Could Office Cubicles be Going Away?
New trend in office layouts may be coming to your place of business.
The ubiquitous beige cubicle in the DC Metro area may be joining the two-martini martini lunch in extinction, if office-furniture makers have their way, according to a recent Baltimore Business Journal article. The article was based on a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) piece that examines the history of office landscapes, from double-sided desks in the 1890s to the “flying chair” of the 1930s and the cubicle craze of the 1970s. Herman Miller Inc., which the article cites as one of the companies that brought the high-walled cubicle layout to offices across the country, is a major player in the office-furniture industry that saw a 26 percent decline in revenue in 2009. Now, Herman Miller is steering companies in the opposite direction, pushing …
