Facts About Office Cubicles

Even though most people know what office cubicles are, and how they are most commonly used, it is interesting to learn how they truly came to be. These common cube-like spaces started out around the turn of the 15th century as being small chambers made with partitions that did not reach the ceiling. These chambers were designed to give a person a specific area to work or study in, without using a large amount of space.

This concept was taken to a new level by Robert Propst in the early 1960's. He was a designer for the office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller Inc. Today's office cubicles were based on a modular unit called the Action Office which included an open plan. The idea had been around for many years prior to Propst inventing the modern day concept. This concept has proven to be invaluable to modern companies and businesses. They have enabled a large number of employees to each have their own space even if the floor plan is open and without walls or doors.

Another interesting fact about office cubicles is the term that is commonly used when you group a large number of cubicles together. They call this grouping a cube farm because of its appearance, as well as the fact that the supervisor can watch all of the "worker ants".

Any way you look at it, office cubicles have come a long way from their original roots. And it is funny to see how we went from using these partitions in the bedroom to them becoming a major part of our every day office lives.