London studio Industrial Facility has designed a desk for focused solo working in open-plan spaces, intended to meet the new demands of the office post-pandemic.

The OE1 Nook, commissioned by major US-based office furniture company Herman Miller, is shortlisted in the workplace design category at the Dezeen Awards 2021.

Styled on a library desk, the Nook is intended to provide visual and acoustic privacy for better concentration.

It is made mostly from recycled steel, with wraparound acoustic liners fashioned from recycled felt.

Industrial Facility said it used the minimum amount of plastic possible, but where necessary opted for recycled ocean plastic.

The workstation's small size and gliders or casters mean it can be easily moved around to utilise void office space as more people choose to work from home.

They can be used individually or grouped together, with magnetic pucks keeping them equally spaced and removing vibration from neighbouring Nooks.

Industrial Facility said the product "addresses what is now an essential activity – the ability to do focused work in open-plan offices".

It forms part of the studio's OE1 project, which seeks to revisit the purpose of the office in the wake of covid-19.

"In the research it was shown that systems furniture simply was not unto the task of dealing with huge shifts in work styles or the pandemic," Industrial Facility said.

"The Nook plays a small part in this, in that it is a piece of furniture that can be grouped together, but it always remains a nook, allowing change and agility to take place."

The workstation is customisable with employers able to choose from different colours and worktop finishes, as well as accessories such as attachable bag hooks on the legs and optional liners which add warmth and extra noise reduction.

Industrial Facility's OE1 Micro Packs, a type of height-adjustable desk, is also shortlisted in the Dezeen Awards 2021 workplace design category.

The photography is by Industrial Facility.