From Ron Dippold, San Diego, California, US
You reported on preferences for open-plan spaces in your look at the psychology of design, often based on virtual reality experiments (16 April, p 44). Yes, most people would rather work in a brightly lit open space, but only up to a point. In reality, real-world studies show that when it comes to offices, working in an open-plan space with more than half a dozen other people is a miserable experience.
You are interrupted by noise. Constant movement in your peripheral vision is exhausting. You are often hot-desking. Sales people bellow all day. Everyone else gets noise-cancelling headsets and pretends nothing around them exists, so communication and satisfaction decrease.
So hurrah for the dingy closet workspace! I went from an open-plan office to a bedroom for the pandemic. Many workplace experts seemed to think it would plunge me into depression. Instead, it was a huge productivity and morale boost. I could open a window for fresh air and focus on getting work done.
