Guide to glass partitions for co-working spaces

The way that people work has changed drastically over the past several decades, with so-called ‘cubicle farms’ making way for open-plan layouts that prioritise fitting as many workers as possible into the same space to encourage collaboration. However, the lack of personal space and excessive noise levels have since become a problem for the modern worker, especially after the ‘work from home’ remote working boom of the early 2020s.

While it’s possible to make open-plan offices work for employees, people need more options from their workspace to fulfil different needs and optimise their productivity. ‘Agile working’ is fast becoming the norm for many, with workers needing a balance of collaborative zones, private meeting areas, and more secluded individual spaces to boost concentration, with the flexibility to move between them and work remotely as necessary.

The global rise of co-working facilities

Co-working spaces are now an increasingly popular solution for many around the world who need access to a mix of fully furnished and functional working areas. Be it collaborative benches, soft-seating ‘breakout’ spaces for idea sessions, singular pods for peace and quiet, or appropriately-sized meeting rooms for private conversations – co-working spaces typically provide a mix of facilities that shake up the 9-to-5 format in a way that coffee shops and libraries never could.

Major cities all over the globe are home to co-working hubs that allow self-employed individuals and freelancers, remote workers or ‘digital nomads’, and teams from small businesses or start-ups to rent the working spaces they need, as and when they need them. Often coming with access to amenities such as cafés or coffee bars, co-working spaces seem to offer everything that workers without a formal office space of their own could ever want.

Everywhere from former office buildings to factories, warehouses, and distilleries, or even post offices, churches, and banks, are being refurbished and repurposed for the new wave of modern workers. Providing a place to work securely online and socialise by choice, the co-working space is a growing niche – but does it address all the problems of regular offices?

The pros and cons of co-working spaces

There’s no doubt that co-working facilities have a lot to offer, and can cater to solo workers and small companies in many ways that traditional offices can’t – but just like any popular solution, they come with some downsides as well as benefits.

Advantages

➕ One of the main advantages of co-working spaces is their flexibility, giving individuals and small teams access to exactly what they need within their budget. It’s much easier to scale up or down with changing business requirements than managing traditional office leases and set-up costs. Why worry about all of that when the resources can be provided for you?

➕ Another bonus is that freelance workers and young entrepreneurs don’t just have a working space, but also a networking space – allowing them to socialise with other like-minded people and facilitating potential business opportunities. This is also a bonus for remote workers who may not enjoy the isolation of working from home all the time.

➕ While being around others in a modern working environment can be a big morale boost, it’s also important to be able to work alone when you need to – which multi-purpose co-working spaces offer through small ‘pods’ or ‘phone booths’.

Disadvantages

➖ On the other hand, the biggest disadvantage is that primarily shared spaces pose the risk of compromising sensitive information. To prevent this from happening, co-working spaces must provide secure internet connections and private meeting areas or spaces to take phone calls with some level of sound insulation.

➖ Additionally, while being able to pre-book a spot can help to eliminate the stress of hot-desking, open-plan seating can still result in too much noise and too many distractions – which is also why co-working spaces must plan effective layouts and provide quiet zones or one-person ‘pods’ to allow individuals to work productively.

➖ Unfortunately, there may be the possibility of rivalry between competitors in communal workspaces, and those without their own office may feel they lack a cohesive or recognisable business identity. Co-working spaces with individual office rooms that are available for longer-term hire can combat this issue by allowing clients to personalise their space.

Glass partitions: the modern solution to co-working problems

If a co-working space faces a lot of the same problems as an open-plan office – needing to utilise space and meet various needs efficiently – then how can they provide different areas for different purposes?

The easiest way to provide balanced spaces that can meet a range of privacy requirements is simply to use glass partitions.

Glass walls and partition systems are exactly what interior designers need to strategically create a mix of collaborative, agile, and quieter spaces that allow users to work flexibly according to their needs at the time. Glass is the best material for this because it provides less visual disruption and doesn’t block light, improving the flow and ambiance of the workspace in a way that maintains connectivity and uplifts the overall mood.

While they may be physical barriers, glass partitions are aesthetically pleasing and sleek enough that these dividers won’t make the space feel too small or cluttered, thanks to their transparency – but that’s not to say they compromise privacy!

Frosted glass and manifestations

Not all glass partitions have to be completely clear – they can be made from tinted glass or frosted glass, or use strategic frosted sections to increase the privacy of a meeting room or individual workstation, for example.

This still allows light to diffuse through all spaces, so they don’t feel dark and isolated just because they’re more private.

Another option is to use manifestations – opaque patterns or graphics that double as both a safety feature to make clear glass more visible, and a privacy feature to prevent the partition from being a window and creating a ‘fish-bowl’ effect.

Glass manifestations can also be used for company branding, helping long-term users to establish an identity for themselves.

Insulated glass for noise reduction

Sound pollution is one of the biggest detractors of productive working in most environments, but there are various types of insulated glass that can help. Using acoustic glass is an ideal way to reduce or even eliminate this problem.

Some people prefer a more bustling atmosphere to inspire them to work, but others would rather keep the noise to a comfortable level that also keeps their conversations private – and the right type of glass can provide sound insulation.

The level of insulation depends on the glass thickness and type, but here at Glass Interiors, we provide single-glazed versions that can contain noise up to 44dB and double-glazed versions that can insulate sounds up to 55dB.

Versatile designs and layouts

Available in a range of sizes and styles, bespoke glass partitions offer the level of flexibility that a co-working space needs.

Depending on the framing system you choose – whether it’s framed or frameless partitions, or industrial-style framed glass, for example – you can customise the look and finish in addition to the configuration to meet specific requirements.

Many glass partition systems are easily demountable, too. This means you can reconfigure the different spaces with nowhere near the expense or amount of hassle that constructing and demolishing solid walls would require.

Even better, when partitions are used to form enclosed rooms, they can include lockable pivoting or sliding glass doors.

Design the perfect co-working space with glass partitions

The integration of glass panels to seamlessly section spaces into different areas of varying sizes and privacy levels is a cost-effective way to create a cohesive and adaptable co-working hub.

Achieving an excellent balance between aesthetic appeal and acoustic comfortability, glass partitions can deliver what many workers of the current era want from an inviting work environment.

The ‘agile working’ generation want freedom as well as efficiency, and a co-working space with glass partitions offers both.

The contemporary world of flexible working is no longer on the horizon – it’s already here, and here to stay, so it’s time for both office designers and co-working hub owners to take note and create workspaces that help workers to flourish.

Both practical and versatile, with a range of customisable choices available, why not speak to Glass Interiors today about creating the perfect modern co-working space with glass partitions?

To discuss your specifications and learn more about what our team can do for you, call us on 0203 793 5455. Otherwise, you can fill in our online form or email us directly at info@glass-interiors.co.uk and we will be back in touch soon.