Controlled transparency in workplace design: Balancing visual and acoustic interaction in office environments

Workspace is no longer defined by opaque surfaces. Transparency, through the extensive use of glazed facades and partitions, is a common ingredient in today’s office buildings. In some cases, this can lead to a loss of physical borders for the employee. For the end‐user, this implies that the experience of the building and the interaction with the organisation seen from a visual point of view might be different from those seen from an acoustical point of view. This paper outlines how controlled transparency can bring value to office environments and proposes a set of guidelines for accommodating and managing office facilities where visual and acoustic interaction are in balance. In this way, transparency will not overrule the personal integrity and needs of each of employee.