Under headline, "Another Space Race," Julie Scholsser writes that discussions about office design are shifting from individual to communal workspace. She notes:

"That kind of thinking is making inroads across corporate America. Right now, according to office furniture maker Knoll, offices at 80% individual and 20% collaborative space, but communal space is closing the gap. The reason: Group time is more important, and therefore so is group space, says, Christine Barber, Knoll's director of workplace research.

Ms. Schlosser concludes: "The effect on productivity impossible to measure precisely. But there is little doubt it can make difference."

The Fortune piece, which follows a more in depth Business Week article about Knoll workplace research, is expected to reinforce interest in Knoll product introductions at NeoCon 2006, the Chicago contract furniture industry trade exposition, which will take place June 12-14. At NeoCon, Knoll will preview a new desk and storage collection by Piero Lissoni with Marc Krusin. According to Mr. Lissoni, this furniture places people in optimal working relationships and "reinvents desks and storage in a linear and well proportioned, modern vernacular."

Knoll and DYG have studied the emerging workplace together since the early 1990's. In 2005, Knoll commissioned DYG to conduct a nationwide survey of white collar employees to learn about their workplace preferences. The results are based upon the responses from 850 full-time employees working in larger companies. The research focused on understanding:

• Workspace characteristics that workers say would make them more productive
• Workspace characteristics that workers say would make them more satisfied
• Environments where employees do their best work
• Preferences for various work styles

In addition to Knoll proprietary questions specific to the physical work environment, findings also draw on the results of DYG SCAN®, a semi-annual survey conducted by DYG that uncovers the larger social, cultural and demographic trends that impact business. Taken together, DYG SCAN® and Knoll findings reveal:

• Employees see a relationship between having a nice workspace and being motivated and respected
• Workspace is tied to status: most workers agree that the quality of their workspace is related to the amount of status an employee has on the job — the private office is still the "gold standard"
• Workspaces vary from private offices to open plan - no style solidly dominates the work environment
• Employees spend a lot of time at the office where they say they do their best work