Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!rochester!PT.CS.CMU.EDU!CAD.CS.CMU.EDU!dave
From: dave@CAD.CS.CMU.EDU (Bharat Dave)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Cubicles vs. offices
Message-ID: <822@PT.CS.CMU.EDU>
Date: 7 Feb 88 17:26:32 GMT
References: <2195@cognos.UUCP>
Sender: netnews@PT.CS.CMU.EDU
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 22
Summary: `Personal Space' by Robert Sommer

Here's one book that has something to say about human behavior in
various settings: `Personal Space' by Robert Sommer. This is an old
reference (pub. 1969)-I read it during my undergrad study in architecture.
It does not directly address issues in office design but introduces
the notion of `territoriality' -both actual and perceived, from the
viewpoint of behavioral psychology.

Territoriality is a very fluid concept, constantly changing with the
physical and social contexts in which you find yourself. In this sense,
architects have got an impossible task to please everyone. Finally, it
comes down to how the management views its personnel- what degree of
personal choices in physical environment will it entertain for its
workers. And that may be shaped by pecking order and permanence it
attaches to you as an employee, and how `modular' the various projects
are in the office.

This discussion about cubicles vs. open offices involves `agents'
that interact with each other differently. Designing an office
is very similar to programming an interface that could be customized-
someone has to decide if it is really wanted!
	
	- Bharat Dave	dave@cad.cs.cmu.edu