The Other Office Creative Workplace Design by Matthew Stewart
Written almost a decade ago you might think “The Other Office” which looks at how changes in technology and the definition of work will, and in some cases have, affected the buildings in which we work is not relevant today. However, technology has continued to advance in leaps and bounds, and the nature of work continues to change, but offices built today are often not very different from those built 50 years ago. The Other Office begins by setting out how technology, particularly communication technology has created a “shift in our sense of public and private space”; We now expect to be able to communicate instantaneously with anyone anywhere and at any time. This has an implication on how public and private spaces are defined and designed.
H2E Advertising Agency, Ludwigsburg
Since the dawn of instant communication and portable computers the role of the office has changed; Instead of being a place necessary to come to for its tools and arenas for discussion with clients and colleagues, it is now as much about being a corporate symbol as it is about work. As such, this book discusses the requirement for offices to be unique to a company and part of the desired image both in terms of architecture and interior design as well as the lifestyle that is promoted by such design.
TBWA, Chiat, Day, San Fransisco
While it is this “instant communication” now available to us that is the driving force for change in our offices, it is also the thing that many of these case studies look to encourage within their designs. That is to say that the creation of a hub or hive of activity and meeting place where people can easily and frequently communicate is almost always desired. Although many people can work from home this is not necessarily encouraged due to the increased interaction that can be achieved in a well designed office. Along with this manufactured interaction the hope is that productivity, particularly the production of ideas in a creative environment, will also be increased.
KBP West, San Francisco
Matthew Stewart explores the idea of the office being a second home. Many offices have domestic rooms such as kitchens and living areas. This is largely due to the vast amount of time currently spent in offices but also assigns formality to a place and allows for personalisation. Matthew Stewart interviewed architects and designers about workplace design and uses 34 case studies to explore where it currently stands as well as where it could be heading in the future. Offices of all scales and functions are considered and novel designs for communal work and more secluded study are investigated; the need for specific design that is still flexible is also discussed. Each project is described in detail in terms of its specific design and its intended use. Beautiful images and drawings accompany the text to illustrate the alternative office designs. The case study offices are also critiqued in terms of their performance, giving an interesting, if slightly biased, insight into what working in a “different” kind of office might be like. “The Other Office” looks to the future of office design by discussing what is currently cutting edge.
Rock architecture 