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- Title
Will the Return to Work Mean a Return to the Open Office?
- Authors
CLARKE, JOSEPH L.
- Abstract
As employees return to the workplace post-pandemic, debates about the purpose and design of offices are resurfacing. The origins of open offices can be traced back to the late 19th century when large corporate offices emerged due to the need for administrative coordination. Initially, private offices were seen as prestigious, while open workspaces were for lower-level clerical employees. However, architects began to celebrate the spatial openness made possible by modern building technology, leading to the adoption of open-plan offices. The Bürolandschaft movement in the 1960s further transformed office design by emphasizing collaboration and communication. While open offices improved communication, they also presented acoustic challenges, which led to the recognition that certain types of noise could be useful in masking distractions. The study of architecture helps us understand the past and future of work by examining how the design of the physical environment reflects societal priorities. As for the future of office design, while there are arguments for remote work, physical offices are still important as humans are physical and social beings. However, companies and designers need to create offices that provide a tangible sense of place to demonstrate the benefits of working together in the same environment.
- Subjects
ARCHITECTURAL history; OFFICE environment; OFFICES; BUILT environment; CORPORATE headquarters
- Publication
CounterPunch, 2024, p1
- ISSN
1086-2323
- Publication type
Article