小空間辦公照樣可以施展大影響

If you feel as if your office walls are closing in, you may be right. Managers' and professionals' offices are shrinking -- down as much as 21% since the 1990s, according to one survey.

你是不是感覺辦公室四面的圍牆有些逼仄？你的感覺或許是對的。據一項調查顯示，經理人和專業人士的辦公室的確是在縮小──自上世紀90年代以來減小了21%之多。

Designers are finding new ways to make small offices seem larger -- and to make a powerful statement. With the right layout, furniture and accessories, it's possible to convey values such as creativity, authority or collaborative openness in even a tiny space.

設計師們正千方百計讓狹小的辦公空間能顯得更大些──並且能有強大的表現力。只要設計合理，傢俱和配飾佈局恰當，即使是在狹小的空間裏也有可能傳達出創造力、權威或是樂於合作的開放意識等價值觀念。

Jeff Berg doesn't have room for much more than a desk and shelves in the 10-by-10-foot office he occupies as a creative director at Olson, a Minneapolis advertising agency. If he meets with more than one co-worker, they sit on the floor. But he still manages to project -- and encourage -- creativity. For his lone guest chair, he chose an orange mid-century plastic rocker. 'It's very hard for people to be anxious in a rocking chair,' he says. A large, glittery disco ball hangs from the ceiling. The message: Working in advertising should be fun, he says. 'It's my way of saying, 'If you come in here, we're going to have a party.''

在明尼阿波利斯一家廣告公司Olson擔任創意總監的傑夫?伯格(Jeff Berg)只擁有一間10英尺（約合3米）見方的辦公室，裏面最多隻能擺放下一張辦公桌和幾個書架。如果他需要和兩個或更多的同事開會，大家就只能坐在地上。不過他還是得以在方寸之間展示出──並鼓勵──了創意。他那唯一一把供來訪者使用的座椅，是一把橙色的中世紀塑料搖椅。他說：“坐在搖椅裏，人們很難會感到焦慮。”天花板上懸着一隻巨大的迪廳閃光球燈。他說，這隻大球所傳達的信息是：從事廣告業應該很有趣。“我用這種方式告訴大家，‘到這兒來，我們就是來開派對的。’”

The private office may get more style scrutiny -- particularly from cubicle-bound colleagues -- as it becomes a rarer prize. Just 32% of employees have private offices, down from 36% in 1997, according to the 2010 survey of 424 office-space managers by the International Facility Management Association, Houston, a professional group. The shrinkage has come as employers cut costs and open up more space for meetings and collaboration. About 63% of middle managers still have private offices, averaging about 120 square feet.

私人辦公室的設計風格或許會受到更多的關注──特別是受到那些局在小格子裏辦公的同事們的關注──因爲這已成爲一種越來越難得的獎勵。根據休斯敦一家行業組織──國際設施管理協會(International Facility Management Association)在2010年對424位辦公空間管理者進行的調查，只有32%的員工擁有私人辦公室，這一比例低於1997年的36%。原因就在於，僱主們削減成本，而且爲了擴大會議場所以及促進員工合作，他們將更多空間改造成了開放空間。大約63%的中層管理者仍擁有私人辦公室，平均面積約爲120平方英尺（約合10.8平方米）。

Furniture choices speak louder when there's only room for two or three pieces. Stylish pieces that don't scream 'office' can elevate a look. For instance, a classic Eero Saarinen marble table might serve as a desk, placed in the center of the office to lend spaciousness, with a contemporary credenza in a light wood finish along the wall, suggests Asifa Tirmizi, a principal in the New York architecture and design firm Tirmizi Campbell. NonTraditional pieces that combine different furniture styles and eras work particularly well for a person who wants to be seen as a creative change agent, she notes.

當辦公室裏只放得下兩三件傢俱的時候，傢俱的選擇就顯得尤其重要了。那些不與“辦公室”掛鉤的時尚家居或許能夠提升外觀形象。比方說，紐約的建築與設計公司Tirmizi Campbell主管阿西菲?特密茲(Asifa Tirmizi）建議，一張經典的Eero Saarinen大理石桌子或許可以當作辦公桌，放在辦公室正中以彰顯寬敞的空間感，在 邊再配上一個淡色木質感的當代風格書櫃。她指出，非傳統的傢俱搭配不同風格、不同時代的傢俱款式，尤其適合那些想要顯示自己喜愛推動創新特質的人。

One small-office challenge is hosting colleagues. Down the hall from Mr. Berg at Olson, the worn couch in Dennis Ryan's 8-by-14-foot office invites casual collaboration. Mr. Ryan made room for the couch and two guest chairs by choosing a simple desk. The setup avoids 'creating artificial barriers between people,' says Mr. Ryan, chief creative officer at Olson. Three walls are writable floor-to-ceiling glass, covered with project sketches and goals for clients. Another wall displays jokes and photos to foster 'a sense of play,' he says.

小空間辦公室所要面臨的挑戰之一是如何接待同事。在Olson公司，從伯格辦公室出來沿着大廳往外走，是丹尼斯?瑞恩(Dennis Ryan)那間長14英尺（約4.2米）、寬8英尺（約2.4米）的辦公室，裏面那張陳舊的沙發打造出輕鬆的合作氛圍。瑞恩選擇了一張簡單的辦公桌，以騰出空間放下這張沙發以及兩把供客人使用的椅子。這樣的佈局避免了“造成人與人之間那種人爲的隔閡，”在Olson任首席創意長的瑞恩如是說。辦公室內有三面 都是大落地玻璃，上面可以寫字，已經寫滿了項目草稿和客戶目標。另一面 上貼着笑話和照片，他說，這是爲了營造一種“玩鬧的感覺”。

Mr. Ryan has held meetings in his office with as many as five co-workers, 'all fighting for the pen, working on the wall together,' he says. While it feels a little like cramming 'five people in a Prius,' he likes the results. 'The small space actually forces intimacy and collaboration, because there's nowhere to hide.'

瑞恩在他的辦公室裏召開過最多有5個人參加的會議，“大家在一起搶筆，一起在 上工作，”他說。雖然這感覺有點像“把5個人塞進一輛豐田普銳斯”，但他喜歡這樣的效果。“小空間實際上能夠促進親密感和合作意識，因爲大家無處可躲。”

More managers are opting for a meeting table, paired with a smaller desk, because of the growing number of brief meetings held deskside. A round table has a collaborative feel; folding models on wheels offer flexibility, says Lori Gee, vice president, applied insight, for Herman Miller, a Holland, Mich., furniture designer. Seating guests on bright ottomans or contemporary reclining chairs communicates 'an egalitarian approach,' says Steve Verbeek, vice president, design and innovation, for Teknion, a Toronto-based design firm.

越來越多的管理者如今選擇放一張會議桌，再搭配一張小辦公桌，因爲越來越多的短會議是在辦公桌邊上開的。在密歇根州霍蘭市的傢俱設計公司Herman Miller擔任應用創意副總裁的洛裏?吉(Lori Gee)表示，圓桌給人一種合作的感覺；安裝輪子的摺疊款式則帶來靈活性。在總部位於多倫多的設計公司Teknion任設計和創意副總裁的史蒂夫?費爾貝克(Steve Verbeek)表示，讓來訪者坐在色彩明亮的軟墊小凳上或是現代風格的斜躺椅上，可以傳達出“一種平等的主張”。

Status-conscious managers have more difficulty projecting an image of authority in a small office. Traditional status symbols such as bulky mahogany desks and trophy walls are pretty much out of the question. Designers are swapping big, dark furniture for desks and tables on lean, lightweight legs. Small spaces seem larger when work surfaces, walls and other materials are pale to reflect light, with colors confined to an accent wall or side chairs, Ms. Tirmizi says.

對職位高低敏感的管理者在小辦公室裏展現權威形象時，會感覺更爲困難。那些傳統的地位象徵，如笨重的紅木辦公桌和獎盃 等，基本上已經不可能了。設計師如今將大型的深色傢俱換成了桌腿又細又輕的辦公桌和普通桌子。特密茲稱，當工作臺面、 壁和其他材質呈現能夠反射光線的淺色，而色彩僅侷限在某一面主題 或是側椅時，狹小的辦公空間能夠顯得大一些。

When a Washington, D.C., law firm moved associates to 13-by-10-foot offices during a recent office relocation, the firm chose desks made of anigre wood, a rich but lighter-colored wood. Attaching the desk to a 'work wall' of shelves and files in a traditional 'L' shape conveys permanence and stability, says Catherine Heath, director of interior design in Washington, D.C., for HOK, the architecture and interior-design firm that handled the job. A relatively traditional upholstered wooden guest chair faces the desk.

華盛頓哥倫比亞特區的一家律師行在最近一次搬家時，將辦公地點搬到了幾間長13英尺（約3.9米）、寬10英尺（約3米）的辦公室。這一次，他們選擇了由阿林山欖木製成的辦公桌，阿林山欖木是一種質地厚實但顏色較淺的木材。常駐華盛頓哥倫比亞特區、在建築與室內設計公司HOK任室內設計總監的凱瑟琳?希思(Catherine Heath)指出，在擺滿書架和文件、並呈現傳統L形的“工作 ”邊放一張辦公桌，可以傳達出持久感和穩定感。HOK承接了這家律師行新辦公室的室內設計工作。辦公桌對面是一把相對傳統的供訪客使用的軟墊木質椅子。

The glass front wall of each office extends around the front corners, creating a bay-window effect that makes the space feel larger, Ms. Heath says. The back wall is covered in pale yellow, and light from a hidden fixture overhead 'washes down the wall like sunshine,' drawing the eye back. Light has an enlarging effect, and research shows bright areas near walls can draw the eye and make the space appear larger.

希思說，每一間辦公室前面的玻璃 從前面的拐角處延伸出去，打造出一種飄窗的效果，這樣使得室內空間感覺更寬敞。後 刷成淡黃色，頭頂隱式的燈具散射下來的燈光“如陽光一般從 壁上傾 而下，”將人們的視線吸引回來。光線有一種放大的效果，而且有研究顯示，在 壁附近的明亮區域可以吸引視線，讓空間顯得更爲寬敞。

Extending the horizontal area of a room has a bigger effect on users' perceptions of spaciousness than extending height, says a 2011 study in the journal Environment and Behavior. Furniture can be arranged to keep horizontal sight lines clear. When shelving is 'layered' beneath desk surfaces to create hidden storage space, 'your eye doesn't see all the clutter,' says Vanessa Bradley, advanced applications manager at Steelcase, Grand Rapids, Mich.

《環境與行爲》(Environment and Behavior)期刊發表的一項2011年進行的研究顯示，就使用者的空間感受而言，擴大房間的水平面積比延伸高度效果更爲明顯。在安排傢俱時，可以讓水平視線更爲清晰。如果把儲物架擺放在辦公桌桌面下方，打造出一塊隱藏的儲物空間，“你就看不到所有亂七八糟的雜物了，”在密歇根州大急流城的Steelcase任高級應用經理的瓦妮莎?布拉德利(Vanessa Bradley)表示。

A 'huge theme' in furniture design is dual- or triple-purpose furniture, says Robert Arko, creative director in San Francisco for Coalesse, a design unit of Steelcase. File cabinets topped with fabric-covered cushions can double as chairs, sliding under a desk or table when they're not in use. Ottomans double as storage bins and stools. Work surfaces adjust from sitting to standing height so employees can change positions. As offices get smaller, Mr. Arko says, 'the space needs to work harder.'

在舊金山的Coalesse任創意總監的羅伯特?阿爾科(Robert Arko)稱，如今傢俱設計的一個“巨大主題”是傢俱的雙重或是三重功用。Coalesse是Steelcase旗下一家設計子公司。裝文件的櫥櫃上面加一層織物覆蓋的軟墊，便可以兼做椅子使用，不用的時候就推到辦公桌或是桌子下面。軟墊小凳可以當成儲物櫃，也可以用來做小凳子。可調節的工作臺面，可以從坐姿高度調節到站立高度，以便員工調整姿勢。阿爾科說，隨着辦公空間變小，“所有空間必須得到更充分的利用。”

With space so tight, differences in how men and women choose to use it loom larger. Women tend to like more storage for the bags they carry, such as an upright, wheeled receptacle that can slide under a desk where a trash bin might go, says Steelcase's Ms. Bradley. Stephanie Fanger, a workplace strategist with Goodmans Interior Structures, a Phoenix office furniture dealer, says men devote more space than women to tech gear, adding elaborate wall mounts for multiple computers and tablets. Men also tend to choose massive desk chairs with broad backs, while woman opt for light, airy ergonomic chairs with webbed backs, Ms. Fanger says.

鑑於空間如此緊湊，男性與女性在選擇如何使用空間方面所顯示的差異也尤爲突出。Steelcase的布拉德利說，女性往往喜歡有更多空間來存放她們的箱包，比方說一個直立帶輪子的櫃子，能夠推放到辦公桌下方那個通常放垃圾桶的位置。在鳳凰城一家辦公傢俱經銷商Goodmans Interior Structures任辦公空間策略師的斯蒂芬妮?範傑(Stephanie Fanger)指出，相對於女性，男性會將更多空間用來擺在科技設備，他們更願意添加壁掛來放置多臺臺式電腦和平板電腦。範傑稱，男性還更傾向於選擇很大且帶寬厚靠背的辦公椅，而女性則會選擇輕便、通氣、有網狀靠背的舒適易用的座椅。

Even small offices are prized by their occupants. A 2013 survey of 2,000 white-collar workers by Gensler, a design and architecture firm, found that employees' satisfaction with their work space has fallen since 2008 because many can't find a quiet place to focus. Despite a sharp increase in office space devoted to teamwork, the time employees spend collaborating has fallen 20% since 2008, while time spent trying to focus is up 13%. The survey links trouble focusing with lower job satisfaction and poorer job performance.

即便是狹小的辦公室，也讓其擁有者珍視。設計與建築公司Gensler在2013年針對2000名白領員工展開的一項調查結果顯示，自2008年以來，企業僱員對他們辦公空間的滿意度有所下降，因爲許多人找不到一個可以集中精神辦公的安靜所在。儘管用於團隊合作的辦公空間明顯增加，但企業員工花在合作上面的時間卻自2008年以來減少了20%，而用來試圖集中精力的時間增加了13%。這次調查將人們難於集中精力這一現象同工作滿意度的下降以及工作表現變差聯繫在了一起。

Olson's Mr. Berg spends much of his time at work outside his office, in open zones for meetings, calls and conversation designed for his employer by Gensler. But when he needs to think, he says, 'I need clarity and I need some quiet space. When I have to be focused, my office is fantastic.'

Olson的伯格有很多工作時間都不是在他的辦公室裏度過的，他會去那些由Gensler爲他們公司設計的開放區域開會、打電話或與人交談。但是當他需要思考問題時，他說，“我需要頭腦清晰，我需要一些安靜的空間。當我不得不集中精力時，我的辦公室是個絕妙的去處。”