What happens to focus when you move to a quieter space?
The clearest evidence comes from a study that measured cognitive performance objectively in activity-based workplaces and traditional offices. It found that performance increased significantly when people moved from the active zone to individual working rooms, such as a web meeting room or project room [3]. This suggests that moving to a quieter, more private space can help attention, at least in the short term.
That finding fits with a broader point from a systematic review of 23 studies: people want and need spaces that support attention and focus [1]. The review compared activity-based workplaces with other layouts and found that, across all outcome categories except physical activity, comparisons with cellular offices favored the cellular offices [1]. In other words, having a dedicated quiet office was generally better for cognitive performance than an activity-based setup, even though moving to a quiet room within that setup can provide a temporary boost.
Why the overall evidence is mixed
The systematic review grouped 78 different outcome measures into nine categories, including cognitive performance, work output, and environmental satisfaction [1]. It found that activity-based workplaces tended to compare better against larger open-plan offices, and worse against smaller cellular offices [1]. This means the effect of moving between areas depends heavily on what you are moving from and to: moving from a crowded open plan to a quiet room may help, but the activity-based office as a whole may still underperform a traditional private office.
A separate study of a Swedish government agency found that perceived productivity decreased significantly after relocation to an activity-based workplace, and the decrease persisted 12 months later [2]. That study did not measure cognitive performance directly, so it cannot tell us whether the change was due to moving between areas or to other aspects of the new layout. But it does show that the overall experience of activity-based work can be negative for productivity, which cautions against assuming that movement itself is beneficial.
Leadership and implementation matter
The same Swedish study found that the drop in perceived productivity was significantly smaller among employees who perceived high change-oriented leadership before the relocation [2]. This suggests that how the change is managed can influence outcomes, though the study measured perceived productivity, not cognitive performance, so the link to mental focus is indirect.
Another case study of a move from private offices to an activity-based office found that environmental satisfaction decreased after the move, and that the degree of agreement with management’s reasons for the change was the strongest predictor of that change in satisfaction [5]. Satisfaction is not the same as cognitive performance, but it is plausible that people who are unhappy with the change are less able to concentrate. These studies point to implementation and communication as factors that may shape whether moving between areas helps or hinders performance.
What we still don’t know
The direct evidence on moving between areas and cognitive performance is limited. Only one study in this set measured cognitive performance objectively and compared performance across different work areas within an activity-based workplace [3]. The systematic review included cognitive performance as an outcome but did not isolate the effect of moving between areas from other features of the layout [1]. Other studies looked at perceived productivity or satisfaction rather than cognitive performance [2][4][5].
So the honest answer is that moving to a quieter space may improve focus in the moment, but we do not have enough evidence to say whether the overall practice of moving between areas in an activity-based workplace improves or harms cognitive performance compared with staying in one workspace. The balance of evidence suggests that dedicated quiet spaces are important for attention [1][3], but the act of moving itself has not been well studied.
Sources used in this answer
The effects of activity-based workplaces on contributors to organizational productivity: A systematic review
A systematic review of 23 studies found that activity-based workplaces generally compared worse than cellular offices on cognitive performance and other productivity outcomes, though they tended to compare better against larger open-plan offices.
Effects of relocation to activity-based workplaces on perceived productivity: Importance of change-oriented leadership
Relocation to an activity-based workplace was associated with a significant decrease in perceived productivity that persisted 12 months later, but the decrease was smaller among employees who perceived high change-oriented leadership before relocation.
Objective measures of cognitive performance in activity based workplaces and traditional office types
Objective cognitive performance increased significantly when moving from the active zone to individual working rooms in an activity-based workplace.
Perceptions of performance and satisfaction after relocation to an activity-based office
A case study of relocation from an open-plan office to an activity-based workplace examined changes in satisfaction and perceived performance, though the abstract does not report specific results.
Workplace change process and satisfaction with activity-based office
Environmental satisfaction decreased after moving from private offices to an activity-based office, and the degree of agreement with management’s reasons for the change was the strongest predictor of that change in satisfaction.