Devon office refurbishment contractors MD Business Interiors share their thoughts on office partitions & how to choose the most suitable for your project.

So you’re planning a new office fit-out in Devon or Exeter and there’s a lot to think about – from picking the right paint colours, carpets and blinds, to making sure that you choose the most comfortable and appropriate workstations, your mind is suddenly full of critical decisions.

Double glazed office partition with integral blinds.

Full height single glazed partitions

One very important element of office fit-outs that may risk being forgotten in all this is office partitions. Not only do they contribute to the professional appearance of your office, but they play an important role in making it a functional and productive working environment.

Office partitions are an essential element of office fitouts for various reasons. Most usually they are placed in between cubicles in an office building to provide privacy and space sectioning in an open-plan setting. In this way, partitions are an effective way to provide different workers with their own secluded space. Once the design of your office is set you will need to begin to consider which selection of style and finish of office partitions will work best for you and your company to ensure your finished office fitout is exactly the way you want it.

There is a huge range of partition options for office fitouts, including plasterboard and glass partitions, full or half height partitions and unique one-off designs that can be created according to your individual requirements. See here for some case studies. In fact, the selection of office partitions to choose from is so huge that it’s a good idea to narrow down your scope of selection by first noting down what colours, materials, styles, widths and heights will be most suitable for your particular needs.

Height is one of the most crucial considerations. Although colour is highly customisable, there are just three main heights available in partitions for office fitouts and not every choice in height is going to be suitable for you. One of the most popular styles of office partitions are half height, often used to construct cubicles in open plan offices. If the demands of your office necessitate a quiet environment, you may wish to consider a full height partition, which reaches from floor to ceiling, and is more like a temporary wall than a screen. The third type of partition commonly used in office fitouts is the ‘accordion’ style, which have the appearance of full height partitions, except they concertina open, allowing stylish and easy access between separated spaces.

Effective space planning.

The materials used to construct office partitions ranges from glass to plasterboard, light wood and cloth covered foam. Again, your choice of material is likely to be a very individual decision based on the lay-out of your office, your style of décor and the available space. For example, if you wish to optimise the transmission of natural light, glass partitions will be a great choice, but, if you plan to regularly rearrange your office furniture, a more durable and hardwearing material will be a better option. Apart from height and material, you should also consider the possibility of future expansions when choosing office partitions. If your company is likely to expand, mobile partitions or wheeled partitions that are light, easier to move and re-position when the need arises, may be your best choice.

Finally, when it comes to deciding what is most practical and suitable in office partitions for your office fitouts, it may be worth consulting an expert office designer who will consult with you at every step of the way to designing your office fitouts and partitions according to your needs and budget.

For more information email here or call our Exeter office on 01392 834980.