Office pods lead the way in office design(2)

The pods are also very easy to install. A pod can be delivered to an office in about 10-15 working days and completed in 30 minutes to an hour, whereas building a walled office can take three months or more.

Marketing coordinator Mischa Szymanski said Zenbooth had sales of more than $5 million in the 2018 fiscal year and is on track to exceed that figure in 2019.

The Milwaukee office of international real estate firm Keller Williams is a case study in how pods can improve workplace productivity. After renovating and moving into a new space, the franchise owner, Jeremy Reind, realised that the collaborative space was not enough for the 140 agents working there. Only 20 people had their own private offices, which meant most employees didn't have private space to talk to clients - an important part of their job as real estate agents.

Rynders says the pods have quickly become "a big success for our office." The pods give agents the opportunity to focus on their work.

"I love them because I'm better able to connect with potential clients," says agent Lindee Burton. "When I use them, I feel more relaxed and comfortable talking to prospects/clients and I schedule more appointments."

Burton said she recently used the booths to gather old sales leads and book listings for her team.

Zac and Dawn Shipley, a married couple who work as a real estate team in the Milwaukee office, said they often use both booths while working to avoid distractions.

A traditional office space, a fixed room enclosed by four walls, also means a higher price tag than a pod. According to Turner, adding a traditional office costs about $65 to $125 per square foot.

Then, it's a matter of size. According to real estate consultancy Mehigan Company, the average size of an office in North America is estimated at 150 to 200 square feet. This means that traditional offices in the lower range start at $9,750 and more spacious offices can cost up to $25,000. In addition, a large executive office could be 400 square feet, or $50,000 on the high end.

Pods also allow companies to navigate through onerous regulations, according to pod manufacturers. While traditional office space must be inspected, some pods have been tested for compliance with fire codes.

Mark Benhar, owner and president of Benhar Office Interiors, said pods have become a favourite of the global cosmetics company's New Jersey office. It asked Benhar's company to create spaces in its open floor plan where employees could talk privately over the phone.

Benhar's design team placed the booths in four exterior areas that connect the corridors to the edge of the collaborative space. The project has been so popular among employees that the company plans to add pods to other offices.

He says pods used to be a niche trend he noticed at national trade shows in 2017 and 2018. Now, they've gone mainstream.

"It started with tech companies and the need for privacy. People are embracing it," Benhal said.

Studies show that 90 percent of employees working in open floor plan offices experience increased stress levels, conflict, blood pressure and turnover rates.

In recent years, offices have embraced pods as a way to provide office workers with a quiet space to make important phone calls, focus on their work or take a quick break.