Whether organizations are pursuing a full-time return or hybrid models, the objectives of the office environment and the designs that support those objectives are being fundamentally transformed.
 
The basic principles of office design have changed since the pandemic. Issues impacting employee well-being – physical, social, and emotional – are central considerations. There are also critical environmental goals that must be accounted for – energy-saving strategies, sound management, privacy, and, of course, aesthetics.
 
Architects and interior designers, as always, have been on the cutting edge of these changes. They’ve developed new strategies for helping their corporate clients create office settings that both achieve business goals and support their staff.
 

For the team here at CRL, we also recognized early on that new objectives for office space necessitate new product approaches. To meet these evolving needs, we have developed new lines of interior glass partitions for next-generation workspaces. We’ve also created these new products with the glazier in mind because, ultimately, the glazing community will execute the vision of architects and designers.

Here are a few of the key objectives driving the use of glass partitions in contemporary office settings. 

Daylighting
Design strategies that deliver energy savings are essential for today’s office designs. Glass partitions play an important role in achieving energy-usage goals by replacing opaque partition systems with transparent glass walls. By minimizing obstructions, glass partitions are excellent at allowing natural daylight from exterior-facing windows to diffuse through the interior spaces of an office.
 

Reduced reliance on electrical sources for producing interior light lowers energy costs and decreases a building’s carbon footprint. The positive psychological impacts of more natural light are also a significant benefit to the overall wellbeing of staff.
 
Here at CRL, we offer a number of glass partition options delivering daylight diffusion capabilities. They include:

Fallbrook
The Fallbrook Series of glass partition systems delivers a premium aesthetic with a low-profile design. Available in both framed and semi-framed formats, Fallbrook Series glass partitions seamlessly divide spaces while maintaining transparency and daylighting. Fallbrook systems are designed with low-profile hardware, adding a contemporary, minimalist style to office designs. We even offer sound mitigation and attractive grid design options.  
 
695 Sliding Glass Door System
Advanced engineering makes the new 695 Sliding Door the smoothest, quietest system on the market today, requiring minimal force to move expansive glass panes. The industry-leading sliding action of the 695 is made possible through our creation of an advanced soft-brake mechanism that reduces the two-bodied double soft-brake system found in typical sliding glass doors to one component. The re-engineered soft-brake is also scaled down to a compact 16-15/16” length for more robust performance and increased durability.  
 
Privacy
During the remote work scenarios necessitated by the pandemic, employees developed a deep appreciation for the benefits of quiet, private areas to complete tasks, such as conducting calls, having virtual meetings, even having a space for quiet reflection and planning. Because of these at-home experiences, access to private spaces is no longer a perk but a workplace requirement.
 
Glass partitions are the perfect solution for creating privacy areas. With partitions, architects and designers are able to create office designs providing private work and meeting spaces for individuals or groups, while maintaining a vibrant, open-office aesthetic.
 
An important component of privacy is the reduction of sound transmission throughout the office space. The industry’s Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating system is essential for comparing and contrasting the sound transmission qualities of various interior partition systems. There is a common misconception that a very high STC rating of 40+ for a partition system is needed for effective sound privacy but that is not the case. In most applications, an STC rating of 37-40 is adequate to achieve the desired sound mitigation for speech.
 
When it comes to improved sound mitigation, framed glass partition systems with dual glass lites, like our Fallbrook line, are the most effective. There are also systems, like the Fallbrook XL partitions, that feature 1” insulating glass, which acts as a buffer for incoming and outgoing speech.
 
Aesthetics
Balancing aesthetic objectives with workplace requirements remains essential. The visual impact of office designs remains a critical component when creating engaging and collaborative spaces, especially within an environment where employees have heightened expectations about how an office space should function.
 
The trend toward glass partitions that create open environments is increasing dramatically. The many benefits of glass partitions include the promotion of the physical, social, and emotional well-being of staff, as well as reducing the building’s carbon footprint via decreased energy use. Superior aesthetics bind all of these benefits together, resulting in interior spaces workers will enjoy and be productive in.
 
Framed, frameless, and freestanding-post partition systems can all have distinct visual impacts in office settings that make a space truly unique. For example, there are systems available that feature a contemporary floating-on-air door frame such as our Fallbrook Office Partition system.
 
Conclusion
Contemporary designs that meet the evolving needs of today’s office employees are leveraging the beauty and versatility of glass partitions.
 
With the thoughtful and careful efforts of architects, designers, and the glazing community, advanced products and fresh approaches are ushering in a new era of office designs that address key environmental and personnel objectives of our ever-changing workplaces.