THE VERY BOOK: HIGH ON... OFFICE DESIGN

Introduction

"Digitalization, globalization, and demographic change have a radical impact on the way we live and work. After the Industrialization Revolution, the next major economic and cultural paradigm shift is already upon us. Artificial intelligence is taking over more and more tasks that were previously performed by humans and is making new demands on the working environment of the future. In office design, the transformation has been implemented since several years now under the term “New Work.” At the core of this is, more than anything else, the issue of employee management, in particular more collaboration on equal footing than “directives from the boss.” Flat hierarchies are also changing the design of offices towards open spaces, where employees can meet, exchange ideas, and work together. Sleeping lounges offer retreat, while bar lounges and game equipment promote team building.

The new generation of “digital nomads” choose jobs that offer them social and cultural added value in addition to their work. Increasingly, co-working offices are also emerging, where freelancers, self-employed individuals, and smaller companies can rent desks or rooms and thus make use of the existing infrastructure. All such concepts focus on people and create a pleasant atmosphere that contributes positively to the work-life balance of employees.

The projects presented in this book demonstrate how various office concepts have already been implemented in the current working world. The future will bring many new approaches with the ongoing change, as work in many industries will no longer be tied to a specific location. The worldwide, ubiquitous access to high-speed Internet will make it possible to work where we wish to live—be it by the sea, in the countryside, in the mountains, or in the big city. The design of the home office will thus move further into the foreground in the coming years, whereby the offices of companies will increasingly become event locations where lectures, seminars, or coaching sessions take place. Work and the workplace will take on a new meaning, and the significance of what we do will expandas the individual needs of employees are increasingly taken into account when designing office spaces."

Author Ralf Daab