What Is a Cellular Office Layout?

A cellular office plan is one in which each individual office is separate from the others -- individual offices can be isolated by closing a door. This type of office plan is in contrast to an open-plan office, in which multiple work stations are situated in a single larger room.

A cellular office plan is appropriate in businesses where work routinely needs to be done in a private setting. For example, in an attorney's office a cellular office plan would help maintain attorney-client confidentiality during meetings or depositions.

Proponents of open-plan office spaces believe that teamwork between employees is easier in an open building layout. Additionally, a cellular office plan may not make the most efficient use of the overall space available in the building.

In recent years, many companies have chosen to convert an older, existing cellular office plan into an open-plan design. Such a conversion may help with energy costs, corporate culture and staff morale.