Office glass vs plasterboard

Plasterboard is chosen in offices out of habit: fast, familiar, cheaper upfront. A month later the downside is clear — open-plan becomes a set of solid cells, daylight stops, corridors darken.

Glass partitions solve a different problem: keep the volume of the floor plate and still define cabins, meeting rooms and entrance groups. Clarity or frost is tuned to the use case — open, privacy band, reeded glass.

Cost comparisons are fair only over the full cycle. Board is cheaper in materials and simple build. Glass costs more in hardware, but skips “finish it like a wall”, keeps the presence of the space and is easier to reconfigure when tenants change.

Avoid thin aluminium “economy boxes” sold on price alone. At VIREO, glass carries the structure; hardware matches our shower language — brass alloy, clear finishes, height for the room — floor-to-ceiling or with a gap.

Typical layouts: a straight run along open-plan; L- and U-shaped cabins; a full four-sided office; a door in the partition line; an entrance group at reception. Working constructions for 2.7–3.0 m ceilings and taller — not decorative screens.

How to align stakeholders: build the plan in the office 3D configurator, share a guide price with owner or designer, then survey on site. The debate moves from taste to geometry and budget.

Need opacity in places? Combine glass with local privacy zones — do not default back to continuous board only because it looked cheaper on paper.