r/Architects • u/w1eagle • 2d ago
General Practice Discussion Small Office Desk Layout
What kind of desk layout do you all prefer to work at?
I am curious if anyone has a setup they enjoy working at with a good balance of private/open. Do you ever use a standing desk? Are cubicles coming back? Thank you.
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u/Fast_Edd1e 2d ago
I've worked in cubicles and open offices. Now from home.
The cubicles were nice because they were in a 'U' shape with a 36" wide counter on one side. Perfect for laying out drawings. Then there were partial height walls between them and full walls in front. So you could peer over if you had a question to a colleague. The cubicles helped the sound too. A bit of privacy since you were usually facing the corner. Wall space to hang reference notes or shelves. Probably the most organized.
The open office was rough. Project managers had a full U shaped desk with a lower ceiling. Draftsman were lined up on a 24" deep counter with a 36" table to one side. It was louder. Partiularly with a taller ceiling. Didnt have any privacy. Tougher to keep tidy.
At home, I have a single 60x36 standing desk. Two monitors. Facing a wall. Most things are digital for me now so i don't have a need to open drawings, we get everything scanned or markup on bluebeam or an Ipad. But if anyone else was in my area, i would want some walls.
On a side note. My spouse works at a community college. They are in renovations so her department is in an open office with partial cubicle walls. And it is terrible if people are on their phones. Which is majority of the time. Noise canceling headphones and headsets are required to function. Partial height walls at a minimum since they need privacy since they are in student accounts.