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Cross-Disciplinary Software Team Spaces

A Pattern Language

Small Team Bays

Summary

Create team bays for typically 4-6 people. A maximum of a dozen can be achieved by joining two adjacent bays. These bays feature good sound dampening to encourage natural conversation.

Context

Team workspace design that balances collaboration needs with focus requirements. It also supports human-scale social interaction.

Problem

Large open offices create noise, distraction, and anonymity. People lose sense of team identity and struggle to concentrate or communicate effectively. Teams also need to feel comfortable talking naturally without worrying about disturbing others.

Solution

Create small team bays that:

Collaborative Layout Design:

Meeting and Display Infrastructure:

Visual Layout

Single Team Bay (4-6 people)

                   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
                   │              WALL/DISPLAY                │
                   └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
                   
    ┌─────────┐                                       ┌─────────┐
    │  DESK   │                                       │  DESK   │
    │    A    │                                       │    B    │
    └─────────┘                                       └─────────┘
         ↑                                                 ↑
      PERSON                                            PERSON
      
    ┌─────────┐     ┌─────────────────────────┐       ┌─────────┐
    │  DESK   │     │     COLLABORATION       │       │  DESK   │
    │    F    │     │        ZONE             │       │    C    │
    └─────────┘     │   ○ STANDING TABLE      │       └─────────┘
         ↑          │   ⚬ MOBILE CHAIRS       │            ↑
      PERSON        │   📺 SHARED SCREEN      │         PERSON
                    └─────────────────────────┘
    ┌─────────┐                                       ┌─────────┐
    │  DESK   │                                       │  DESK   │
    │    E    │                                       │    D    │
    └─────────┘                                       └─────────┘
         ↑                                                 ↑
      PERSON                                            PERSON
                   
                   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
                   │          STORAGE/WHITEBOARD             │
                   └─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Extended Bay for Larger Teams (8-12 people)

graph TD
    subgraph "Team Bay Alpha (6 people)"
        A1[Desk A1] --- CENTER1[Central Collab Zone<br/>○ Standing Table<br/>📺 Display]
        B1[Desk B1] --- CENTER1
        C1[Desk C1] --- CENTER1
        D1[Desk D1] --- CENTER1
        E1[Desk E1] --- CENTER1
        F1[Desk F1] --- CENTER1
    end
    
    subgraph "Team Bay Beta (6 people)"
        A2[Desk A2] --- CENTER2[Central Collab Zone<br/>○ Standing Table<br/>📺 Display]
        B2[Desk B2] --- CENTER2
        C2[Desk C2] --- CENTER2
        D2[Desk D2] --- CENTER2
        E2[Desk E2] --- CENTER2
        F2[Desk F2] --- CENTER2
    end
    
    CENTER1 -.-> CENTER2
    CENTER2 -.-> CENTER1
    
    SHARED[Shared Resources<br/>📋 Project Boards<br/>📞 Call Booth<br/>📚 Reference Materials]
    CENTER1 --- SHARED
    CENTER2 --- SHARED
    
    classDef desk fill:#e1f5fe,stroke:#0277bd
    classDef center fill:#f3e5f5,stroke:#7b1fa2
    classDef shared fill:#e8f5e8,stroke:#388e3c
    
    class A1,B1,C1,D1,E1,F1,A2,B2,C2,D2,E2,F2 desk
    class CENTER1,CENTER2 center
    class SHARED shared

Forces

Implementation Checklist

Phase 1: Space Planning & Design (Weeks 1-3)

Prerequisites:

Space Assessment:

Layout Design:

Phase 2: Acoustic & Environmental Setup (Weeks 2-4)

Sound Management:

Environmental Comfort:

Phase 3: Furniture & Technology (Weeks 3-5)

Individual Workstations:

Collaboration Infrastructure:

Storage & Organization:

Phase 4: Team Integration & Optimization (Weeks 4-8)

Team Onboarding:

Usage Optimization:

Success Indicators

Immediate (Week 1-2):

Short-term (Month 1-2):

Medium-term (Month 2-6):

Measurements & Validation

Quantitative Metrics:

Qualitative Assessment:

Common Issues & Solutions

Team Transition Protocols

When Team Composition Changes

Team bays must adapt when members join, leave, or when entirely new teams occupy the space:

Adding Team Members (1-2 people):

Major Team Changes (>50% turnover):

Complete Team Replacement:

Space Evolution Guidelines

Gradual Adaptation (Ongoing):

Major Reconfiguration (Quarterly/Project-based):

Handover Documentation

For Teams Leaving Bay:

For Teams Entering Bay:

Examples

Sources