the cost of the lease. Or the landlord can break out the space into two separate rentable units.

And like office conversions, these residential configurations can also be done in a time-efficient, nondisruptive manner.

Beyond the economics, studio and loft owners are turning to these solutions to make their apartments more functional. “The ability to delineate between public and private space is a major benefit of glass doors and partitions,” Rodriguez says.

For example, CetraRuddy recently designed a residential conversion of a former hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Because many of the studio apartments were very compact, the architect enclosed the bedroom areas with a textured, back-painted glass wall, which creates the illusion of a much larger space while clearly delineating public and private uses.

For another project on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, sliding glass doors with a thin metal frame and shimmering metal mesh interlayer were specified to separate the living room from the kitchen.

“In multifamily settings, many people are looking for rooms that can grow with their personal life: from being an office or a music room to a nursery and second bedroom,” Rodriguez says. “Sliding glass doors offer flexibility between public and private space and allow for a range of uses in what would otherwise be unused space in a unit’s core.”

Overall, loft and studio units are challenging to compartmentalize due to their size. While separate spaces can be formed by furniture or other room divider systems, Semple points out that glass is advantageous for its transparency and acoustics. “Most importantly, glass can define a space without interfering with important views,” he says.

“There is significant value in the possibility of adding what is effectively a whole new room that does not need windows in order to have access to natural daylight and a feeling of openness,” agrees Rodriguez.

Many glass dividers do not need to extend to the ceiling and therefore enable heated or conditioned air to flow through the space, keeping the apartment cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, thereby reducing energy costs. Additionally, there is no need to reroute HVAC, which can be quite costly for landlords.

In many cases, there is interest in creating separation between the bedroom and the living areas. Or perhaps a resident wants to cordon off a proper office space as opposed to a desk and computer in the corner of the bedroom. In larger loft spaces, there may be interest in creating a guest bedroom.

In all these cases, the conversions can be done in an aesthetic way that does not compromise daylighting or cut off the flow of the space. Incidentally, sliding glass doors are also a clever way to conceal a side-by-side washer/dryer or a stackable unit.

“There has always been a need for open loft spaces to define areas and create nodes of privacy,” confirms Hoefer Wysocki’s Bennett. “This trend toward flexibility allows lofts to be a consideration for people who may want the best of both worlds.”

Designers and owners also have a variety of designs options from which to choose based upon function and preference.

“The diversity of applications abounds in terms of finishes, inner layers, and combinations offering various properties such as transparency, acoustics, and temperature-control elements all within a seemingly simple material,” explains Blitz Design Director Justin Beadle, NCARB.

If a higher level of privacy is required, then a black, laminated opaque, or smoked milky glass might be a good choice. However, if maximum transparency is the goal, then clear or frosted glass will work best. In between the two extremes is semi-opaque glass, often called white laminated or milky glass.

ADA and LEED

In specifying glass door systems, designers must ensure that the entry mechanism and clearance meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements in commercial/public spaces. This applies to all places of public accommodation and commercial facilities, including office buildings, industrial facilities, stores and shops, restaurants and bars, sales or rental establishments, service establishments, theaters, places of lodging, recreation facilities, assembly areas, private museums, and places of education.

For residential properties, the Fair Housing Act mandates that all buildings with four or more units meet ADA accessibility requirements.

Consequently, accessible interior glass doors must provide at least 32 inches of clear width, measured between the face of the door itself and the opposite stop. The door hardware must not require more than 5 pounds of force to operate and must be operable with one hand and no tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist. Thresholds cannot be higher than a ½ inch at accessible doors, including sliding doors.

While LEED certification is not a requirement like ADA, sustainable products and designs are frequently prioritized in office and multiunit spaces.

“Consumers, specifically generation Z, want to know what they are purchasing has the best practices in place to support our planet, and they are willing to pay a premium,” James says.

In selected products and systems for these sustainable designs, Bennett stresses that these elements be carefully planned to ensure their marketability, sustainability, and long-term value.

Depending upon the interior glass walls and doors specified, these systems can contribute to LEED points in the following ways:

• Better waste management: Unlike conventional doors and walls, the framing methods and advanced materials in many glass systems support installation with no on-site debris.
• Indoor environmental quality: For designs that leave space between the top of the glass door and the ceiling, natural and ventilated air flow freely between the spaces, thus improving indoor air quality. Glass panes and aluminum frames replace wood and other moisture-absorbing materials, eliminating any concern for mold. Furthermore, finished glass systems do not need to be painted, further eliminating hazardous chemicals.
• Thermal comfort: Glass partitions allow heated or cooled air to flow through the space, keeping the rooms warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
• Enhanced lighting: Daylight passes through the glass walls and doors, enabling occupants to better benefit from well-being, satisfaction, and productivity associated with daylight.

Artificial lighting needs are decreased, thereby saving energy costs and delivering more natural spaces.

In all, glass walls and doors from certain manufacturers can contribute up to 14 LEED points.

Single-Source Suppliers

When architects and interior designers decide to include glass partition systems in their designs, the market offers quite a number of product options. That said, a strong case can be made for choosing a single-source, turnkey supplier to deliver the full system.

For example, some manufacturers measure, build, and install the full system, thereby taking the burden off the architect/designer, contractor, and client, relates Leventhal. Less can go wrong, and there is one place to go if something needs to be adjusted or fixed.

“Working with one supplier minimizes the risk,” agrees James. “They oversee verifying all dimensions, checking for allowances in floor levels, and coordinating installation with the contractor, who is equally as important in understanding the process.”

Bennett adds that single-source suppliers ensure accountability for quality and functionality, leverage their knowledge of the full system to ensure that complex systems work together, and streamline commissioning and user training.

“Single-source vendors truly know their product backward and forward, and there is a level of clarity when dealing with them,” says Kelly Capp, a senior designer with The Switzer Group. “Providing the general contractor with a design element that does not require reconfiguration or additional detailing minimizes the possibility of errors.”

In minimizing the number of sources, this is also a great way to ensure compatibility of parts and interoperability, cut down on lead times, and increase the installation efficiency.

“Good specifiers can offer frames, glass, and hardware, allowing design teams to select the exact profiles they want, and ensuring the system is visually integrated with a project’s overall design concept,” explains Rodriguez. “The convenience factor is significant and highly valuable.”

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the flexibility to manipulate and change spaces within the workplace is a great benefit to companies and employees. Filling this need, glass walls, demountable partitions, and prefabricated meeting rooms and conference spaces can be integrated into an office plan in cost-effective ways that create open, light-filled spaces.

“Reconfigurable glass walls are a great option for clients who are leasing their space in terms of flexibility, growth, and relocation,” Capp says. The same applies to space-saving barn doors, pocket doors, bifold solutions, and stacking sliders.

Offering some final food for thought, MacEwen challenges companies and designers to reevaluate how the boundaries within the floor plate are defined. Is a conference room simply a place to meet clients, or are there ways to enable it to give back to the surrounding space?

“I think the modern office needs to demand more than a single programmatic function. How can or does the idea of a conference room transcend its function and participate in the needs of the office, even if those needs are just daylight and views?” he concludes.

Work Modalities

To help companies determine what types of spaces will optimally support its employees, DLR Group has developed six Work Modalities: Hard Focus, Soft Focus, Collaborate, Socialize, Learn, and Rejuvenate. Based on extensive research, the architects are using these modalities to help design a mix of appropriate workspaces for their clients.

“Designers have the opportunity to create healthy work environments where people can do their best work—through choice-based workplaces that are backed by research and tailored to the culture and people these spaces support,” writes Michael Vander Ploeg, a senior associate with DLR Group, in Work Design Magazine.

For example, creating reports or white papers falls under Hard Focus and required spaces that are visually simple and acoustically private with soft but clear lighting.

He concludes, “These design choices limit the decisions people must make to work in that setting, eliminating distractions and allowing them to direct their attention to the detailed tasks.”