Where to position pods so open spaces really work?

Looking for a deeper dive? Explore hushGuide – our dedicated handbook with detailed strategies for positioning acoustic booths effectively within your workspace.

tl;dr – 15 placement ideas for pods in open office plans

• Quiet retreats right alongside the bustle. Line the edges of lively shared areas with pods to make “whisper points” – easy-to-reach acoustic relief ensures staff stays close to the action while not drowned by it.
• A pocket of calm in the middle of the noise. Set mid-sized or large pods right in open layout areas as “islands” of quiet in the sea of activity, giving teams a retreat nearby without having to resort to a meeting room far away.
• Natural buffers that shift the mood. Put pods at the junction between noisy and quiet areas. They not only block sound but also signal a behavioural transition, which helps the office manage itself.
• Anchors of silence for lively hubs. Place pods in corners of collaboration areas as annexes for deep-focus or private chats within otherwise high-energy zones for brainstorming work.
• Landmarks and workplaces all in one. Position pods at junctions or focal points, creating visible orientation markers that ease navigation while adding usable workspace.
• Privacy screens for social hubs. Surround central cores with pods, enabling staff to flow seamlessly between social interaction and focused work.
• Access that is fair without long detours. Distribute pods evenly across the floor so everyone is just a few steps away from privacy.
• Smart placement with natural light. Situate pods near interior windows or alongside glass walls to carve out intimate areas whilst preserving openness and brightness.
• Boundaries, yet open sightlines. Set up rows of pods to function as gentle partitions, marking out team zones while maintaining openness and adaptability.
• Only steps to the whiteboard. Position two-person booths close to stations for active teams, so two people can have planning sessions quickly and in private without having to book a far-off room.
• Turning forgotten corners into value. Install compact pods in awkward recesses or oddly shaped areas of the floor, transforming wasted spots into productive microzones.
• A neutral ground where cross-team synergy can happen. Place larger pods where departments intersect to encourage spontaneous, balanced collaboration.
• Noise barriers without hard walls. Ring clusters of desks with pods to absorb and block sound, providing a flexible and adaptable alternative to construction.
• Quick escapes from the action. Add smaller pods near lounges, cafés, or event areas so staff can retreat in an instant when sound levels peak.
• Visual order in movement-heavy spaces. Use your pods in high-traffic areas as sleek anchors, combining a calming effect with practical functionality.

Flank busy zones with quiet.

Positioning pods on the perimeter of buzzing communal areas forms a natural border, while also making acoustic relief quickly accessible.

Here, pods operate as “whisper points”.

Step inside and it is like lowering the volume while not withdrawing entirely. This tactic works particularly well in newsrooms or design studios where the lively atmosphere inspires but can occasionally overwhelm.

Make islands of concentration within the flow.

A pod doesn’t always have to be tucked in a corner. Positioning one or more in the centre of shared zones can be even more effective. A four-person booth such as hushFree.M becomes an “island” of quiet, surrounded by collaborative tables or comfortable seating.

Make sure the design ties in by choosing pods that complement your office style..

Using islands is most successful when the pod is not just practical but also visually coherent, serving as both feature and function.

Make transitions between different areas softer.

Strategically placed pods at thresholds act both as invitations and as buffers. They dampen noise between noisy and quiet sections, while their very presence prompts people to adjust behaviour. Subtly, it encourages the workspace to regulate itself.

“The Hushoffice collection’s superior acoustic design means that the move from open bustle to enclosed calm just feels seamless. The ear adjusts gradually to a sound climate that is more gentle, rather than being jolted into a separate world. Our call booths and meeting cabins do not create an unnatural-feeling, isolating silence. Rather, they soften the overall soundscape, making shifts between tasks smooth and comfortable. This nuance is vital, because abrupt sensory changes may be as unsettling as noise itself is,” says Hushoffice Senior Marketing Specialist. Marcin Ścigała.

Anchor breakout corners.

Placing a pod in the corner of a breakout zone is a clever way to anchor the area. The booth becomes the extension for “deep work” of an otherwise open, energetic setting, giving staff a choice whether to remain in the action or step inside for private focus.

As navigational landmarks.

Saying “let’s meet at row three” makes people have to mentally calculate a location and remember the floorplan. But “by the hushFree.L with blue upholstery”, for example, is instantly clear — a visible, distinctive point of reference. Pods make excellent markers at key junctions.

“Positioning pods in a workplace to make it easier to navigate intuitively is about much more than aesthetics or branding. It’s about lowering the processing burden for everyone’s brain. For neurodivergent colleagues, who may be especially sensitive to visual clutter, confusing layouts, or noise, clear visual cues help reduce strain. A pod becomes not just a fixture but both a mental anchor and a physical landmark, providing orientation without stress caused by having to constant scan the area. Visitors benefit as well — rather than wandering through a uniform sea of desk rows, they can orient themselves straight away spotting a booth. These distinct markers create a rhythm across the floor, guiding people in a manner that feels welcoming and natural at the first step into the office,” says Hushoffice Marketing Manager, Maciej Zabielski.

Safeguarding the office’s heart.

Every open-layout workspace has a central hub. Encircling that spot with pods provides a ring of support. Staff can mingle at the office core, then step into a quiet booth only a few metres away for a short burst of focus or a short call.

Proximity means productivity stays linked to the social hub.

If private areas are too far away, people must choose whether to stay close to the buzz or heading off to concentrate, breaking their flow. With pods nearby, switching between modes is much more seamless.

Evenly distributed, privacy is for everyone, equally.

Distributing pods consistently across the floor ensures that everyone has a private space within a brief walk. This also creates balance visually, avoiding the sense that one zone is crammed with booths while another is sparse.

Shaping views while not blocking the daylight.

Hushoffice pods, with their clean design, suit open, light-filled layouts. Set along glazed walls or by internal windows, they frame the view and create intimate visual pauses without cutting off natural light.

A more human-scaled layered office still feels open, but the openness is structured.

“One significant risk of open-layout design is that the sheer scale overwhelms the individual. Bringing pods such as Hushoffice along lines of sight or close to natural points of focus, you add layers that soften the vastness without shutting it down. Staff can still sense and see the entire room, but also locate defined areas for different kinds of work. What this does is make a space that remains bright, yet feels more grounded and humane,” says Hushoffice Marketing Manager, Maciej Zabielski.

Zoning without putting up walls.

A hushFree.XS row of call pods can act as a gentle partition between, for instance, the area for project management and the design team’s hub. This “zones without walls” keeps sightlines open while dampening sound transfer while also creating clear, accessible work neighbourhoods.

Pop-up strategy spaces right in the flow.

Place a duo pod such as hushFree.XM beside a lively team’s desks and it becomes an instant strategy space. Colleagues can step in to plan without traipsing across the whole building to find a formal room. Proximity is the key.

Making useful assets out of awkward corners.

Empty gaps between clusters of furniture or recesses near structural columns are easily reclaimed. A compact one-person booth such as hushFree.S.Hybrid, with built-in video capability, fits perfectly into these odd spaces, adding huge value where little was possible before.

Along the “borders” between departments.

Set at the threshold between different team areas, pods act as neutral ground. Colleagues from both sides can meet informally while not intruding on each other’s territory. A spacious yet snug booth such as the hushFree.L for 4-6 is well suited to this role.

Creating acoustic moats around desk banks.

Pods positioned around a desking zone block and absorb external sound, forming an acoustic shield. This can be a more economical and flexible approach than constructing permanent partitions – and it adapts easily as layouts evolve.

Close to social hotspots to allow quick retreat.

Canteens, lounges, and event areas often spike in noise and activity. Positioning single-user pods such as hushFree.S nearby ensures staff always can find a refuge close at hand when the activity peaks.

Reducing visual overload in busy zones.

Open floors can feel visually cluttered. With their clean shape, pods function as visual anchors. They punctuate the view with moments of order, calming the overall look whilst remaining highly functional.

“What’s brilliant about booths in open layouts is the autonomy they grant. Placed carefully around lively areas, booths and pods let people choose — not only between enclosed or open, but across a spectrum of settings matched to different privacy preferences, energy levels, or sensory needs. Instead of being at the mercy of the environment, employees shape their day themselves, moving from hub to phone pod to booth. That sense of agency makes any office feel more responsive and supportive overall,” says Hushoffice Marketing Manager, Maciej Zabielski.

Download our hushGuide – a practical handbook for planning and equipping flexible workspaces with pods.

tl;dr – 15 placement ideas for pods in open office plans

• Quiet retreats right alongside the bustle. Line the edges of lively shared areas with pods to make “whisper points” – easy-to-reach acoustic relief ensures staff stays close to the action while not drowned by it.
• A pocket of calm in the middle of the noise. Set mid-sized or large pods right in open layout areas as “islands” of quiet in the sea of activity, giving teams a retreat nearby without having to resort to a meeting room far away.
• Natural buffers that shift the mood. Put pods at the junction between noisy and quiet areas. They not only block sound but also signal a behavioural transition, which helps the office manage itself.
• Anchors of silence for lively hubs. Place pods in corners of collaboration areas as annexes for deep-focus or private chats within otherwise high-energy zones for brainstorming work.
• Landmarks and workplaces all in one. Position pods at junctions or focal points, creating visible orientation markers that ease navigation while adding usable workspace.
• Privacy screens for social hubs. Surround central cores with pods, enabling staff to flow seamlessly between social interaction and focused work.
• Access that is fair without long detours. Distribute pods evenly across the floor so everyone is just a few steps away from privacy.
• Smart placement with natural light. Situate pods near interior windows or alongside glass walls to carve out intimate areas whilst preserving openness and brightness.
• Boundaries, yet open sightlines. Set up rows of pods to function as gentle partitions, marking out team zones while maintaining openness and adaptability.
• Only steps to the whiteboard. Position two-person booths close to stations for active teams, so two people can have planning sessions quickly and in private without having to book a far-off room.
• Turning forgotten corners into value. Install compact pods in awkward recesses or oddly shaped areas of the floor, transforming wasted spots into productive microzones.
• A neutral ground where cross-team synergy can happen. Place larger pods where departments intersect to encourage spontaneous, balanced collaboration.
• Noise barriers without hard walls. Ring clusters of desks with pods to absorb and block sound, providing a flexible and adaptable alternative to construction.
• Quick escapes from the action. Add smaller pods near lounges, cafés, or event areas so staff can retreat in an instant when sound levels peak.
• Visual order in movement-heavy spaces. Use your pods in high-traffic areas as sleek anchors, combining a calming effect with practical functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where’s the best place to position office pods for real impact?

Pods deliver the most value when they’re used to layer the environment, carve out distinct zones, or act as recognisable markers in open areas. Think of placing them along the edges of busy zones, using them to anchor collaboration corners, or turning overlooked recesses into functional micro-workspaces. When positioned with care, they smooth workflow, aid orientation, and balance the energy of the floor. For more detailed strategies, see hushGuide, our handbook on pod placement.

Can pods support smoother movement and navigation in larger offices?

Absolutely. When placed strategically, pods double as visual wayfinders that help employees and guests navigate naturally. Unique finishes, fabrics, or colours can make them stand out instantly, easing orientation and lowering the mental effort required to get around. The result is an office that feels more intuitive and less taxing to move through.

How close should pods be to shared social areas?

Pods tend to work brilliantly near bustling points such as kitchens, lounges, and informal meeting hubs. In these spots, they offer a quick escape for focused work or private calls, just steps from the social core. This ensures employees remain part of the heart of the office culture while having immediate access to calm and privacy whenever needed.