interior design and technology advances in the workplace. · workplace becoming a vast array of...

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Interior Design and Technology Advances in the Workplace.

Project Programming Prof. Esperanza MuinoFall 2019 | FIU

Leandro Lujan | Ramiro ExpositoAssignment 2

Project Typology, Historyand Trends

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Various are the definitions of workplace, some of them are abtract and refer only to the activity realized in a determined place. We have search for two very common cefinitions that round up what we understand as workplace.

From Business Dictionary “Location where a task is completed. When pertaining to a place of employment, the work environment involves the physical geographical location as well as the immediate surroundings of the workplace, such as a construction site or office building. Typically involves other factors relating to the place of employment, such as the quality of the air, noise level, and additional perks and benefits of employment such as free child care or unlimited coffee, or adequate parking”.

From Wikipedia“A workplace is a location where someone works for his or her employer, a place of employment. Such a place can range from a home office to a large office building or factory. For industrialized societies, the workplace is one of the most important social spaces other than the home, constituting a central concept for several entities: the worker and his/her family, the employing organization, the customers of the organization, and the society as a whole”.The development of new communication technologies have led to the development of the virtual workplace, a workplace that is not located in any one physical space.

WorkplaceTypology

McDonald’s Headquarter or Hamburger University. OfficeSnapshots

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For centuries people have been getting up, joining a daily commute or retreating to a room, to work. The office has become inseparable from work.

Its history illustrates not only how our work has changed but also how work’s physical spaces respond to cultural, technological and social forces.

The origins of the modern office lie with large-scale organizations such as governments, trading companies and religious orders that required written records or documentation. Medieval monks, for example, worked in quiet spaces designed specifically for sedentary activities such as copying and studying manuscripts. As depicted in Botticelli’s St Augustine in His Cell, these early “workstations” comprised a desk, chair and storage shelves.

However, despites this evidence it wasn’t until the 18th century that the dedicated office buildings began to be created.

While the way we work has evolved beyond any conceivable recognition over the past 50 years, so too has where we work, and here we take a look at the history of office design.

Where today, we have laptops, tablets and mobiles that enable us to work effectively from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection, older workplaces were designed to facilitate rows of manual white collar workers and typists, packed in tightly in an effort to maximize efficiency.

Office design has become a much more cultured process with an increasing focus on creating workplaces that center around the individual, and that promote not only productivity and efficiency but also creativity and wellbeing.

A Brief History of Workplace

Sandro Botticelli St Augustin dans son cabinet de travail or St Augustine at Work. Wikipedia Commons

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1726 20th Century

Timeline of Workplace

1729 1939

London, the first office building was build. Was know as The Old Admiralty Office. Created to handle the masses of the paperwork generate by the Royal Navy.

Emphasized efficiency and the adoption of a rigid, regiment office layout that resulted in workers sat at endless rows of desks with managers located in encircling offices where they could observe.

Construction of East India House on Leadenhall Street in London, which served as the Headquarters for East India Trading Company.

The Johnson Wax company’s open-plan office, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was primarily designed to increase productivity. Include new elements such as bright lights, warm spaces, and cork ceilings for acoustic.

Images taken from k2space.co.ukand McDonald’s HQ from Officesnapshots

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1960 1980

Present Day1968

Adopted of a more socially democratic layout which consequently encourage a great degree of human interaction and engagement. This style became known as Burolandschaft

Action Office concept evolved to a pint where employees each had their own high, tree-sided vertical division that defined their individual space, credited as Cubicle Farm.

As technology is developed, workers becoming more mobile which has ushered a golden period for office design where new, more flexible ways of working such as Agile and Activity Based Working (ABW) are increasingly popular.

Burolandschaft evolved to a new approach known as the Action Office. This model differed from the last one in that included a variety of alternate work setting for staff, increased freedom of movement and grater degree of privacy when working.

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Office Design Today

From Special Topics The way we work is shifting drastically thanks to the continuing advances in technology. This progress has changed the environment where we work, the composition and classification of the workforce, and how they develop skills around digital environments. Fast-changing work environments represent a challenge for large organization which needs to adapt and answer to these advances, in order to maintain competitive in the market.

New work modes and work processes are emerging and with them new challenges to create spaces that adapts to it. Digital tools and technology are leading the new ways of working dictating the necessary capabilities in the organizations. With this shifting a change

Image Downloaded from the Steelcase Product Catalogue. Steelcase.com

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in the environment is almost necessary, which will demand an agile response of the support services in the organization that can accommodate these adjustments easily. The development of technology is also increasing the focus on collaboration, making digital tools a critical component to achieve this activity.

Mobile technology has permitted people the possibility to choose how, when, and where they want to work. The environment has the potential to affect the performance of the workers, natural light for example is directly related with increase in performance. With this advances, collaboration and privacy are becoming vital to achieve a productive workday. A good balance

between privacy and collaboration is necesary for wellbeing and employee satisfaction.

The ability to choose where to work has been proved to offer outstanding results enhancing feelings of wellbeing. Switching workplaces places during the week may increase wellbeing of employees. Additionally,biophilic design points increase benefits in performance, user wellbeing, and health conditions in employees that are exposed to it in the workplace environment. health and cognitive functions.

Overall satisfaction with the physical environment can lead to increase productivity and wellbeing at work.

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The workplace today is utterly unrecognizable from the workplace of just a decade ago.

The rising power of the individual and the ubiquity of technology are dissolving the work-life divide. Purpose and connection are increasingly important. People are living integrated lives; the workplace of the future must incorporate experiences to reflect this mindset.

Organizations are adapting to these shift, understanding what motivates their teams—what drives them to succeed and engage—will have the competitive advantage.

Top Trends in Workplace


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The flexible, adaptable office isn’t a new phenomenon by any means but we do think flexibility will grow in importance as organizations strive to make the most efficient use of their available space.

Allied to this, staff are spending more and more time away from their desk using laptops and tablets, which has led to the modern workplace becoming a vast array of areas designed for different types of work, from concentration to collaboration. This trend is set to continue with agile work practices on the rise as companies adopt new ways of working designed to attract staff, embrace workplace wellbeing and increase productivity.

The Adaptable Workplace

Trends in Workplace

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The adaptable office mirrors this increased need for flexibility as companies create teams to deliver specific projects, resulting in the office needing to constantly adapt to different team sizes and layouts.

The goal from an office design perspective is to create a space that can easily adapt in line with changing requirements, and smart space planning and furniture choices can play a major part in achieving this.

2XMore choice in when or where to work.(38% vs 17%)

Deloitte Review, “Navigating the Future of Work”

INNOVATIVE COMPANIESHAVE

“Organizations will not only need toredesign work—they will likely need toredesign work environments to supportthis new kind of work.”

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Internet of Things:No longer a novelty

84%

Trends in Workplace

We are entering an increasingly complex technology landscape in the workplace, and companies are grappling with which technologies to integrate and how to integrate them for maximum impact.

The workforce is already accustomed to interacting with internet-connected devices: from their cars, to fitness equipment and vending machines. Now, in a dizzying attempt to leverage the latest technology, companies are experimenting with connected screens, smart tables with built-in connectivity, electrical systems, cameras, infrared sensors, climate control, net-zero buildings, and lighting controls.

Of enterprises believe investing in artificial inteligence will lead to greater competetive advantages*

*Statistica/ Standford University AI100 Study

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Delos WELL Building Standard Institute. Gensler

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As the workplace evolves and office design follows suit, more and more elements traditionally associated with the home are finding their way into the office environment.

Co-working spaces are seen by many to be responsible for numerous office design trends including this one, and with the introduction en-masse of comfy and colorful couches, armchairs and lampshades into the workplace.

We have witnessed the introduction of warm, homely areas in the workplace complete with colorful couches, coffee tables and cushions designed so staff can unwind, relax and digitally detox, so they can be at their productive and creative best.

The kitchen or breakout area is also seeing more influence from the home with readily available snacks, great quality tea and coffee and fresh fruit now readily available in many offices as ‘the kitchen becomes the heart of the office’. Don’t be surprised if you see ‘Home Sweet Office’ signs as you enter the office in the future.

Homely Office Design on the Rise

Trends in Workplace

Netflix HQ. Gensler

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Bringing the Outdoors Indoors. Biophilic Design

Trends in Workplace

As more and more studies highlight the benefits of including plant life in the workplace, such as increased oxygen levels that aid concentration and improved air quality that pretty much benefits everybody, we’re likely to see more of the outdoors moving indoors.

Biophilic design is in its simplest definition, the embedding of nature in the workplace so it can greatly improve the health and happiness of the workforce. With regard to office design, this can mean the installation of living walls, water features or even indoor gardens in the workplace. Once considered a luxury, biophilic office design is now becoming far more common with many commentators and industry figures predicting that it will grow in popularity.

Above: Sap Ostereich Offices. OfficeSnapshotRight Below: Photo taken from Steelcase.com

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“workplaces that incorporate nature can provide better and calmer adjustments that facilitate attention and restorative effects”**Rachel Kaplan/ The role of nature in the context of the workplace.

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Workplace wellbeing has been around forever or so it seems, and while once seen as a fad, it is now becoming the accepted norm in organizations of all sizes.

More and more companies are embracing proactive workplace wellbeing programmes and promoting it as part of the employment package in what is a particularly competitive market to attract the best talent. Great staff want to work in the best possible environment and as a result workplace wellbeing has shifted towards the top of the agenda.

The future workplace will further embrace wellbeing and in time, we could start to see the transformation of the traditional HR role and the emergence of a wellbeing function within the office.

Workplace Wellbeing Becomes the Norm

Trends in Workplace

Left: McDonald’s HQ. OfficeSnapshotsAbove: Photo taken from Unsplash.com

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The Rise of Evidence Based Design

Trends in Workplace As office rents increase and personal space for each employee decreases, many organisations are adopting an evidence based office design approach, where a lot of effort is undertaken at the beginning of the process to ascertain what workplace would work best.

The evidence based office design approach means that consultants and designers will engage with staff and stakeholders through workshops, utilisation studies and observational analysis to determine what any future workplace needs to deliver. From these various channels, evidence is gathered which is in turn used to influence design so the space can optimised.


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Workplace strategists and designers will work closely far more than ever before to create initial concepts and space plans that support both the qualitative and quantitative data previously gathered. While the approach isn’t ‘new’, we do feel that it will grow in importance and increasingly become the ‘norm’ during 2017 and beyond.

A well-designed workplace will understand where staff spend their time, who works closely with who and the types of spaces people need. The rise of evidence based office design is helping designers to create workplaces with hard evidence, rather than on the assumptions and opinions of senior stakeholders.

5Natural LightQuiet Working Space A View of the Sea Live Indoor Plants Bright Colors

ELEMENTS MOST WANTED IN THE OFFICE SPACE

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4- Priorize employee experienceOne of the factors that influences the experience of employees is the physical environment. Focusing on employee experience will likely have a higher rate of employee wellbeing and satisfaction

5- Brand is part of the experienceBrand is part of the strategy and also a connector between the physical environment and the employees emotions. Environmental Brand makes employees to be engaged with the workplace and thus happier.

6- Tech companies are the example to followTech companies have the higher rate of innovations in the workplace. Individuals in tech environments spend less time in their assigned seats that any other worker. According to Gensler, In 2005 tech workplaces dedicated 89% of space to individual desks. Today it’s 25%, and by 2025 is expected that individual desks may not exist.

7-Wellbeing is a must Sustainability and wellbeing are rather important to create an efective workplace.

As a result of this research, our team has establish a set of principles or guidelines to manage our project in a direction that aligns with our research topic.

From our previous literature review and the new consulted documents we have seen that technology is a disruptive element in the workplace of the future. To establish the future of the workplace, we must think beyond here we are today, anticipating where the world is headed. We envision a future where workplace design is directly connected to outcomes for people, environmental performance, and business intelligence. It begins and ends with your talent. Below we list some of the guidelines that came from our analysis.

1- Integration of Technology As the design of the workplace evolves, the technology is the main element driving the conversation. A workplace that uses newer technologies will most likely be more successful in terms of productivity and employee engagement

2- Flexible and adaptableProviding a space that allows flexibility is key to guarantee the wellbeing of employees. It also enhances the senses of controllability and hence the perception of privacy.

3- Social Workplace should provide diverse work modes ranging from focus areas to highly social environments.

Design Guidelines


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CC Sullivan, Horwitz Bennet B. (2014) Workplace design trends: Make way for the Millennials. Retrieved on September 10, 2019 from https://www.bdcnetwork.com/workplace-design-trends-make-way-millennials

Coalesse. (2019 ) Workplace trends to watch. Retrieved on September 10, 2019 from https://www.coalesse.com/blog/2019-workplace-design-trends-to-watch/

Gensler. Design Forecast. (2018) Shapping the Future of Cities.

Gensler. Dialogue (2018) Work. One size does not fit all.

Midspace. A (very) brief history of the office space. Retrieved on September 10, 2019 from https://www.mindspace.me/magazine/brief-history-office-space/

Steelcase. 360 Magazine. (2018) Fast Forward. Issue 74.

Steelcase. 360 Magazine. (2019) Fast Forward. Issue 75.

The History of Office Design (n.d) Retrieved September 10, 2019 from: https://k2space.co.uk/knowledge/history-of-office-design/

The Conversation (2017) A short history of the office. Retrieved on September 10, 2019 from http://theconversation.com/a-short-history-of-the-office-82000

Office Design Trends to Watch in 2017 (n.d) Retrieved September 10, 2019 from: https://k2space.co.uk/knowledge/office-design-trends-watch-2017/

References

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Interior Design and Technology Advances in the Workplace.

Leandro Lujan | Ramiro Exposito

Project Typology, History, and Trends

interior design and technology advances in the workplace. · workplace becoming a vast array of...

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