DESIGN. Workplace design does not have a deterministic influence on the way people work or feel, but it can promote and facilitate new ways of working and it can have a big impact on peoples feelings and attitude towards the ABW concept.Provide choiceThe essence of ABW is that it provides choice. An ABW office should thus not be open plan with a couple of focus rooms that are always occupied. The office should offer a real diversity of spacesin terms of privacy, size and ambiencethat matches the diversity of preferencesand activities of its users. Dont compromise on qualityProviding fewer workplaces should be offset by providing better workplaces. Better means better design in terms of ergonomics, indoor climate, aesthetics and functionality. The ABW concept is already efficient in terms of space usage, so there should be no need to go for the cheapest design solutions. Focus on focus workThe main complaint in modern offices is that people cannot focus due to interruptions and distractions. It is therefore important to create ample work areas where people can work in peace and quiet: small focus rooms, library-like study areas and hideouts scattered throughout the building where people can have a quiet moment.Create excellent acousticsRelated to the above, is the recommendation to create excellent acoustics in the office. Acoustics are easily overlooked in the design process because it is something that cannot be seen. The recommendation is to formulate explicit acoustic requirements (i.e. for speech privacy, reverb times, sound insulation) and to test whether design proposals actually meet these requirements. Create a human scaleGive large office floors a human scale by breaking them down into smaller parts. Some degree of openness and overview is needed to be able to spot colleagues and available seating, but the office should not present as a sea of desks. Consider creating clusters of 10 to 16 workstations, with focus rooms and meeting areas acting as buffers between different clusters. 85