<p>Are architectual firms composed of dozens of cubicals, or open spaces where people can walk around and share ideas. I really don’t want to have to be confined to a 12x12 box when I graduate from college and get a job.</p>
<p>So does anyone know what the internal space of an architectual firm is like?</p>
<p>I think it varies alot. I worked in two firms. The first one was in a downtown storefront. Two small firms shared the space, each had the principal and one or two helpers. We had a conference table out front and drafting tables in the back. We could all talk to each other. The next firm I worked for had about fifteen employees. The principals had their own offices, but the rest of us were in one large room (or after we moved in several large rooms). We could easily talk to each other or walk around and look at each other’s work. We all ate lunch together and usually had a coffee break together. Other firms I’ve walked through seem quite similar.</p>
<p>It does vary a lot. I’ve worked in cubicles, but some of my friends spent their days sitting around large tables next to/across from all the other employees. I’m not sure I would have liked that because I love having a certain amount of personal space. The cubicles I worked in were separated by 4’ walls, so I never felt completely boxed in, and people would frequently stop by, lean the wall cap, and talk to me. (The “prairie dogging” was also kinda cute, but I know not everyone likes it.) The bosses had private offices, but their doors were open 99% of the time. And there was a ton of space dedicated to collaboration.</p>