Office Design Trends

778 Words4 Pages

Client: K-Mark Description: A look at office design trends and how they've evolved over the past century. Office Trends: From the 1920s to Today Over the years, there has been a drastic change in the way office space is designed. From large offices crammed full of desks, to the more recent open-plan, collaborative spaces – office interiors have evolved to reflect attitudes to work and changes in the economy. The 1920s American engineer Frederick Taylor is credited as being one of the first people to design a modern office. His primary focus was efficiency, and his office spaces were designed to maximise productivity. In the 1920s, many American and modern European companies, including insurance agents, mail-order firms and government …show more content…

In the 1950s, the Quickborner Team in Hamburg developed the concept of “Bürolandschaft”, which literally translates as “office landscape”. This new design concept was a break from the rigidity of Taylorism, and focused more on organising office spaces to meet the needs of employees. A key feature of the “Bürolandschaft” concept was the creation of different work areas, using plants and partitions to create divisions. The 1960s In the sixties, office design became more political, and designers looked to create a more socially-democratic office layout, which encouraged interaction between employees. However, during this time, some designers rejected modernist office design in favour of more traditional layouts. As a result, the 1960s saw the rise of the cubicle, which provided workers with their own makeshift …show more content…

The introduction of the internet, laptops and cellphones allowed employees to work away from their desks. Due to the recession of the early 1990s, many businesses realised that teleworking and outsourcing could greatly reduce costs. In the late 1990s, many internet companies embraced smaller, more colourful and more casual offices, where the boundaries between both employees and spaces, as well as between work and play, were blurred. The 2000s In the 2000s “hot-desking” - where employees have no designated desk – became popular. However, sharing spaces and furniture had its drawbacks, and employees often struggled to feel at home. Following the trend of the late 1990s, many employers saw the merits of creating a fun and appealing space for their workers. The result was office spaces with pinball machines, slides and basketball hoops. The 2010s The most modern workplaces of the 2010s are high-concept, aesthetically-pleasing spaces, that encouraging a sense of community, and are focused on employee well-being. One of the most popular trends in office design today is the introduction of nature, which has calming effects and allows employees to feel connected with the outside world. Many office spaces of the 2010s are designed to be flexible, casual and

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