Moving and the Evolution of the Modern Office

In 2015, Herlihy Moving & Storage celebrates 95 years of serving Columbus, Chillicothe, and Athens, Ohio as one of the leading residential and corporate moving companies in Ohio.

During nearly a century of operations, we’ve seen many changes in the way people live and work. One of the most remarkable is the evolution of the modern workplace.

Today’s offices are vastly different from the one pictured here from the 1920s. Note that several massive desks were grouped together in a single dark office, without dividers. Often, a corridor of closed-door offices for managers and executives surrounded the open offices where secretaries and lower-level workers toiled away.

These shared-space offices remained standard until 1968, when a designer for office-furniture firm Herman Miller created the cubicle. According to the Wall Street Journal, Robert Propst’s main goal was to give more autonomy and independence to office workers using lightweight, moveable barriers.

Unfortunately, Probst’s innovative designs devolved into today’s utilitarian cubicle farms, often composed of rows of gray or beige flannel cubicles in rooms with white walls and overhead fluorescent lights.

But some companies – like Pixar, Google and Facebook – offer employees much more creative, colorful and conducive workspaces. Some are open spaces designed to encourage collaboration. Armed with laptop, tablet and mobile phone, workers flit about the office to work with others or concentrate on projects. Others, like Google’s Zurich offices, offer private spaces for quiet reflection and downtime. Many workplaces now offer shared amenities such as pool tables, gaming consoles and rooftop gardens to encourage teambuilding during downtimes. Sheboygan, Wisconsin-based insurance company Acuity even placed a 65-foot indoor Ferris wheel in its headquarters.

Do you dream about working in a creative space that promotes productivity and collaboration? Or maybe you’re just looking for some decorative inspiration? Check out Fortune magazine’s list of the “25 Coolest Offices of the Top 100 companies.” or Business Insider’s list of the “The 31 Coolest Offices You’ve Ever Seen.”

Of course, setting up a new office requires expert help with logistics, moving and storage. With 95 years of experience, Herlihy Moving & Storage has the resources and expertise to be your “go-to” resource for all your office relocation needs. We hope that you will consider using us for your next office relocation in Columbus, Chillicothe, Athens and surrounding areas. Contact us for a no-obligation estimate.