Thirty years later, Wright went on to design the Johnson Wax Administration Building in Racine, WI, for the floor and furniture wax giant. Larkin Administration Building – Collaboration, but No Privacy 1933 – The Great Workroom, Johnson Wax Administration Building Plenty of space for collaboration, but essentially no privacy. Wright himself designed the first “system” office furniture for the building - long tables acting as desks for three people on each side, with built-in cabinets and chairs. Many consider the Larkin the first modern office building. A central open space on the first floor of a five-story light well in the center of the building housed clerical workers processing mail orders for soap and groceries. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1903, the Larkin Administrative Building for the Larkin Soap Company was the architect’s first independent, large-scale commercial building project. The open office floor plan made a grand entrance in Buffalo, NY. Now, well into the 21st century, the history of the open office provides us with insight for creating a more successful and balanced open office approach in today’s business environment. Most tried to solve the persistent problem of how to balance the need for quiet and privacy with collaboration and communication. Since that time, architects and interior designers have tackled the productivity challenge with varied approaches to an open office design. This approach to office work advocated open floor plans rather than the small, separated rooms commonly in use at the time. Scientific management for workplace efficiency was in full swing beginning in the 1920s, with every action, job, or task compartmentalized into simple segments, which could be easily analyzed and taught. The open office plan was both the fuel and the vehicle for change. It all started with the expansion of industrialism in the early 20th century, when many companies in both the manufacturing and white collar service sectors began to focus on speeding up productivity at work. In fact, it’s been around for over a century.

But the open office design isn’t a new concept at all. With the rise in the popularity of trendy open offices, you may feel like you’re on the bleeding edge of the latest architectural style that will disappear as soon as another idea comes along.

Open the office