separated to one side in enclosed

windowed offices.)
INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL DESIGN - The bullpen was popular until the 1960’s.
What is Commercial Design? Typically, there were a few high level
executives that oversaw a large number of
- The design of any facility that serves a clerical type workers.
business purpose.
- Once referred to Contract Design
- Portrays a aesthetic image of the
company’s mission
- Enhances productivity thru understanding
office communication, adjacencies and
furniture needs
- Protects health, safety and welfare of the
public
HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL DESIGN
Business has been conducted for thousands of
years, evident in rooms found in the Pharaoh's Development of Corporate Office
palaces, cathedrals of the Middle Ages. - Following WWII, there was a large influx of
people seeking the American Dream.
Industrial Revolution was a major factor in the - More and more people were in college
development of offices outside the home. Moved education.
from agricultural economy to an industrial economy. - All of a sudden, office space became a
Office spaces during this period used a closed valuable commodity and the number of
concept. rental spaces dramatically increased to
keep up with the paces, and the corporate
The late 19th and early 20th century saw a growth
office was born.
in office design with a specialization in commercial
- By the 1960’s, the workforce was growing
interior design (Elsie de Wolfe and Dorothy Draper)
by 850,000 annually, and the bullpen style
Larkin Administration Building became out of fashion.

The Quickbourner Team

- Germany, 1959. Two brothers developed
the concept of open office layout and
brought the idea to the US in 1967.
- They believed that many offices hindered
work productivity. Their designs promoted
good communication and flow.
- Referred to as office landscaping.
- 1906, Frank Lloyd Wright - Their plans were based upon a systems
- Buffalo, NY analysis of workflow and communication.
- Mail order supplier - The layout was very free and
- 1st Open office non-rectilinear.

Bull Pens
- Before WWII, most furniture consisted of
freestanding desks, files and bookcases
- The typical layout was called a “bull-pen”
setup (the placement of desks on a grid with
aisles in between with the executives
Open Office Landscaping
OPEN PLAN
- Open plan is the generic term used in
architectural and interior design for any floor
plan which makes use of large, open
spaces and minimizes the use of small,
enclosed rooms such as private offices.
The Quickbourner Team
- People in frequent contact with each other
were placed close together.
- Many acoustical problems were attempted
to be corrected by the use of carpet, plants
and acoustical ceiling tiles
- This new approach of “landscape” planning
had a tremendous impact on the way offices
were to be designed. They were flexible,
efficient, open and informal.
- Americans, however, were slow to accept
the idea because they didn’t want to give up
their hardwall office, which were status
symbols to the executives.
Robert Propst
- Hired by Herman Miller, Inc. in 1960
- A researcher and inventor
- Developed Action Office I for Herman Miller
and introduced it in 1964.
- A panel based system using a vertical
approach
- Despite what the modern office has
become, his goal was to get away from
boxes and corridors.
- The use of the panels violated the
Quickborner concept but was widely
accepted as open office landscaping.
The “Big Four”
- Haworth, Steelcase, Herman Miller and
Knoll
- In 1974, Haworth, Inc. created the first
electrified panel system in it’s Unigroup line.
- Steelcase : Series 9000
- Herman Miller: Action Office
Herman Miller Action Office
Haworth Unigroup Too Knoll - Equity

TYPES OF OFFICES
- Commercial Interior Designers are hired by
a variety of different businesses. Your role
as a designer is to learn all you can about
the company you are designing for.
- Types of Offices:
● Accounting
● Real Estate
● Law Firms
● Design Firms
● Banks
● Ad. Agencies
● Gov’t (GSA)
Steelcase 9000
● Hospitals
● Education
● Doctor/ Dental Engineering
● Retail

Overview of of Office Operations

The Executives:
- CEO: Chief Executive Officer, the highest
ranking individual. In smaller companies
this may be the president or the principle.
- CFO: Chief Financial Officer, senior
executive responsible for overseeing the
financial risks of the company.
- COO: Chief Operating Officer, senior
executive responsible for the day to day
activities of the company.
- CIO: Chief Information Officer, senior
executive responsible for overseeing a
companies information technology.
- CLO: Chief Legal Officer, senior executive
responsible for overseeing the legal aspects
of the company.
Vice Presidents
- The second highest layer of management.
- They report directly to the CEO and are
responsible for specific departments or
division of the business
● VP of Marketing
● VP of Research
● VP of Economic Development
● VP of Engineering
Managers and Supervisors
- Managers report to the VP over their
division
● Payroll Manager
● Sales Manager
● Facility Manager
- Supervisors oversee and provide instruction
to subordinates and administer discipline
/penalties to workers. Supervisors report to
the managers.
- Supervisors make up the largest number of
mid-management positions in a business.
Organizational Charts
- The larger the company, the more complex
the organizational structure.
- Organizational Charts are helpful in
understanding the organization in terms of
rank. They help visualize the formal
reporting structure of the business.
- Organizational charts do not show
day-to-day work relationships. As a
designer, you will find this information thru
programming methods.
The designers role is to:
- Understand what each department does
- Understand how the departments relate to
each other
- Understand what individuals do in each
department
- Understand the relationships of individuals
to each other by department.
Divisions / Departments
- Executive Division: Presidents, VP’s
- Corporate/Legal Division: may consist of
many departments such as Legal,
Communications, Tax Dept., Real Estate,
Insurance, Purchasing and Public Relations.
- Finance Division: Accounts Payable,
Accounts Receivable
- Operations Division: responsible for the
production of goods or services.
Engineering, Design Dept.
- Marketing Division: advertising and sales
- Administration Division: support services,
receptionists, mail rooms, file/supply rooms,
training rooms
TYPICAL OFFICE SPACES
Executive Suite
Staff offices
General offices
Reception
Support areas
The Executive Division
- The Executive Division consists of all the
senior executives.
- Sometimes called Vice Presidents (VP’s)
- CEO, CFO, CEO, CIO, CLO.
- This division determines the overall policies
and implements the policies of the board of
directors.
- The Executive Suite often sets the tone of
the business. The location is desirable and
the material and furniture specified portray
the image of the company. It should
impress their customers.
- Typically private offices with a separate
reception area, executive conference room,
private entrance. Desk chairs are typically
 high back executive chairs, leather with
headrest. All offices in the executive suite
coordinate from the same series. Usually
have a conference area, soft seating area
and work area.
Staff Conference Rooms
- Used for weekly / daily meeting
- Should be flexible, use modular tables
- Provide multiple lighting options
- Shapes: Boat, racetrack, rectangle
- Provide modesty panel for training setups
- Durable surfaces
- Fixed ht. chairs or mechanical ht. mid-back
chairs

Staff Break Room

- Create a fun space for employees to escape
from work.
- Should be durable, easy to maintain
- Keep expenses down
Executive Boardroom: - Break areas may exist on each floor of a
● Convenient for guest access multi-floor building
● Must impress clients
● Might be adjacent to kitchen Image
● Might have access from CEO office - Your design should reflect the firm’s attitude
● Promote teleconferencing toward several things:
● Flat screen, LCD projector ● Corporate Image
● Needs credenza for serving food and ● Budget
beverages ● Goals and plans for the future
● Attitude toward employees,
Reception Area customers and vendors
- First Impression ● Cultural and global perspective
- A lot of money is spent in this area
- Will have a waiting area nearby Traditional
- Executive suite should be nearby and - Law Firms
visitors should not have to walk thru - Banks
cluttered office areas - University
- Needs accent lights - Churches
What is traditional?
General Office/ Staff Offices - Mahogany, molding, stripes, leather,
- Often utilizes the open office concept burgundy, green and navy blue
- Customer may never actually see this area
- Considered the Production area Transitional
- Less money is spent in this area - An all around “safe” option, neither too
- Managers / supervisors may have cubicles traditional nor too contemporary
or dry wall offices - Less molding, cleaner lines with simple
edge details.
Support / Ancillary Spaces
- Supply storage Contemporary
- Mail Rooms - Mixture of wood, metal and glass
- Central Files - Ideal for :
- Resource Library ● Advertising Agencies
- Break room ● Technology oriented
- Staff Conference
Status and Rank
- Status and Rank is established by :
● Size of the office
- Space standards
- Set by job functions
- Must respect space
standards
- Small firms may not have
standards
● Location of Office
- Corner windows
- Views
● Quality and Quantity of FF&E
- Wood vs. laminate
- Extra files/ bookcases/
credenza/ hutch
Office Furniture Terminology
- Desks (conventional furniture)
- Executive
- Typically 36 x 72 or larger
- Single pedestal or Double
Pedestal
- Bridge
- Table desk
- Executive “U” or “L”
- Secretarial
- 30 x 60 or 30 x 66
- Secretarial “U” or “L”
- Credenza
- Kneespace
- Typically 24” deep and
matches main desk (72”
long)
- Positioned behind the desk
- Min. of 42” between desk
and credenza, 48” is better
- Storage Credenza
- Does not offer space for a
computer
- Files and Storage
- Vertical File
- Old style file, typically 15”
wide (letter) or 18” wide
(Legal)
- Usually 28 – 30” deep, max.
of 5 drawers
- Front-to-back filing method
- Lateral File
- New style, 30”, 36” or 42”
wide
- Usually 18” deep, max. of 5
drawers
- Needs a counterweight
- Must specify filing method:
front-to-back or side-to-side,
letter,legal, handing or
compressor.
- Open Files
- Uses an end tab file folder
- Medical offices
- Need magnetic shelf divider
to support files
- Can be taller than 5 shelves
high
- Mobile Files
- Installed on a track
- Verify dead loads
- Considered a high-density
filling method
- Seating
- Desk Chair – Generic
- Task Chair – Ergonomic
- Executive Chair – High-back
- Management Chair – Mid-back
- Conference Chair
- Side or Guest Chair
- Sled base, stacking, high
density
- Soft Seating : Lounge
furniture
* When specifying chairs with casters, you
MUST consider the flooring:
Hard floor = soft caster
Soft flooring = Hard casters
- Percentiles:

- Ergonomic Features
Alternative Office Concepts
- Height and width adjustable arms
- Adjustable seat depth
- Tension control
- Waterfall fronts
- Lumbar support
- Seat pitch (negative pitch is best)
- Seat height adjustment (18” – 23”)
- Pneumatic vs. mechanical
lifts
Trends in Office Design
Today’s offices should:
- Easily adapts to changing technology
- Offer Flexibility
- Utilize innovative space planning – smaller
office size for same function
- Accommodate a diverse workforce
Delayering
- Opposite of the”pyramid” chart
- More responsibility on the worker
- Makes them feel more a part of the
company
Teaming
- Used to develop products faster and to be
more competitive in the introduction of new
products
- Linear team: work is passed from one to
another, repetitive
- Parallel team: team members are from
different dept’s. Not the only project they
are working on. A design team is an
example.
- Circular team: brainstorming to do very
creative work. Members come and go
throughout the course of the project. The
team disbands when project is completed.
- How and where are people working?
- Team environments, more open
spaces, no panels
- Virtual office (out of a briefcase)
Concept: Anywhere, Anytime
- Home office (thanks to technology)
- Telecommuting: on the road
- No longer 8 – 5: flex-time is part of
the recruiting process
• Caves and Commons:
- cave = individual office and Commons
= team environment
• Unassigned Office:
- systems or enclosed office used by any
number of workers. Can be reserved
• Hoteling:
- unassigned work spaces that are
available to workers by reservation like
a hotel. First used by Ernst and Young
in Chicago. A concierge is assigned
the task of taking the reservation and
insuring that the space is equipped
properly
• Free Address
- Same as an unassigned work space,
usually available on a first come
first-served basis
• Hot Desk
- Same as a free address, literally
means still “hot” from the last user
• Landing sites
- Cannot be reserved, a free address
that one “lands” in when going into
the office
• Just in time
- Same as an unassigned work space,
usually an open, flexible work area
in which individuals or groups can
congregate. Moveable screens and
personal mobile files from a central
 storage area are common.

• Guesting
- May be assigned or unassigned
work space for a visitor or sales rep.

• Satellite office
- A work center established away from
the main office but convenient to
outside workers. Mostly for transient
workers