Glass wall installations have been gaining a tremendous amount of momentum over the past decade. And this is not without reason: Glass walls feel far more open and less claustrophobic, which is an important feature considering that the average amount of office space per employee has shrunk by 30% since 2006. Add to that the convenience and flexibility of being able to adapt your wall installation by adding, moving, or removing wall systems to adapt to your company’s changing needs, and you have a perfect solution for the modern office.
With modern advancements in demountable glass wall technology, these aesthetically pleasing dividers are showing no signs of slowing down.
One of the concerns that slow-adopters tend to have with regards to a glass wall installation is the issue of sound. After all, glass is generally considered to be excellent at conducting sound, not dampening it.
While not many people notice it (because you literally cannot see how it changes), glass technology has evolved greatly. Panes are designed specifically to minimize ‘sound leakage’, making demountable wall systems that are capable of drowning out even the sound of nearby industrial machinery from within a supervisor’s office. With sound dampening technology capable of muting machinery that is loud enough to cause hearing loss, keeping closed-door conversations confidential is child’s play.
While an engineer might call this “a bug that is also a feature”, the transparency of the glass and the openness of the space that such wall installations provide can be a problem in some cases. Whether it’s to work with sensitive information, conducting employee meetings away from prying eyes, or simply to shut out any outside distractions, privacy is something that most workplaces need now and again.
Thankfully, many privacy options are available, even when using glass for your wall installation. The most straightforward option is to have drawstring-style blinds that can be lowered as necessary and then raised the rest of the time, or even left cracked-open for a moderate level of privacy.
There are, however, other options: Glass partitions with frosting or decorative prints can render a surface opaque while still letting in natural light, and other options such as ‘switchable glass’, which is translucent glass that can be darkened, add a considerable ‘wow’ factor to the space.
Functionality is great, but it’s all for naught if your office doesn’t also look exceptional.
If you’d like to look into glass wall installations, book an appointment today.