Open Plan Office Design and Construction in Edmonton

The Evolution of Open Plan Office Design in Edmonton

Open plan office design has undergone a significant evolution in Edmonton's commercial real estate market over the past two decades. The early 2000s saw a wave of open plan conversions driven primarily by cost — removing private offices and replacing them with workstation clusters reduced the square footage required per employee and lowered real estate costs. However, the acoustic and privacy problems created by these early open plan environments generated significant employee dissatisfaction and productivity concerns, prompting a more nuanced approach to open plan design.

Contemporary open plan office design in Edmonton is informed by a much richer understanding of how people work. Research from organizations including the Leesman Index and the Center for the Built Environment at UC Berkeley has established that effective open plan offices are not simply large rooms full of desks — they are carefully designed environments that provide a range of settings for different work modes, from focused individual work to collaborative team activities. This "activity-based working" (ABW) model has become the dominant framework for open plan office design in Edmonton's professional services, technology, and financial sectors.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have added additional complexity to open plan office design in Edmonton. The shift to hybrid working models — where employees split their time between home and office — has changed the calculus of open plan design. Offices that previously needed to accommodate 100 percent of employees simultaneously now need to accommodate 50 to 70 percent, freeing up space for collaboration areas, focus rooms, and amenity spaces that support the social and collaborative functions that employees cannot replicate at home.

Zoning and Space Planning for Open Plan Environments

Effective open plan office design begins with a clear zoning strategy that allocates different areas of the floor plate to different work modes. A well-designed open plan office in Edmonton typically includes three primary zones: a collaboration zone near the entry and core areas, where team meetings, informal discussions, and social interaction are encouraged; a focus zone in the quieter areas of the floor plate, where individual concentrated work is supported; and a support zone containing enclosed rooms for phone calls, video conferences, and private conversations.

The proportion of space allocated to each zone depends on the nature of the tenant's work. A law firm in Edmonton's downtown core may allocate 60 percent of its floor plate to focus work settings, with only 20 percent for collaboration and 20 percent for support spaces. A technology company in the Glenora or Oliver neighbourhoods may reverse these proportions, prioritizing collaboration and social spaces over individual workstations. Understanding the work patterns of the specific tenant is essential before any space planning begins.

Circulation planning is a critical but often underappreciated aspect of open plan office design. The paths that employees take through the office — from entry to workstation, from workstation to meeting room, from meeting room to kitchen — shape the social dynamics of the workplace. Designers who route circulation paths past collaboration areas and social spaces create opportunities for spontaneous interaction that can drive innovation and team cohesion. Designers who route circulation paths through focus zones create noise and distraction that undermines productivity.

Acoustic Design: The Critical Challenge of Open Plan Offices

Acoustic performance is the most technically challenging aspect of open plan office design and construction in Edmonton. The fundamental acoustic problem of open plan offices is speech intelligibility — the ability to understand conversations happening nearby. Research consistently shows that overheard speech is the primary source of distraction in open plan environments, and that the intelligibility of that speech (not just its volume) is what makes it disruptive.

The acoustic design of an Edmonton open plan office addresses three mechanisms: sound absorption (reducing the reverberation of sound within the space), sound blocking (preventing sound from traveling between areas), and sound masking (introducing a background noise level that reduces the intelligibility of distant conversations). All three mechanisms must be addressed in a well-designed open plan office — relying on any single mechanism alone will not achieve acceptable acoustic performance.

Sound absorption in Edmonton open plan offices is primarily achieved through the ceiling system, supplemented by soft furnishings, wall panels, and floor coverings. High-NRC ceiling tiles (NRC 0.80 or higher) are essential in open plan environments, and many Edmonton projects supplement the ceiling with pendant acoustic panels or baffles that provide additional absorption in the occupied zone. Carpet or carpet tile is the most effective floor covering for sound absorption and is widely used in Edmonton open plan offices despite the maintenance challenges it presents.

Sound masking systems — electronic systems that introduce a carefully calibrated background noise level into the space — are increasingly standard in Edmonton open plan office construction. A well-designed sound masking system raises the ambient noise floor to approximately 45 dB(A), which is sufficient to mask most conversational speech at distances greater than 15 feet. The masking signal is distributed through small speakers installed in the ceiling plenum, above the ceiling tiles, and the level and spectrum of the signal are carefully tuned to the specific acoustic conditions of the space.

Construction Considerations for Open Plan Offices

The construction of an open plan office in Edmonton presents specific challenges that differ from traditional private-office layouts. The absence of full-height partitions means that the ceiling, floor, and perimeter walls must carry more of the acoustic, thermal, and visual load that partitions would otherwise provide. This places greater demands on the quality and performance of these envelope elements.

Structural considerations are important in open plan office construction, particularly in Edmonton's older office buildings where the structural grid may not align with the desired open plan layout. Removing partitions that were originally designed to carry load — or that provide lateral bracing to the structure — requires structural engineering review and may require the installation of new structural elements to compensate. This is a common issue in Edmonton's 1980s and 1990s office stock, where many buildings were originally designed with a mix of open and closed office areas.

Mechanical system design for open plan offices must account for the different thermal loads and ventilation requirements of open areas versus enclosed rooms. In a traditional private-office layout, each office has its own HVAC zone that can be controlled independently. In an open plan layout, the HVAC system must be designed to provide comfortable conditions across a large, undivided floor plate — a more challenging engineering problem that requires careful attention to air distribution, diffuser placement, and control strategy.

Biophilic Design Elements in Edmonton Open Plan Offices

Biophilic design — the integration of natural elements and patterns into the built environment — has become an important component of open plan office design in Edmonton. Research supports the connection between biophilic design elements and improved employee wellbeing, reduced stress, and enhanced cognitive performance. In the context of Edmonton's long winters and limited natural light, biophilic design takes on particular importance as a strategy for maintaining employee wellbeing and engagement.

The most effective biophilic design elements in Edmonton open plan offices include maximizing access to natural light (which requires careful attention to workstation placement relative to windows), incorporating living plant walls or distributed planting, using natural materials (wood, stone, natural textiles) in visible surfaces, and introducing views of nature through artwork, photography, or actual windows. The construction implications of these elements vary — living plant walls require irrigation and drainage systems, natural stone requires structural support, and maximizing natural light may require modifications to the building's glazing system.

Edmonton's open plan office market continues to evolve rapidly, driven by changing work patterns, new research on workplace effectiveness, and the competitive pressure to attract and retain talent. Businesses planning open plan office projects in Edmonton benefit from working with contractors who understand both the technical construction requirements and the design principles that make open plan environments effective. GoldStar Builders Corporation has delivered numerous open plan office projects across Edmonton, combining construction expertise with a deep understanding of workplace design principles. Visit goldstarbuilders.ca to learn more.