convergence of the alternative workplace
MEGAn STROUD
Harrington College of Design August 2015
certification This is to certify the written portion of the thesis prepared by Megan Stroud, titled: “Convergence: of the Alternative Workplace� has been approved by her committee and meets the requirements to complete the degree of Masters of Interior Design at Harrington College of Design. Completed August 14, 2015.
Louis Raia, Thesis Committee Chair
Lucy Trimarco, Thesis Committee Member/Reader
Cary Johnson, Thesis Committee Member/Reader
table of contents 04 Acknowledgements
06 Abstract
07 Biography
09 Introduction + Key Terms
12 Thesis Statement
14 Theoretical Framework
20 Social Framework
31 Case Studies
33 Synthesis + Design Drivers
36 Design Component
89 Conclusion
91 Bibliography
96 Appendix A: Research Paper
123 Appendix B: List of Illustrations
introduction
02
acknowledgements
I want to thank my amazing committee: Cary, for his invaluable experience in workplace design practice; Lucy, for her uplifting energy and technological savvy; and Lou, for his endless knowledge and incredible ability to guide and teach, while also motivating me to explore and take ownership of this process. I am immensely grateful for each of your guidance and insight throughout this thesis. I also want to thank my friends and family that supported me. To Matt Rose and Dana Karpes, thank you for your advice and for being my sanity while we worked through this process together. To my brother and sister, Blake and Bethany, thank you for your support and humor, and for being my first best friends. To my mom and dad, Susan and Alan, thank you for your endless support in my pursuit of my professional and personal goals; without your example and love and encouragement, I would not be where I am today.
04
abstract
As advancements in technology and mobility continue to change our lifestyles and work methods, the way we use space is directly affected. As people can do anything anywhere, space must be designed so that it can provide for any number of functions now taking place in them. Hospitality environments, and particularly hotels and coffee shops, have become an alternate place for people to work in, as they provide a much sought-after ambiance, and an escape from constricting offices and isolating home offices. However, these environments typically do not provide for the functionality needed for efficient working. On the flip side, traditional offices typically do not provide for the needs of individuals, providing “one size fits all� solutions and little personal comfort. Taking inspiration from the technology driving this need for change, space must become more customizable and enabling of mobility. Both hospitality and workplace environments can take inspiration from one another and converge, providing spaces that are both functional and experiential. To provide better environments for people to work in, we must adapt to a convergence of spaces that provide more choice in where and how people work.
Fig. 2
06
Biography
Megan Stroud is from Dallas, Texas. Growing up, she would occasionally go up to her dad’s office with him on the weekend. His office was very impressive and formal, and it was the first time she recognized how a space can affect a user. She earned her undergraduate interior design degree from Texas Tech University. Between school and frequently traveling during those years, she found an interest in hospitality design. After graduation, Megan moved to Chicago. While at Harrington, and during an internship at Coalesse, a workplace furniture company, she began to explore both workplace and hospitality typologies, and found an overlap between the two in the concept of third place.
07
Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Introduction Evolution of Third Place Ray Oldenburg, the widely accepted authority on the concept of “third place” argued that there are three environments we experience – the first being home, the second being work, and the third not only being somewhere we escape the former two, but a “third” place that we go to engage and connect, relax and socialize. Typically these spaces are hospitality typologies, as they fit those engaging and socializing characteristics. Recently these third places have begun to take a new shape. Beginning in the tech boom of the early 2000s, the most revolutionary companies allowed their employees to work from home. And while home served as the primary workplace for them initially, they quickly began to venture out into their local cafes or restaurants in efforts to escape the distractions and isolation that came from working at home alone; they found the third place could meet those needs. The “third place” as described by Ray Oldenburg offers not only an escape from home and work, but especially an access to community and socialization that our health and well-being depends on. Third places have long provided opportunities for people to engage and connect in ways that no other place offers – and in an era where collaboration and team efforts are valued more than ever in our work methods, these spaces may be able to provide a successful space for just that.
Convergence in Technology and Space The idea of convergence is most evident in our modern day technological devices. Evolving from the previous era of gadgetry and devices that provided separate functions and abilities, our communication technological needs have now become bundled into one device; this has enabled a level of mobility and connection like we have never seen before. The built environment must adapt similarly. In our world of constant connection and nearly unlimited mobility, supported by these technologies devices, we can do anything anywhere. Our spaces must enable that kind of mobility and blur between building program and functions of space.
09
Convergence of the Alternative Workplace This thesis seeks to combine the concepts of the evolving third place with the idea of converging space as a solution to designing an improved alternative workplace environment. By blurring the lines between hospitality and workplace typologies, a new form of space is created that reflects the needs of the mobile worker and their work lifestyle.
key terms Third Place: An environment that is separate from the first place of home and the second place of work. The third place is typically a café, lounge, or bar type of space, where a user goes to not only escape from the first or second place, but to find solace in the socialization and comfort there.
Convergence: The act of several points joining together; come together. Here it is the notion of several different technologies that come together to form one device, or several different typologies of spaces that come together to form a new multifunctioning space.
Materiality: The process of selecting and applying materials which define the character of an interior space, and inform the user’s experience of the environment.
Work-Life Balance: The concept of finding harmony between professional commitments (such as meetings or focused work) and personal commitments (such as spending time with family or friends). Currently there is an argument for “integration” instead of “balance”, which implies more of a blend or blur between commitments, as opposed to a clean separation that requires harmonizing.
Communication Technology: The devices and technologies that provide the user with the ability to communicate and connect with others; such as a smart phone, a tablet, Skype, or video conferencing.
Nomad Worker: A type of worker who primarily does their work outside of a traditional office environment, and instead works from home, at a local coffee shop, or even a co-work space. They could be a telecommuter who works for a traditional corporation or an entrepreneur with a startup; regardless, their primary office is not the traditional office, so they have no binding ties to any specific environment. They work nomadically in different locations of their choosing.
thesis statement As communication technology has evolved and made mobility an integral part of the workday, the lines between work and life have become blurred, creating a new work lifestyle. Combined with this lifestyle transformation, the demands by workers for more choice in how they work are inspiring them to seek more alternative workspaces, both in and out of the traditional office. Hospitality third places not only serve as alternative workspaces for those seeking change from the office or home environment, but also as influencers on the experience of office interiors. In order for these settings to support different work styles and habits, we must adapt to a convergence of spaces to provide more choice in where and how people work.
12
theoretical framework
14
Third place
Ray Oldenburg, an urban sociologist, and widely accepted authority on the concept of “third place”, argued that there are three places we experience – the first is home, the second is work, and the third is not only somewhere we escape the former two, but a “third” place we go to engage and connect, relax and socialize.
15
Fig. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
OLDEnBURG THEORY
1
2
3
first Place
Second Place
Third Place
Third place
More recently, these separate spaces and functions have converged. Modern technology has made it possible for people to work anywhere outside of the office, including home and third places. Third places provide an escape from the isolation of working at home, as well as a social and experiential environment.
17
Fig. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
THE EVOLUTIOn OF THIRD PLACE
Social framework
20
Social IMpact In the last few decades, paradigm shifts in culture have impact on our viewpoints toward behavior and lifestyle; these shifts have led to a viewpoint that values balance between needs of the individual and society. The factors contributing to our changing culture are: work styles, social habits, physical mobility, and digital mobility. It is not until recently that all of these components have come together and converged in their focus on balance and choice. After World War II, the embracing of the American Dream and the large move to the suburbs placed new importance on the individual’s privacy, comfort, and convenience. In the current era, the mass customization abilities of our technology, which also allows us balance of individual and connection to others, have begun to trickle into all aspects of our lives. In the history of our culture, we have never before encountered an era so strikingly defined by the balance between supporting the individual while connecting with one another. And with this dedication to serving both, comes an emphasis on the need for spaces that can provide both simultaneously.
WORK STYLES
21
SOCIAL HABITS
Fig. 10, 11, 12, 13; (opp) Fig. 14, 15
PHYSICAL MOBILITY
DIGITAL MOBILITY
INFORMATION AGE
Social focus
POST WAR
individual focus
convergence
Work + Life balance Another way to look at mobility is through the paradigm shifts in the way our culture approaches work/ life balance. In the era of pre-digital mobility, the tasks throughout our day were much more separated. We only did tasks that correlated to the place we were doing them in. The separations that once existed have all but disappeared into a much more dispersed and blended way of life. We are still doing mostly the same tasks, but now we can do them anywhere. We allot our time differently for work and home, because technology has freed us from the binds of space.
pre-digital mobility
6am
9am
12pm
5pm
10pm
12pm
5pm
10pm
post-digital mobility
6am
9am
Mobility + Technology
30 million
The main catalyst that is shaping this era of convergence in space is a high level of mobility, enabled by emerging technology. Studies identify that some 30 million Americans work from home at least once a week. And projections show that number will increase by 63% in the next 5 years.
63%
(opp) Fig. 16a, 16b; Fig. 17, 18
24
Silent Generation: born between 1929 - 1945 Baby Boomers: born between 1946 - 1964 Generation X: born between 1965 - 1978 Millennials: born between 1979 - 1997 Generation Z: born between 1997 - early ‘00s Fig. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Generation translation Silent Gen Z 1% 1%
Gen Z 10% Millennials 34%
Gen X 34%
Millennials 50% Gen X 17%
Baby Boomers 29%
Baby Boomers 23%
Another issue facing the modern workplace is the transition of multiple generations in the workforce, and how to provide spaces that each can happily and effectively work in. The previous largest generation, the Boomers, are on their way to retirement; and the next largest, the Millennials, has been entering the workforce for several years now. As Millennials dominate the workplace for the next 40 to 60 years, it is increasingly important to understand how this majority’s viewpoint will affect the nature of work.
Fig. 25a, 25b
26
Generation translation
The values and viewpoints of different generations influence their expectations of the workplace. The previous workplace environment was largely driven by Boomers, who value hierarchy structures, separation of work and life, and more individual-oriented work methods. These values translate into an environment with enclosed offices, formal meeting rooms, and high acoustical quality.
27
Fig. 26, 27, 28
Baby boomers
Generation translation
Conversely, the Millennial perspective is one that embraces diversity, wellness, and interconnectivity. They value community over hierarchy, and a collaborative culture over a competitive one. They want flexible schedules and environmentally friendly workplaces. They appreciate the mass customization, flexibility, and accessibility that technology has always afforded them.
29
Fig. 29, 30, 31
Millennials
Case Studies
31
Fig. 32, 33, 34
1
The first case study, a co-work space called 1871, is located in the Merchandise Mart here in Chicago. It provides an example of new kind of workplace, geared toward entrepreneurs in the tech field. This space allows users to work and network, within an infrastructure that provides a large variety of work settings that cater to both individuals and groups.
2
The second case study is the SoHo House, a boutique hotel located in the West Loop of Chicago. It serves as an example of converged typology within an overarching theme of hospitality; it successfully blends hotel, social club, and workplace network into one building.
3
The last case study is the Steelcase headquarters’ Work CafÊ. It shows how one major design company sought to improve their space usage and employee satisfaction with an on-site third place. By redesigning their cafeteria space, Steelcase was able to boost the overall efficiency of this space throughout the day, as well as provide more variety and choice of work settings for their employees.
1871 Co-work
soho house
steelcase workcafe
synthesis + design drivers
MATERIALITY
To create a physical environment that supports both the ambiance and the functions of the space, special attention to user comfort, improved acoustics, and furniture that is highly functional and experience-driven will be accomplished through materiality.
BALAnCE
As workers toggle between tasks, there must be a range of environments that are responding to each one equally. There must be a balanced amount, and quality of settings, that offer privacy and sharing, collaborative and focus, formal and informal.
FLEXIBILITY
With technology aiding and increasing our mobility, spaces must become hackable; they must reflect a high level of flexibility that allows them to be movable, customizable, and adaptable to changing needs.
CHOICE
A palette of options is essential to provide for the varying needs of unique individuals. An array of locations, a range of furniture settings and postures, and the ability to control environments are all methods through which choice can be given to users. Fig. 35, 36, 37, 38
design component
36
urban location
West Loop
Downtown
The location of the design test used the city of Chicago. With downtown in close proximity, the West Loop neighborhood was selected for its up-and-coming appeal, and new role as a tech hub within the city. The West Loop also has close proximity to the University of Illinois in Chicago, thus capitalizing on a unique corridor of accessibility between each neighborhood.
37
Fig. 39, 40, 41, 42 (opp)
UIC Campus
Downtown West Loop UIC Campus Corridor of Convergence: Business / High Tech
Corridor of Convergence: University / High Tech
Grand
y ed nn Ke
Hubbard
sw
es pr
Ex
LEGEnD
ay
Restaurants Coffee Shops Hotels Galleries Transit Tech Companies 1K Building
1k Fulton
Lake
Halstead
Morgan
Washington
Racine
Randolph
Urban location The West Loop location serves as a perfect example of converged typologies on an urban scale. Home to a plethora of restaurants, galleries, residential buildings, and workplaces, this neighborhood is an ideal location to test the theories of converging typologies. As noted in red, the growing percentage of tech companies sprouting up in the West Loop also contribute to its growing tenure of being one of Chicago’s biggest up-and-coming neighborhoods.The site selected is the building at 1000 West Fulton Market, or the 1K Building. As the tallest building in the area, the site has optimal views toward the downtown skyline, as well as great access to sunlight.
Kinzie
Fig. 43 (opp), 44 W Caroll
LEGEnD 1K Building
W Fulton Market
Lake
Sangamon
Morgan
Aberdeen
View of Downtown
Carpenter
Sun Path
Fig. 45, 46, 47, 48
1000 west fulton market The building is part existing and part new construction. The existing portion was historically a cold storage warehouse and is 10 stories tall. The new construction portion is 6 stories tall, and was completed the Spring of 2015.
42
users Office Worker
someone who works in a typical office environment
43
Fig. 17, 49, 18, 50, 51, 52
Business Traveler
nomad Worker
someone who is working in a hotel or local third place environments as they travel for work
someone who does not work in a traditional office, and instead works from home or a local third place environment
Building + building section For the design test, the entire building was programmed, but will focus on the first, second, fourth, and seventh floors. The programs on these floors include public amenities, hotel, and office. Fig 53
Public Amenities Hotel Office
Floor 7
Floor 4
Floor 2 Floor 1
Program
Floor 1 The programs on the first floor include a cafĂŠ, the back of house, atrium to the second floor, and retail space.
Floor 2 Work Cafe Atrium Lounge Back of House Retail
The second floor is home to the beginning of the hotel. Also on this floor are flexible classrooms and conference space, rentable meeting rooms, a think-tank and maker space, and a gallery at the base of the atrium that extends through the top of the building.
Hotel Lobby Hotel Co-Work Back of House Retail Think Tank Classrooms Rentable Meeting
floor 4 The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth floors are repeating in their layout and programs. One side is dedicated to the hotel, and the other side is for the office building, with the atrium running vertically through each floor plate.
floor 7 Hotel Rooms Office Suite 1 Office Suite 2
The seventh floor is home to an outdoor roof lounge, and on the inside is a Co-Work space, a coffee shop, and rentable event space.
Outdoor Garden Coffee Shop Co-Work Event Space
Fig. 54 a - d
46
Atrium section This cut through of the building showcases the central atrium created for this design test. In addition to infusing natural light into the interior, the atrium and green wall also provide vertical sight lines that unify the building interior as a whole. The locations of cutouts in the floorplates respond to the direction of the sun path. The curved edges of the floor cutouts, the wood siding, and the green wall provide a sense of comfort and softness to the industrial building.
Site Analysis
Fig. 55, 44
Materiality As all of the programs blend together, so does the base palette and accent palettes. Two sets of accent palettes help give each space a unique identity. Fig. 56, 57, 58
accent 1
base palette
accent 2
This material palette takes inspiration from the eclectic, industrial, and artistic vibe of the West Loop and blends with the clean, colorful, and modern environments of contemporary tech companies. Much of the interior exposes the original architecture of the building, unifying the historical context of the building and the character of the neighborhood, with its new innovative users.
Alternative workspace
Alternative Work Spaces There are several spaces within the building program that provide alternatives to the traditional workplace. Ranging from the Work CafĂŠ, to the hotel lobby, and even to the lounge areas within the office suites, there are ample opportunities for users to experience a convergent alternative workspace. In addition to designing alternate work spaces on a large programmatic scale, specific furniture arrangements were developed and used as modules that could be repeated and customized to any program typology. Extensive research on commercial furniture manufactures was completed to source the ideal furniture for these modules.
Alternative work modules: cafe Coalesse: Lagunitas
Banquette Herman Miller: Eames
HighTower: Teton Tables Kitchen
Community Table
Inspired from elements found in cafes, the settings of the kitchen, the community table, and banquette seating can be applied to any hospitality or workplace environment. Fig. 59 (opp), 60 - 66
Emeco: Lancaster Stools
Alternative work modules: individual Steelcase: Brody
Coalesse: Lagunitas Enclosed with walls
Partially Enclosed
Furniture
Furniture
Coalesse: Lagunitas
Various seating settings were also developed in response to the toggling nature of work methods, providing spaces for individuals to do focus work... naughtone: Hush
Fig. 67 - 75
Alternative work modules: group Steelcase: Mediascape
Coalesse: SW_1
Enclosed with walls
Coalesse: Lagunitas
Furniture
Herman Miller: Wireframe
Furniture
...as well as spaces for groups to do collaborative work. Both provide ranges for differing levels privacy and acoustical needs. Fig. 76 - 84
naughtone: Hush Low
process
These process sketches illustrate the extensive iterations of the space plan that were developed. To physically manifest the research findings into the building, thorough space planning was essential to arrive at the best final design solution.
53
Fig. 85 - 92
floor 1
The ground floor marks the entrance of the building for users. The core of elevators that extends throughout the building is located in the center, and easily viewable from either point of entry.
Work Cafe
A separate set of elevators gives hotel guests easy access to the hotel side of the building.
Retail
Retail and public amenities are located around outside ring of the building.
55
Fig. 93
Atrium Lounge Back of House Elevators
n Morgan St
Salon
Daycare
Dry Cleaner
Work Cafe
Atrium
Yoga Studio Gym
Retail
W Fulton Market
Back of House
WOrk Cafe
work cafe
The Work CafĂŠ serves as a prominent draw to the building for the community, as well as an amenity for those staying in the hotel or belonging to one of the offices. A warm atmosphere is created using reclaimed wood and accents of poppy red and mustard yellow.
57
Fig. 93, 94 (opp)
nd
Atrium to 2 floor
atrium
The atrium that connects the first floor to the second floor provides abundant lounge seating and a memorable entrance to the hub that is the second floor atrium. Maintained throughout the entire building, the existing concrete flooring and column structure and brick walls, provide an authentic connection to the building’s original role as an industrial warehouse. The curved lines of the atrium cutouts and use of modern murals and wood sculpture interject the modern and artistic quality of the neighborhood.
59
Fig. 93, 95 (opp)
floor 2
After arriving on the second floor from the elevators or the staircase, users encounter more public amenities around the edge of the east side and the base of the hotel on the west side.
Hotel Lobby Hotel Co-Work Back of House Retail Think Tank Classrooms Rentable Meeting Elevators
61
Fig. 96
Classrooms
Think Tank
Open to Below
Rentable Meeting Rooms
Gallery
Hotel Co-Work Gym
Open to Below Hotel Lobby
Back of House
nd
2 Floor gallery + atrium
Open to Below
atrium + gallery
The base of the main atrium on this floor is also home to a gallery space. Here, the green wall that extends up the length of the building is a defining quality of the space, and provides an element of sustainability and natural aesthetic. The two stairways include spacious landing areas for lounging and sight-seeing.
Open to Below
63
Fig. 96, 97 (opp)
hotel lobby On the other side of the building, guests using the hotel elevators find themselves dropped directly into the Hotel Lobby. Here, guests may check in and out of the hotel, or stay and work in adaptable settings. Unlike typical hotel lobbies, this space includes settings with ample horizontal work surfaces, ergonomic seating, and power outlets to increase productivity for working. A small atrium and green wall mimics the main atrium in its efforts toward sustainability and nature-induced comfort.
Open to Below
lobby
Open to Below
65
Fig. 96, 98 (opp)
hotel co-work next door to the lobby, the Hotel Co-work is a new take on the traditional business center. It provides guests with a more extensive option to work in while travelling for business, including sit-stand desks, enclosed meeting rooms, a kitchenette, and lounges with laptop tables. The material applications here are casual, subdued, and welcoming.
hotel co-work
Open to Below
67
Fig. 96, 99 (opp)
Open to Below
floor 4
The fourth floor shows the typical layout for floors three through six. The hotel is located on the west side. The atrium is located directly in front of the hotel elevators. The corner above the atrium and elevators on each floor is dedicated to a small work lounge for hotel guests. On the east side of the building are the offices suites. The large atrium runs through this portion of the plan, always on the other side of the elevator bank. Each floor can house one or two office suites.
69
Fig. 100
Hotel Rooms Office Suite 1 Office Suite 2 Elevators
Office Suite 1 Office Suite 2
Open to Below
Open to Below Hotel Rooms
hotel room Inside the hotel rooms guests have a sit-stand desk, as well as a mobile work lounge with a tablet and storage ottoman, as a means to provide two different, yet highly functional work settings within the comfort of one hotel room. Soft upholsteries and warm woods combine with the concrete architecture to create an eclectic loft-like experience.
Open to Below
71
Fig. 100, 101 (opp)
hotel rooms
Open to Below
office suite 1 The design of this office suite serves as an example of a workplace with third-place settings fully integrated into the workplace environment, or “highly convergent�.
office suite 1
All settings provide for both individual and group-oriented work tasks. In this suite, there are no assigned seats. Instead of traditional desk furniture, there is an equal mix of benching desk systems and third-place settings.
Open to Below
Open to Below
73
Fig. 100, 102 (opp)
office suite 1
office suite 1
These settings include all the necessary functionality of work, but utilize a more lounge-like approach to furniture and materials. To accomplish a casual and comfortable vibe, a palette of energetic colors in playful patterns is combined with rough and unfinished light stained wood and concrete.
Open to Below
Open to Below
75
Fig. 100, 103 (opp)
office suite 2
Open to Below
77
Fig. 100, 104 (opp)
office suite 2
This office suite demonstrates how a more traditional office space can incorporate third-place settings. Instead of being fully integrated, this office suite interjects third-place environments into spaces that are typically wasted or less efficient in their current use; such as breakrooms or hallways. Here, the corridor on the atrium provides an experiential ambiance where users can work individually or meet in groups.
Open to Below
office suite 2
Open to Below
79
Fig. 100, 105 (opp)
office suite 2
What might have been an under-utilized breakroom has been designed as a cafĂŠ environment where users can take a break from their desk without having to leave the office. The palette in this suite includes neutrals with accents of subdued color, as well as refined textures and pattern. These selections create an environment that maintains a high level of professionalism and sophistication, while still providing alternative workplace environments.
Open to Below
floor 7
On the seventh floor, the new construction portion of the building ends here in the roof garden while the existing building continues on for several more floors.
Outdoor Garden Coffee Shop Co-Work Event Space Elevators
81
Fig. 106
Co-Work
Event Space
Coffee Shop
Open to Below
Open to Below Outdoor Garden
th
7 floor coffee shop
Open to Below
coffee shop
After entering through the elevator bank, the coffee shop is located between the Co-Work and the atrium. It provides a variety of seating options, and warmth comes from the colors and wood accents. It also shares a unique interface with the Co-work office suite, with a two sided coffee service counter and partial walls dividing them. This level of permeability between these spaces allows for the appealing atmosphere to flow openly between the two.
Open to Below
83
Fig. 106, 107 (opp)
co-work
co-work
The Co-Work provides a workspace for entrepreneurs and independent workers to escape the distractions and isolation of working at home, while also providing a more functional workspace than the traditional third place environment. It contains a mix of traditional settings, like desk systems and conference rooms, but with an equal number of third-place work settings as well. The balance of individual and group settings promotes a networking and collaborative aspect that these nomads would not get from working in isolation elsewhere.
Open to Below
Open to Below
85
Fig. 106, 108 (opp)
outdoor work lounge After passing through the core of elevators or through the cafĂŠ guests can go out onto the outdoor roof garden. As convergent workspaces bring different people together, this is a place where people can come together and enjoy the outdoors. With plentiful gardens and covered patios, this outdoor work lounge provides a variety of functional lounge settings for users to both socialize and work in.
Open to Below
87
Fig. 106, 109 (opp)
outdoor work lounge
Open to Below
conclusion
As mobility and technology continues to impact our culture and lifestyle, interior space must adapt to reflect the changing behaviors of how we use space. Design that provides for a higher level of flexibility, balance, and choice will create spaces that allow individuals to alter space to suit their changing needs, and provide an overall improved user experience.
89
Fig. 94, 98, 105, 95
convergence
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June 7. http://www.steelcase.com/insights/articles/making-waymaking-education/. Merriam-Webster. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/converging “Millennials Define the Creative Workspace - Workplace Strategy and Design - Architecture and Design.” 2015. Accessed May 31. http:// www.gensleron.com/work/2015/3/30/millennials-define-the-creativeworkspace.html. “Millennials Surpass Gen Xers as the Largest Generation in U.S. Labor Force | Pew Research Center.” 2015. Accessed August 1. http://www. pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/11/millennials-surpass-gen-xersas-the-largest-generation-in-u-s-labor-force/. “‘Millennials:’ The New Face of Business Travel - CNN.com.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/19/ business/millennials-the-new-face-of-business-travel/. “Mobile Technology Fact Sheet | Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.” 2014. Accessed October 27. http://www. pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/. “New Technologies New Behaviors - New_Technologies_New_ Behaviors.pdf.” 2014. Accessed December 2. http://www. hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/documents/research_ topics/New_Technologies_New_Behaviors.pdf. “NetWork - FinalNetWorkPaper.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 17. http://cms.allsteeloffice.com/SynergyDocuments/FinalNetWorkPaper. pdf. Oldenburg, Ray: The Great Good Place: cafés, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of the community. New York: Marlowe & Company 1989, 1997, 1999. “Project for Public Spaces | Ray Oldenburg.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.pps.org/reference/roldenburg/.
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bibliography “Quiet Spaces | V.I.A. | Architectural Walls | Architectural Solutions | Category | Products | Steelcase - Office Furniture.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/ architectural/archwalls/via/pages/quiet-spaces.aspx. “R1410C-PDF-ENG.PDF.” 2014. Accessed October 3. file:///C:/ Users/Megan/AppData/Local/Temp/Temp1_Attachments_2014103. zip/R1410C-PDF-ENG.PDF. “R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 3. file:///E:/ Thesis%20Prep/Research/R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf. “R1410E-PDF-ENG.PDF.” 2014. Accessed October 3. file:///E:/ Thesis%20Prep/Research/R1410E-PDF-ENG.PDF. “Real Work – Steelcase.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http:// www.steelcase.com/insights/articles/real-work/?utm_ content=buffer96ad0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin. com&utm_campaign=buffer. “Reinventing the Workplace: [Re]Work - Workplace Strategy and Design - Gensler.” 2014. Accessed September 17. http://www.gensleron. com/work/2014/2/4/reinventing-the-workplace-rework.html. “Reinventing the Workplace: The Cloud Collective - Workplace Strategy and Design - Gensler.” 2014. Accessed October 4. http://www. gensleron.com/work/2013/12/4/reinventing-the-workplace-the-cloudcollective.html. “Soho House Chicago | Home.” 2014. Accessed October 20. http:// www.sohohousechicago.com/. “Soho House Chicago: An Exclusive First Look - Chicago Tribune.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.chicagotribune.com/ business/ct-soho-house-0810-biz-20140810-story.html#page=1. “The Death Of The Office: What Happens When The Workspace Is Mobile, On-Demand And All About Networking - Forbes.” 2015. Accessed May 31. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ jeannemeister/2013/11/06/the-death-of-the-office-what-happens-whenthe-workspace-is-mobile-on-demand-and-all-about-networking/.
“The Destination WorkplaceWork Design Magazine.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://workdesign.com/2014/10/destinationworkplace/. “The Nomadic Fringe | Coalesse.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.coalesse.com/about/insights/the-nomadic-fringe/. “The Sharing Economy: What’s in It for Me?Work Design Magazine.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://workdesign.com/2014/10/ sharing-economy-whats/. “Third Place Whitepaper_LowRes_tcm8-44973.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.regus.com/images/Third%20Place%20 Whitepaper_LowRes_tcm8-44973.pdf. “Top 10 Hospitality Industry Trends in 2014 | By Robert Rauch, CHA.” 2014. Accessed October 19. http://www.hospitalitynet.org/ news/4063217.html. “Travel Facts and Statistics | U.S. Travel Association.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.ustravel.org/news/press-kit/travel-facts-andstatistics. “Trends of the Next Generations of Travel: The Millennials. - Wednesday, 24th April 2013 at 4Hoteliers.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.4hoteliers.com/features/article/7599. “Un/Tethered | 360 Research | Resources | Steelcase.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://360.steelcase.com/articles/untethered/. “US Workplace Trends Survey Results - Herman_Miller_Workplace_ Trends_US_6-6-14.pdf.” 2014. Accessed December 2. http://www. hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/documents/research_ topics/Herman_Miller_Workplace_Trends_US_6-6-14.pdf. “What Is Authentic Design in the Mobil | People | Interior Design.” 2015. Accessed May 31. http://www.interiordesign.net/articles/ detail/36489-neocon-east-principals-roundtable/. “What Millennials Want In The Workplace (And Why You Should Start Giving It To Them) - Forbes.” 2015. Accessed May 31. http://www. forbes.com/sites/robasghar/2014/01/13/what-millennials-want-in-
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Appendix a: research paper
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Table of contents Key Terms and Definitions
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Abstract
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Researcher Background
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Introduction
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Thesis Statement
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Paradigm Shifts Leading to the Convergence of Space
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Workplace and the Transformation of the Worker
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Case Studies
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Synthesis
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Site Analysis
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Stakeholders
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Programming
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Design
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Conclusion
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KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
ABSTRACT
Third Place: An environment that is separate from the first place of home and the second place of work. The third place is typically a café, lounge, or bar type of space, where a user goes to not only escape from the first or second place, but to find solace in the socialization and comfort there.
As advancements in technology and mobility continue to change our lifestyles and work methods, the way we use space is directly affected. As people can do anything anywhere, space must be designed so that it can provide for any number of functions now taking place in them. Hospitality environments, and particularly hotels and coffee shops, have become an alternate place for people to work in, as they provide a much sought-after ambiance, and an escape from constricting offices and isolating home offices. However, these environments typically do not provide for the functionality needed for efficient working. On the flip side, traditional offices typically do not provide for the needs of individuals, providing “one size fits all” solutions and little personal comfort.
Convergence: The act of several points joining together; come together. Here it is the notion of several different technologies that come together to form one device, or several different typologies of spaces that come together to form a new multifunctioning space. Materiality: The process of selecting and applying materials which define the character of an interior space, and inform the user’s experience of the environment. Work-Life Balance: The concept of finding harmony between professional commitments (such as meetings or focused work) and personal commitments (such as spending time with family or friends). Currently there is an argument for “integration” instead of “balance”, which implies more of a blend or blur between commitments, as opposed to a clean separation that requires harmonizing.
Taking inspiration from the technology driving this need for change, space must become more customizable and enabling of mobility. Both hospitality and workplace environments can take inspiration from one another and converge, providing spaces that are both functional and experiential. To provide better environments for people to work in, we must adapt to a convergence of spaces that provide more choice in where and how people work.
RESEARCHER BACKGROUND Communication Technology: The devices and technologies that provide the user with the ability to communicate and connect with others; such as a smart phone, a tablet, Skype, or video conferencing. Nomad Worker: A type of worker who primarily does their work outside of a traditional office environment. They might be someone who works from home, at a local coffee shop, or even a co-work space; they could be a telecommuter who works for a traditional corporation or an entrepreneur with a startup. Regardless, their primary office is not the traditional office, and therefore has no binding ties to any environment. Instead they work nomadically in different locations of their choosing.
Megan Stroud grew up in Dallas, where family and socializing were a huge part of her life. Her most standout memories center on times when her family and friends got together and ate, or when they travelled for vacations or soccer tournaments. She also loved going up to her father’s office in downtown Dallas with him on the weekends, and experiencing those impressive environments. Those experiences occurred in hospitality and work place environments, and contributed to her interest in those typologies when she went to design school. While studying design in undergrad at Texas Tech University and graduate school at Harrington College of Design, she got her first
opportunities to experiment with workplace and hospitality design. And when it came time to develop her thesis topic, she investigated ways of bringing the two typologies together. She found that intersection in the concept of Third Place.
INTRODUCTION
Evolution of Third Place Ray Oldenburg, the widely accepted authority on the concept of “third place” argued that there are three environments we experience – the first being home, the second being work, and the third not only being somewhere we escape the former two, but a “third” place that we go to engage and connect, relax and socialize. Typically these spaces are hospitality typologies, as they fit those engaging and socializing characteristics. Recently these third places have begun to take a new shape. Beginning in the tech boom of the early 2000s, the most revolutionary companies allowed their employees to work from home. And while home served as the primary workplace for them initially, they quickly began to venture out into their local cafes or restaurants in efforts to escape the distractions and isolation that came from working at home alone; they found the third place could meet those needs. The “third place” as described by Ray Oldenburg offers not only an escape from home and work, but especially an access to community and socialization that our health and well-being depends on. Third places have long provided opportunities for people to engage and connect in ways that no other place offers – and in an era where collaboration and team efforts are valued more than ever in our work methods, these spaces may be able to provide a successful space for just that.
Convergence in Technology and Space The idea of convergence is most evident in our modern day technological devices. Evolving from the previous era of gadgetry and
devices that provided separate functions and abilities, our communication technological needs have now become bundled into one mobile device; this has enabled a level of mobility and connection like we have never seen before. The built environment must adapt similarly. In our world of constant connection and nearly unlimited mobility, supported by these technologies devices, we can do anything anywhere. Our spaces must enable that kind of mobility and blur between building program and functions of space.
Convergence, of the Alternative Workplace: This thesis seeks to combine the concepts of the evolving third place with the idea of converging space as a solution to designing an improved alternative workplace environment. By blurring the lines between hospitality and workplace typologies, a new form of space is created that reflects the needs of the mobile worker and their work lifestyle.
THESIS STATEMENT As communication technology has evolved and made mobility an integral part of the workday, the lines between work and life have become blurred, creating a new work lifestyle. Combined with this lifestyle transformation, the demands by workers for more choice in how they work are inspiring them to seek more alternative workspaces, both in and out of the traditional office. Hospitality third places not only serve as alternative workspaces for those seeking change from the office or home environment, but also as influencers on the experience of office interiors. In order for these settings to support different work styles and habits, we must adapt to a convergence of spaces to provide more choice in where and how people work.
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PARADIGM SHIFTS LEADING TO THE CONVERGENCE OF SPACE The last one hundred years have held a large concentration of paradigm shifts within our culture that has guided our lifestyles, needs, and wants. Each of these shifts in viewpoint has led to our current persuasion of seeking balance between personal needs and a group effort. In order to show this evolution toward balance, specific contributing factors were analyzed over the course of several eras. Those factors are: work styles, social habits, physical mobility, and digital mobility. The factors that focus on people – work styles and social habits – have varied histories of bouncing between focusing on the needs of social groups or of individuals. Similarly, the factors of physical mobility and digital have aligned in their ability to enable people to connect anywhere and anytime like never before, while also aiming to provide for the individual. It is not until recently that all of these components have come together and converged in their primary focus on balance and choice.
Industrial Era, Late 1800’s to 1920: Inventions of the telephone in communication technologies, and the airplane and automobile in transportation, are in simultaneous effort to overcome distance and connect to other people and places. Also most people lived in cities where third places were highly sought after as places to escape home and work. Work environments are defined by Taylorism, where the physical condition is orients large groups of desks sitting together in one open space; however the method of work is largely independent. Post War Era, 1950s-70s: After World War II, the embracing of the American Dream and the large move to the suburbs placed new importance on the individual’s privacy, comfort, and convenience. Fax machines and floppy disks aid people in their individual work. Work methods continued to be more individual task oriented1. The widespread use of cars and the construction of streets and highways was the largest development of this era, and revolutionized American culture. It allowed people to escape the communal hub of the city and provided for the individual’s
convenience over anything other motivation. With less people in the city, and more people content to stay within the comfort and convenience of their homes, social spaces took on less importance.
Information Age, 1980s - early 90s: The emphasis on individual interests continues to heighten in work and social sectors. The invention of the cubicle constrains people to working individually. Social spaces in suburbs continue to compete with the convenience of home, and struggle to be as relevant as they once were. And hotels begin to market toward individual types of travelers. However, the developments of revolutionizing communication technologies, the computer and cell phones, root the beginning of a movement toward a renewed interest in collabm loration and socialization. Era of Mass Customization, Late 90s to now: In the first part of this era, the refocusing on social motivation encouraged a shift in all threads. Companies begin to place a huge importance on collaboration and start designing their offices with open offices systems to reflect that. Third places experience renewed use as people begin to work in them2. An awareness of human impact on the environment encourages public transportation, biking, and carpooling, which place the benefit of the public over individual convenience. The further development of cell phones into smart phones marks the beginning of an era that values both connection to others and individual needs simultaneously; it provides personal convenience and a product that can be customized to the individual, as well as the ability to connect the user to others all over the world. In recent years the mass customization abilities of our smart phones, that allow us balance of individual and connection, have begun to trickle into all aspects of our lives. In work styles, offices are beginning to realize the need for spaces that support both group work and individual focus tasks3. With the two large generations of Millennials and Baby Boomers moving back into cities, there is a large demand for community hubs that provide social settings and personal space. Transportation technologies still provide cars on widespread scale for individual convenience,
but the development of the high speed rail promises a revolutionary means of physically connecting people that would also provide convenience for the individual. In the history of our culture, we have never before encountered an era so defined by seeking balance between supporting the individual while connecting with one another. And with this dedication to serving both, comes an emphasis on the need of spaces that can provide for both simultaneously. It is here that we find a need for a convergence of space. Providing balance means providing environments that can serve the physical and digital functions of both individuals and groups of inhabitants.
WORKPLACE AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORKER To understand the need for a convergence of space that will serve as improved secondary/alternative workspaces, there must first be a thorough understanding of the current trends and issues related to the modern workplace. By beginning first with these trends and issues on the broad scale of the workplace, and then narrowing down to the concerns and needs of different types of workers, a transcending narrative for the need of choice is revealed. The Modern Workplace There are widespread issues encountered by all workplaces – corporation or entrepreneur, large or small office size, traditional or newer fields of work – that are results of evolving culture and technologies. There then comes a need for the environments we work in to reflect these changes. The largest current widespread issues include: The transformations brought on by technology and mobility, The struggle for balancing work and life commitments, The recognition that different individuals have different needs, often due to differences in generation or personality type
Better work places and alternative workspaces can be designed by addressing each of these issues.
Mobile Work: “Mobility may be one of the most significant changes technology has wrought.”4. The explosion of communication technology in the current era has not only altered the ability for us to communicate, but how. The speed, what reach, and how often we can do so have revolutionized our connection with people; we can connect with anyone, anywhere, at any time5. This revolution has changed how we work. The previous era of workers tied to their desks is moving into an emerging landscape that reflects the freedom and mobility our technology has provided us with. As the office becomes more barrier-free, so does the physical office environment. And as these barriers have fallen away, so have the hierarchies and traditional boundaries that defined the traditional office; in its place are more collaborative, continuously evolving networks that call for different methods and styles of working. Work has become more distributed, utilizing both face to face and virtual interactions to complete tasks.6
Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf. 4. “The Destination WorkplaceWork Design Magazine.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://workdesign.com/2014/10/destinationworkplace/.
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This change has resulted in the largest development in the workplace – the invention of the mobile worker. Spanning definitions of a typical office worker checking email on the train on their commute, to a person working on a laptop in a hotel lobby while traveling for business, to a telecommuter working from home or a coffee shop, the mobile worker has become an intrinsic piece of the workplace and work culture (WP-30 p29). And there is no sign of this technology-enabled mobility letting up. The following statistics illustrate not only the current prevalence and high distribution of communication technology devices, but the likelihood of this trend continuing: •Percentage of American Adults, since January 2014, that use personal modern technologies: 90% have a mobile phone, 58% have a smartphone, 42% have a tablet computer (T-2) •One fourth of the world’s population became smartphone users by 2014. (T-4) •One third of the world’s population will be smartphone users by 2017. (T-4) •More than 5 billion people will be connected by mobile devices by 2025. (WP-30 p37)
away. For businesses, mobile work means potential for downsizing real estate and more access to a global-scale talent pull. For the individual worker, it means more ease in balancing work and life commitments, and higher ability to escape from frequently too collaborative-concentrated open offices in effort to do more focused work elsewhere. It also means improved performance, as workers have flexibility to work when most productive. Finally, mobile work also has an environmental impact, leading to a decrease in energy use and reductions in emissions and carbon footprint. (WP-30 p41-67) With there being a clear argument for mobility work sticking around, what does it mean for space and for offices? Most research that asks this question argues that it is becoming increasingly important to rethink how we approach office space with technology in mind. In a study by a team at Herman Miller, research was conducted to understand the behaviors and trends associated with technology, in an effort to develop new design solutions that can respond to the issues. The research identifies the widespread problem that physical spaces frequently do not support the multitude of technology devices that are being used in them, for both offices and other places being worked in. It also raises the issue that spaces must be designed for both face to face and virtual communication. (T-3)
In direct relation to work and mobility, these statistics illustrate how entrenched technology has become in the way we work: •89 of the top 100 U.S. companies offer telecommuting (WP-30 p36) •58% of companies consider themselves a virtual workplace(WP-30 p36) •67% of all workers use mobile and wireless computing (WP-30 p36) •By 2016, 63 million Americans, or 43% of the US workforce, are expected to be telecommuters (WP-28) •30 million Americans work from home at least once a week, with that number increasing by 63% in the next few years (WP-36) •70% of employees work from alternative locations to the office on a regular basis (WP-36)
A study by Steelcase focuses on the issue that technology has made work more dispersed, and collaboration often means working with people outside your office; in fact, 62% of workers regularly collaborate with people in different geographies and time zones. Identifying some of the same issues as the Herman Miller study, Steelcase argues that many physical spaces do not provide solutions to the issues of “presence disparity”, where there is disconnect between workers trying to interact and collaborate virtually. People communicating via telephone or video chat often suffer from technology glitches, difficulty seeing or hearing one another properly, and after the meeting is over, not being able to share content or interact in real time. (WP-33)
There are also too many advantages of mobile work for it to every go
The main lesson learned in the study by Herman Miller, is that with
technology and mobility becoming an integral part of work, an opportunity rises for the users to have more freedom in where and how they work. (T-3) In order for these spaces better option for people to do work, the physical environment must adapt to this freedom and integration of technology.
The Work + Life Balance: With the paradigm shifts in technology resulting in mobility becoming an integral part of our work life, it is important to understand how those changes have altered our lifestyle as a whole. The separations that once existed pre-digital mobility era have all but disappeared into a much more dispersed and blended way of life (WP-7). The diagram on page (point to index) illustrates these contrasting timelines. In the previous era of pre-digital mobility, the tasks throughout our day were much more separated and defined. When a person was at home, they did home related tasks or activities. When they were at work, they focused solely on work tasks. When it was their lunch break, they stepped away for lunch. Then they would go back to work and go back to work focus. And then they went home for the day, they did exclusively home activities, before starting the cycle all over again the next day. Since developing technology that allows people to take work everywhere, how we expend our time has become blurred. We are still doing essentially the same work and life tasks, but when and where we do them has changed drastically. Now we take work tasks home and do home activities during work hours. We check our email while we eat breakfast or on the train during our commute. We leave work a little early to take a kid to a school function, because we can do the task we would have done during that time at home later. When people have liberation from all physical and temporal barriers, they have the freedom to decide what, how, and when they do things (WP-30). This issue of work and life balance (or as some argue, integration WP-
36) has become so relevant that it is something workers now look for when job hunting; research from Knoll identifies that that workers seek out jobs that give them flexibility and freedom to choose their own work hours and location (WP-28). This freedom in allocation not only means ability to attend to personal or family matters more easily, but also the potential that people can work when and how they are most productive (WP-30 pg62). While this freedom of choosing when to work often results in technically longer work days, it also means we have more control and therefore less stress; research shows these contribute to improved health, more productivity, and great job satisfaction. (Wp-30) On the flip side, having the ability to toggle between work and life so easily also means never fully abandoning either one (WP-21). This raises the issue of privacy and downtime: if we are always connected, then we are always on. In a world where we are always multitasking and constantly inundated with information, workers are left in a state of prolonged “partial attention�, which cuts into our time for deep thinking and reflection. And research shows we need downtime to reflect and recharge, for the benefit of our health, wellbeing, and productivity (WP11). So although work and life integration enabled by our technology and mobility are highly beneficial for the freedom to balance and tend to each one, we also must face the issues of lost privacy and downtime that come from the loss of separation. Footnotes
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Designers have to understand what all of this means for physical space. One way to answer this issue is through furniture applications. This issue of crossover has even become a platform for one major furniture manufacture’s brand; Coalesse operates on the notion that with the blurring of lines between work and life functions, space and furniture must reflect that blur. Their product offers furniture that “crosses over” between work and life functions seamlessly. Their approach integrates functionality and flexibility of work needs, with the comfort and aesthetics of home. (Wp-4) As this issue of work and life balance continues, especially with the continued expansion and distribution of mobility and technology, more will have to be done by designers to answer to the needs of workers attempting to toggle back and forth between commitments. Physical space must answer to this blurring in the same way that it must answer to integrating technology. Likely, a convergence of space will be needed to solve this issue as well.
The Individual’s Needs: American culture has always been interested in the individual and individual needs, but it is not until recently that there has been huge push toward recognizing the individual’s needs in the workplace. Work has always been a cookie cutter solution. Even as the environments of offices have changed, from Taylorism offices, to cubicles, to the modern open office, every worker was still provided with the same solution (citation). It is not until recently that our culture has begun to seek ways to providing more specialized work solutions that answer to an individual’s preferences. As unique as each individual is, personal preferences can be attributed to several factors that inform personality. The most relevant and widespread factors to workplace are the generation an individual belongs to, or their introverted or extroverted personality type.
The Generation Transition: A large issue facing the modern workplace is the transition of multiple generations in the workforce, and how to provide spaces that each can happily and effectively work in.
We are in an era with a multitude of generations working together, with the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y occupying the workforce (WP-29). The previous largest generation, the Boomers, is on their way out; and the next largest, Gen Y or Millennials, has been entering the workforce for several years now. And this influx is fast approaching: by 2020, Millennials will make up over 50% of the workforce, and Boomers will comprise only 23% (wp-29 p1). As Millennials dominate the workplace for the next 40 to 60 years, it is increasingly important to understand their work methodologies and how their preferences will affect the nature of work culture, lifestyle, and settings as a whole (WP-29). In fact, most research argues that this generation is already shaping work methods and how companies interact with employees (WP-10). By understanding the values of Millennials, we can analyze fhow their viewpoint will translate into their expectations of the workplace. The Millennial perspective is one that embraces diversity, wellness, authenticity, and interconnectivity; they value community over hierarchy structures, coaching and empowerment over commands and control from bosses, and an entrepreneurial spirit over the characterization of an employee (WP-26). They prefer a collaborative culture over a competitive one, want flexible schedules and work-life integration, and seek jobs where they can truly make a difference, as opposed to simply filling a spot at a faceless company (WP-24). Ninety-six percent of them want their workplace to be environmentally friendly (WP-28). And as a generation that grew up with the boom of modern technology, they inherently appreciate the mass customization, flexibility, and accessibility that technology has always afforded them. This generation will bring those expectations into the workplace and the workplace environment. (wp-3) In a study completed by Knoll, different generations rated various features of the workplace by importance. The experiences and values of held by different generations lead them to place different levels of importance on various work features and methods, and the Millennials are no exception. The study found that Millennials value flexibility, work as an experience, collaborative work, and integration (WP-29). It was revealed that
Millennials valued an engaging work experience as the most important of workplace environments, and the quality of meetings spaces as the lowest; this is in direct contrast to the Boomers, who rated these exactly opposite. Other issues of the workplace environment, such as support for casual interaction, physical comfort, and safety and security, all measured of equal importance to Millennials. It should also be noted that Gen X was not far off from the Millennials in their ratings of these particular issues, so it can be assumed that it is not only the large numbers of Millennials driving change, but also the demand for this new work style by Gen X as well. (wp-29 p7-8) Knoll then sought to identify changes in the workplace that will likely occur to suit this majority generation’s preferences. They predict that as Millennials rated an engaging workplace as a top priority, the idea that a workplace should be an experience which provides connection with people and the company will become a necessity. Workplaces will need to evolve from strictly functional, instead embracing the work and life blur and providing for social and emotional needs. Work spaces will need to provide a comforting and engaging experience. (wp-29 p7-8) Another change that the study anticipates is the need for spaces to support the integrated work style and flexibility that Millennials so easily and quickly embrace from their upbringing in the technology age. There must be a seamless transition between collaborative group work modes, and individual focus modes. With multi-tasking and group work being so ingrained in the way that Millennials do work, they need spaces that reflect those abilities. An article by Gensler also highlights this issue: a generation accustomed to the flexibility and anywhere-ness of technology makes the idea of being tethered to one spot in an office not only foreign, but undesirable. Instead they prefer the flexibility and autonomy of the mobile worker, where the freedom to customize their schedule, location, and task is innate. They also enjoy working from non-traditional settings, and using the latest technology (WP-28). As this majority of the workforce rejects the routine of the previous workday, workplace strategy will have to be rethought to incorporate the demands of the new majority. The Knoll study projects that the new workplace will be active in feel,
and provide highly flexible furniture and furnishings that create a space that can be highly adaptable to transitions. (wp-29 p8) It will have to provide for a wide range of work styles and support a seamless flow of work, unlimited by location. (WP-17) The last change the Knoll study addresses is that of interaction. It argues that Millennials’ preference for less structure and formality, and more non-traditional and casual exchanges, will cause the nature of meetings to change significantly. And the space these meetings take place in will change similarly. Millennials are a tribal group, who learned to study in groups and highly value socialization; so those become importance parts of work methods and culture, in that collaboration is their preferred method of working (WP-30). The office landscape will evolve to provide less formal meeting rooms and offices, and instead provide more informal meeting spaces, huddle rooms, and amenity spaces; all of which support the shorter, informal meeting style. (wp-29 p8-9) By analyzing the needs, work styles, and preferences of the particular generations of workers that will be dominating the workforce, conclusions can be drawn as to what the future workplace will look like. With Millennials becoming such a large and dominating group in the workforce, it is helpful to understand their values especially. The concept of offering choice in how people work is relevant in two ways in the Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf.
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generation transition discussion. In the first, based on the values of Millennials, choice provides the best solution to support their demands for engaging work experiences, flexibility, and integrated work methods. The second is the argument that for a workplace comprised of so many different generations needing different environments to do work, perhaps the best way to appease everyone is in providing options. (wp-29 p1-6).
Introvert vs Extrovert: Another issue facing the modern workplace is the need to support people with the most definable of personality traits: the tendency toward introversion or extroversion. No one in the workplace design field has tackled this issue more thoroughly than in the partnership between Steelcase and Susan Cain, notable author of the international best seller “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.” Cain stands as a modern champion and knowledge base of introvert vs extrovert personality traits, while Steelcase stands as a global furniture designer and manufacturer, dedicated to researching modern issues of the workplace. Together, they researched and developed solutions that answer the important question of how to design a workplace that both introverts and extroverts can effectively and happily work in (WP-35). With introverts making up 30 to 50 percent of the workforce, and modern businesses placing more value on the needs and strengths of extroverts, there comes a strong need for workplace strategy to change to include introverts in order for a business or office environment to be successful. In order to survive corporate culture, introverts have had to adapt their behavior to match extroverts, resulting in more energy and stress spent going against their natural behavior, leaving less mental and physical stamina to do their work. Also, being more sensitive to external stimuli, the current state of highly collaborative and open office environments leave introverts without opportunities or spaces to work effectively. (WP-35) Jim Keane, CEO of Steelcase, summarized the need for a change this way: “Organizations that value diverse thinking need to fully leverage
all of their employees’ creativity… What would happen if we designed places that recognize the differences in people?” The Steelcase and Susan Cain research highlights the need for designing spaces that support any kind of worker in doing their best. This means designing spaces that are aware of different people’s nervous systems, which react to different stimulation in the form of sound, light, and communication. For example, while extroverts thrive in bustling spaces, if introverts are in a space that it is overly noisy or hectic, there is an extra cognitive load that apprehends their abilities and processes. Environments must offer both: there must be spaces for introverts to do their best work, just as there must be for extroverts. (WP-35) The design solutions developed by Cain and Steelcase are also solutions that answer to the needs of more privacy in offices (though a greater discussion on that topic will come in the Typical Office Worker section on Page_). The design principles include: the permission to be alone, where the user has freedom to focus and avoid interruption; user control over the environment, where the worker has the ability to control their workspace; sensory balance, where the user can control the stimulation surrounding them, often in effort to provide calm; and psychological safety, where the worker has the choice to be unseen and unable to see others. Each of these principles gives complete control over their environment to the user, especially allowing an introvert the ability to suit the environment to their needs. Here, choice becomes another way to provide workers with the support and environment they need to most effectively work. (WP-35)
The Transformation of the Worker There are a multitude of methods possible to break down the needs of the modern worker, such as field of work, size of company, or even blue collar vs white collar. However, arguably the most pressing issue facing work lifestyles and workplace design is that of to the issues of mobility and its effects on the workplace. The method most sensitive to these issues analyzes the worker by the type of environment they work in, as physical space is the area most directly affected by mobility.
Therefore, the following analyzes the differences and needs of someone who works in a typical office, someone who is traveling for business, and someone who works as a nomad. The Typical Office Worker: The modern workplace is changing dramatically. Moving from a previous era where the workplace was dominated by formality, hierarchy, and a complete separation between work and life, the emerging landscape of the office is shifting to reflect almost the opposite (WP-31). And with a workplace dominated instead by modern technology and its effects on its users, the modern office demands to be changed similarly. To understand how the office must change, we must first understand the needs and issues of the people using the spaces: the typical office worker.
The Issues RELEVANCY: The arrival of modern technology and mobility has many asking if the office is still relevant. And while evidence provides a clear yes answer to that question, the fact that the question is being asked at all highlights the changing role of the workplace. The office will always be needed for reasons such as it being the best resource for tools and technology, as well as being the best way to connect to a company and company culture (wp-2). But perhaps the most important purpose of the office is to connect people with other people (wp-9). So while the office will remain relevant, its role will need to change and evolve to reflect the new needs and functions it provides. The office must reflect the technology, economy, and work culture of current times (WP9). Rather than simply being a place people must report to in order to do work, because modern technologies and mobility are making that not the case, the office must focus on providing the things home or a third place cannot (WP-21). The new role of the office must focus on how best to connect workers with one another and the company (WP-9). COMPANY NEEDS: In the design of offices, there are several factors that are important to all companies. First, companies are looking to optimize their real estate. Open offices became a huge trend for this
reason; companies need their spaces to be utilized in a way that costs less and is as efficient as possible. Open offices also enhance collaboration, another principle that companies want their offices designed around. Companies are also looking to attract, develop, and engage workers. They want to pull the best talent into their company and then hold on to them, both of which can be heavily influenced by the environment and culture the office design helps to create. For this same intent to pull and keep top talent, companies are also looking to provide wellbeing for their workers, and ways to build the company brand and culture. (wp-2) OPEN OFFICE: A large issue facing typical office workers is the open office environment. In recent years there has been a lot of conversation, and sometimes resistance, to this most common practice of office design. With more than 70% of employees working in open office environments, and as it provides a simple solution to the top demands of companies previously addressed, this design solution is likely to continue to stick around (wp-13). It then becomes immensely important to understand both the advantages and the issues with open office environments. Some of the top stated complaints with open offices are the inability to do effective individual focus work. In fact, fifty three percent of employees are disturbed by others when trying to focus (WP3). Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf. 4. ibid.
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Noise levels and constant interruption from coworkers make it difficult to concentrate (citation). The loss of privacy is another issue. Research done by Steelcase argues that privacy should even be redefined in order to effectively correct this issue; instead of merely attempting to solve the problem of physical privacy, design should instead provide for stimulation control and information control (wp-13). Workers need the ability to control the spatial, technological, and social stimulation surrounding them, including distracts of noise, light, coworkers walking up or messaging, or even emails popping up. Workers also need control over the information incoming and outgoing while they work, including control over sensitive or private information on their computer screen. (WP-13 In the effort to collaborate, open offices and technology have made us a one-way streak of availability and openness to coworkers, while taking away our ability to shield ourselves when we need to hunker down and focus.
environments that focus on promoting group interaction. (WP-31)
COLLABORATIVE VERSUS INDIVIDUAL WORK: With the discussion of design needs of companies and the surge of the open office environment, there is a need to analyze the top driving factor behind both: the need for collaboration. In the era of knowledge work that currently dominates the global economy, collaboration has become the leading way to work. The idea that “none of us is as smart as all of us” supports the condition of knowledge economies, where seeking and sharing information are key to innovation. Information is essential to knowledge work, so the success of an organization lies in their ability to share and use that information to spark ideas and creativity. In research on collaboration in the workplace by successful product design company Teknion, the author writes:
This point has become prevalent in recent research and design of collaboration spaces. David Kelly of IDEO is one champion of the notion that collaboration spaces should center on informal interaction, resembling unscheduled conversations where people have more freedom of expression. This belief leads to the idea that collaboration spaces should reflect that, and be in corners or the “in-between” spaces of an office (WP-31). Workplace Design magazine published an article with a similar notion. They looked at redesigning circulation space as not only a way to improve the utilization of real estate, but as a way to capture that impromptu and serendipitous interaction between coworkers that so often leads to great ideas (WP-9). Successful collaboration does not always happen on a schedule or in a formal meeting, because the nature of creativity and sharing ideas is not limited to a schedule; big ideas can develop during spontaneous conversation in a hallway every bit as much as they can develop in a brainstorming session (WP-31).
“Contrary to popular belief, great ideas seldom leap fully formed from the mind of a single creator, but begin to crystalize when creative sparks fly between people with different perspectives.” So the more information brought to the table, and the more minds connecting with the information, the more opportunity there is for better ideas and solutions. The result is a workplace transformed into
Research by Gensler proves collaboration’s success: top performing companies spend twenty three percent more time collaborating. Eighty percent of organizations recognize this, and say they need to foster more collaboration in their offices; but seventy eight percent struggles to do so effectively, both for face-to-face and virtual interaction (WP-33). Designing to provide collaboration has taken on several approaches in recent years, but the overarching theme always strives to take away the barriers between coworkers in an office. The first solution was to take down walls, lower cubicle partitions, and put workers in one big open space. Next was providing meeting spaces where groups could go to connect and work together. But it is pertinent to understand that collaborating is not the same as a formal meeting, so the spaces must reflect that difference of function and interaction (WP-31).
Designers and workers are realizing that the need for an environment where individual focus work can happen is as important as those for collaboration. Gensler’s 2013 Workplace Study even highlighted the issue as a top finding, concluding that “workplaces designed to enable
collaboration without sacrificing employee’s ability to focus are more successful.” Their research uncovered a troublesome issue with workers struggling to work effectively, with three out of four workers affected by this issue (WP-16). This problem is largely due to focus work being compromised in the effort to support collaboration. They found that while collaboration is key to innovation, workplaces that support both individual and group work are much higher performing; so collaborating successfully is dependent on being able to first do individual work effectively. They argue that balance between the two functions, as well as providing a “spectrum of choices for when and where to work”, led to higher scores for measures of job satisfaction, effectiveness, performance, and innovation (WP-3). Research by Steelcase found the same issue: ninety-five percent of employees say they need spaces for focus work, but forty percent say they do not have them. The study observed how workers navigate their work days, switching between different kinds of collaborative and individual tasks. From their research, they also found offering choice and control as a method to aid workers, proposing a “palette of postures” and a “palette of place” as a means of providing workers with choosing when and where they work. By having the opportunity and options to change position or location based on the task at hand, thus balancing both collaboration and focus work, workers were more satisfied and effective (WP-2). Another study by Steelcase identified that thirty one percent of full time employees do most of their work in a location other than their employers’ office; they do so to eliminate distraction, as well as physical and emotional comfort that is more common at home than in an office (WP-12).
The Solutions IN-HOUSE THIRD PLACES: The third place has had a huge impact on workplace in modern times. When the tech boom began in the early 2000s, and companies began to allow workers to venture out of the office to telecommute, a dramatic shift in work styles began. The success of these working third places is numerous, including an ambiance that few other spaces (like home or a traditional office) can easily capture.
Third places also provide users with the idea of being “alone together”; whether the goal is to escape the isolation of working from home, or get away from interruptions from coworkers at the office, third places provides the ability to be work alone while feeling connected in atmosphere of people (citation). While many companies now offer alternative work strategies and many workers take advantage of them because of what that work method offers, seventy two percent of workers still believe that the office is the best place to connect with coworkers (WP-2). And there are major issues with working offsite that affect workers and employers alike. For one, a worker not on site of the office cannot easily collaborate with coworkers. Often that is the point for many wanting to away to get focus work done, but the fact remains that workers need face to face interaction with others to collaborate successfully. Another issue of workers being off site is the loss of connection to the company and the company culture. Someone that is not in the office frequently misses out on the connections with coworkers, managers, and experiences the office provides (WP-2). When Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer asked workers to start coming to office and phased out their alternative workplace strategy, many companies started asking why, and wondered if they should do the same. Mayer concern about collaboration and the value of people interacting face-to-face influenced her to decision to Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf. 4. “R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 3. file:///E:/ Thesis%20Prep/Research/R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.
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bring people back in; and while this is just one company’s decision, the fact remains that these are real issues that every company must consider. How do they balance the benefits of employees having the freedom to work offsite with the benefits of having them work onsite? Many suggest that in-house third places provide an answer. OTHER TYPOLOGY INFLUENCE: With mobility and technology carrying different tasks into different settings, the convergence of needs in space demands design solutions that reflect that cross pollination between typologies and functions of space. Therefore, another solution to the issues of the changing role and function of offices is the use of other typologies, such as the home, hospitality, or co-work spaces, as an influence on the design of office environments. Many designers and furniture manufacturers are recognizing the desire from users to have work spaces that reflect the most beneficial aspect of working from home: comfort, ability to meet personal needs and preferences, and a sense of belonging. These are components largely left out of office designing, but a greater trend toward incorporating them is on the horizon. Similarly, the benefits of working in hospitality places, being largely the atmosphere and choice of work setting, can be adapted into offices. To create spaces within an office with hub or community-like vibes, the design can capitalize on sometimes underutilized spaces within an office, such as break rooms, circulation space, or lounge areas. These public spaces, combined with a design influenced by hospitality settings, can generate a certain ambiance that mimics the local café or hotel lobby within the office. Co-work spaces are truly the best example for how modern offices can reflect home and hospitality in a work setting. These spaces already succeed in providing comfort, choice in setting, and a highly sought-after ambiance that many modern day workers are looking for. While these spaces currently serve as unique work spaces for independent workers or entrepreneurs, the components of their design and the layout of these
spaces could easily be adapted to any kind of office. The Business Traveler: Business travel is not new; people have been traveling for work since people were able to travel. But there have been tremendous advancements in the ability and frequency that workers can travel globally for work, especially in the last couple of decades. Research done by Steelcase highlights the statistics: on any given night, up to forty percent of the guests in the estimated five million hotel rooms in North America, are business travelers. For some companies, there are more people working in hotels than in their corporate offices. Generally, hotels have not adapted to our technology-enabled mobility, which cause major issues for the users working in them. Frequently cited issues include: bad lighting, lack of power connection, uncomfortable or non-ergonomic seating, and lack of work surfaces. As people evolve in how they work in typical offices, they are also evolving how they work when they travel. The typical business center often consists of a couple computers and a printer, and located in a tiny room jammed somewhere close to the front desk, simply does not function for people working for any decent amount of time. Frequently, guests instead opt to work in their hotel rooms or in the hotel lobby, neither of which are designed for work needs. There are also few spaces in most hotels for groups to comfortably and successfully meet or work together. Some hotels are recognizing this need for an improved form of business hotels. Expanding from the typical amenities offered from business hotels, which all too often are limited to luxuries such as five star restaurants or spas, and are looking to instead provide actual functional work space. One example is in the global hotel brand Marriott putting in “Workspring at Marriott” spaces into some of their hotels. Developed in conjunction with Steelcase, these spaces center on providing work solution spaces and meeting rooms for guests in their hotels. Another example is in the SoHo House brand, which combines boutique hotel with social club with
co-work like spaces that provide an innovative level of networking and work community. Their spaces provide public spaces shared by local members and hotel guests alike that not only provide spaces for each to work and lounge in, but also to network in. Not only do the technological abilities of hotels need to reflect modern needs and abilities, but the spaces in which the technology is being used must too. The spaces that hotel guests can work in, such as the business center, the lobby, and guest rooms, must evolve to provide for the needs of the mobile worker. The Nomad Worker: The nomad worker is hereby defined as someone who does not primarily work in a traditional office. They may work for a company but telecommute to the main office on occasion or they may own their own business and not have a central office to report to. Regardless, they either work from home, in third places, or in leasable workspaces. Starting in the early years of the technology boom, people began to leave the traditional office to work from home, but quickly found another work environment in third places. Since then, the trend has grown increasingly over the years, with technology and mobility forever enabling a freedom from offices that are all too often uncomfortable or ignorant of the individual’s needs. And the ability to work in third places serves as a benefit to both employers and employees alike. In research regarding design issues that companies are concerned with, real estate is a crucial issue. So much in fact, that many companies are looking to reduce their footprint and limit time in the office to specialized activity. Others offer telecommuting as an option for employees, both as a way to save on square footage costs and as a method to lure talent. Thus third and fourth place spaces are increasingly attractive, and made possible by cloud computing and other technological advances (WP-16). From the employee’s point of view, being nomadic and working in third
and fourth places are attractive for a multitude of reasons, but most often they are sought for their ability to provide for the individual’s needs and comfort. Many workers desire the ability to balance work and life commitments, and see a nomadic work style as the best way to achieve it. Some workers seek the ambiance and unique atmosphere of working in third places as opposed to offices. Others seek an opportunity to get distance from interrupting coworkers. Along those same lines, third places provide anonymity while also offering an environment where there are other people to interact with, but on a person’s own terms. This concept of being “alone together” is one commonly stated reason people leave the isolation of working from home and instead work in public hospitality places. All in all, the benefit of third places is in the freedom, comfort, and range of work settings that many offices just do not offer. However the most pressing issue with nomad workers, or really anyone working in a third place environment, is that these spaces are not primarily designed for working (WP-11). Coffee shops were designed for eating, drinking, and socializing. Hotel lobbies were designed for waiting and lounging. So the functionality issues with working in third places are due to the fact that they were not actually designed to be worked, and therefore do not afford the functions and conveniences that a workplace should. The commonly cited issues with working in third places reflect this: noise levels and lack of privacy, lack of power Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf. 4. “R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 3. file:///E:/ Thesis%20Prep/Research/R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.
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or ability to plug in, lack of work surface, and lack of comfortable or ergonomic seating, are all issues that nomads face in their environments. One solution to these issues of working in third places is found in cowork environments. Highly popular in Europe but quickly on the rise in the United States, co-work spaces are essentially office spaces that are shared by independent workers or entrepreneurs. Workers can purchase memberships that allow them to use the space, which typically offers individual work spaces, conference rooms and meeting areas, lounge-y work environments, and numerous amenities such as an in-house café and coffee. There is also often an incubator or think tank component to these, with the environment being shared by like-minded individuals that can network and share ideas as coworkers would in a traditional office. The combination of standard office amenities and functionality, with the added bonus of third place-like ambiance and community environment, make co-work spaces a unique and highly beneficial option for nomad workers. As this trend continues and increases, and those kinds of workers continue to seek workspaces outside of the home, third places and cowork spaces will continue to become increasingly important.
CASE STUDIES To understand how the concepts discovered in the research above connect to physical space, and to observe some actual solutions, several case studies were identified. Those chosen break down an example of a space experienced by typical office workers, traveling workers, and nomad workers.
Case Study: Steelcase’s WorkCafe The first case study demonstrates a successful in-house third place experienced by typical office workers. The Work Café, designed by and located at the Steelcase headquarters, shows how one major office furniture designer identified the issues of the modern office and sought
to solve them with an on-site third place space. By redesigning their cafeteria space, Steelcase was able to boost the overall efficiency of this space throughout the day, overcoming a common issue with offices where café spaces only have an occupancy rate of about sixty percent only during lunch time. The Work Café supports the Steelcase workers better than their space did previously, as it provides both “a hub and a haven” which provides a space where users can do just about anything, including “catch up on work, catch up with colleagues, catch up on news and, of course, eat.” The variety of spaces accommodate open and closed meetings spaces, as well as a variety of postures, from stand-up, sit-down, and even perch settings. The space also includes indoor and outdoor options. The space is built on the idea of choice, supporting areas of focus, collaboration, and everything in between. “Our personal and professional lives are meshed now, and people need spaces where they can flourish whatever way they’re working.” (WP-2)
Case Study: SoHo House The SoHo House, located in West Loop of Chicago, serves as an example of converged typology within an overarching theme of hospitality space; it successfully blends hotel, social club, and work network into one building. SoHo has two primary functions as a boutique hotel and a social membership club. The memberships are for those that work in various disciplines of creative fields, with the idea that people will meet and collaborate within the membership spaces. Sharing similarities from working in the creative field, an interesting and beneficial interface is created from the cross-pollination of different disciplines having the opportunity to interact. On the hotel side, anyone, including non-members, can rent rooms. There are also places on the first floor that anyone can come and enjoy, including a lounge and two restaurants. Within the hotel, most of the
amenities are luxury-driven as opposed to work-needs driven; but the provision of the membership and work spaces pose an interesting method of providing work amenities to hotel guests as well. The aesthetic and vibe of the space is very inspired by its home in the West Loop. Converted from an existing typical West Loop warehouse building, the space demonstrates a new development that incorporates the existing structure and industrial aesthetic so that it maintains an authenticity to its history and neighborhood. However the functions of the space are very honest to current needs and use of space, making the entirety of the experience a juxtaposition between historic and industrial aesthetics and modern uses. SoHo demonstrates an incredible example of not only converged typologies between hospitality and alternative work spaces, but also establishes a method of doing so in a local Chicago aesthetic and vibe.
Case Study: 1871 To understand the concept of co-working spaces, the Gensler-designed local 1871 space was observed. It is located on one of the top floors of the Merchandise Mart, sharing close proximity to a locally based coffee chain Intelligentsia. 1871 even has a private section of seating in the Intelligentsia, providing physical access to the highly sought after vibe and energy of a coffee shop. The space serves as a co-work, incubator, and business accelerator geared towards entrepreneurs in the tech field. The goal of the space is to allow its users to work, network, be mentored; further, the infrastructure supports the adaptability and customization that is needed with its users’ businesses growing and changing over time. The design includes workspace, classrooms, meeting areas, and social spaces, all of which encourage its users to collaborate and meet in settings ranging from large and small, formal and impromptu, scheduled and serendipitous encounters. (WP-37)
Case Study: Starbucks To further analyze the experience of the nomad worker, observational
research at a local Starbucks in The Loop of Chicago was done to develop a personal understanding how one of the most referenced working third places are used. Observational research took place over the course of several visits, including a morning and an afternoon visit during the work week, and a morning and an afternoon visit during the weekend. Morning visits took place between 9:30am and 11:00am, and afternoon visits took place between 1:00pm and 3:00pm. The Starbucks observed was a location in the heart of downtown Chicago, where guests included workers and tourists alike. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS: When observed during the week, the “regulars” were more often workers that came by themselves or in a group of two, and their stay only included a quick purchase of a drink to go. On weekends, the “regulars” were guests who stuck around after receiving their drink and/or food, and worked on laptops. During the week, there were a few regulars who came to do work, but these kinds of regulars were not as numerous as the to-go regulars. It can be assumed that perhaps this location, so close to numerous tourist spots, does not serve as well for during the week working. Or perhaps the companies located nearby do not have work cultures where employees are permitted to work outside of the office during the workday. Guests who stayed to work stayed between thirty minutes to four hours. Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf. 4. “R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 3. file:///E:/ Thesis%20Prep/Research/R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.
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The typical amount of time guests stayed was between one and two hours. The longer a guest stayed, the more likely they were to purchase additional food or drink after their initial purchase when they first entered. Guests typically did not get up to use the restroom during their work session, but if they did, or if they to the register to purchase more food or drink, they typically brought their belongings with them. Guests who stayed to do work sat in one of two places typically: at the community table or at the banquette setting. Both of these settings were located in corner areas of the store. Working guests did not frequent the bar height area located next to the coffee bar where drinks were being made, the table and chair settings floating in the open, or the bar height area located along the windows. It should also be noted that this Starbucks did not have lounge-like chairs or occasional tables as other locations do. THE BENEFITS: The spaces where guests stayed to work were the settings with arguably more comfortable seating and with the most table space. The community table had the most table space and the banquette had the most upholstered or padded seating. These settings were also the ones located closest to the corners of the store, and with most distance away from the main traffic path. The draw of working in the space seemed to be consistent with other research completed in this thesis, which indicates proximity to food and drink, access to a particular ambiance or atmosphere, and distance from office interruption. THE ISSUES: Perhaps the inconsistency of regular working guests during the week was partially due to company culture or policy, but it could also be highly possible that the shortage of comfortable seating and table space are other contributing factors. The bulk of the seating settings in this Starbucks were simple table and chairs, all of which were hard wood seats and small tables. All in all, the seating settings were insufficient to allowing guests to do work for longer periods of time. The size of the store also did not afford many spaces that were very far from the central traffic path, making quiet or private spaces limited. The amount of guests not leaving their belongings unattended also seemed to be an issue; in a downtown and highly populated location, it is likely that security
is not sufficient. Also consistent with other research completed in this thesis, problems with loud noise, scarce plugs, and weak wifi, are likely deterrents for potentials guests working in this Starbucks location. The lessons learned from the observational research in an environment so frequently stated as a common third place to work in are instrumental to understanding the issues of these spaces across the board. The findings here can be applied to the thousands of other Starbucks locations across the country, and provide ways to improve such a highly used environment.
SYNTHESIS To synthesize the lessons learned from the research, reoccurring issues of relevance to the thesis topic were pulled to become the Design Drivers. From these, a Design Concept was created to inform the development of the programs and design test. By this method, both the Design Drivers and Design Concept guide the design.
Design Drivers: Moving forward from the research into the design testing phase of this thesis, the following ideas summarize the key concepts derived from that research that will heavily inform all design decisions. Those drivers all belong under the over-arching thread of choice in the experiences and style of working. MATERIALITY: To create a physical environment that will suit the needs of the functions taking place in the space, architectural and furniture materials will be carefully selected and applied. Special consideration must be paid to the reoccurring issues of need for comfort, improved acoustics, furniture that is highly functional and task oriented, and experience-driven. FLEXIBILITY: With technology aiding and increasing our mobility, spaces must become hackable; they must be open to being moved, customized,
and altered easily to adapt to changing needs. BALANCE: As workers perform a variety of tasks and activities, and constantly toggling between them, there must be a similar range of environments that are responding. Instead of spaces focusing on one common task, such as collaborating, there must be spaces that provide for other tasks of equal importance, such as focus work. There must be a harmonious amount and quality of settings that offer both privacy and sharing, collaborative and focus, formal and informal. CHOICE: To fully provide for the needs of highly variable individuals, the need for a palette or ecosystem of options must be provided. A variety of locations, a range of settings, array of postures, and the ability to control environments are all methods through which choice can be given to the workers to provide an optimal worker experience.
Design Concept: The concept for the design will incorporate each of the design drivers in a way that provides choice and optimal user experience. The character of the space will reflect the both the neighborhood of the building as well as the particular working users. The programs developed will offer a unique range of work settings, wherein new evolutions on previous space typologies will reflect the convergence of space defining modern times. Materiality, flexibility, and balance will be blended together to provide users with hackable spaces that adapt to their unique needs, providing an overarching theme of choice.
LOCATION + SITE ANALYSIS The building at 1000 West Fulton Market Building in the West Loop was selected as the site of the design component of this thesis. The building is part existing and part recent build; the existing portion was historically a cold storage warehouse, and the newer construction was added by the developers and completed in the spring of 2015. A large portion of the building will be home to Google’s Chicago headquarters. This building
was selected not only for its size and opportunity to hold the projected programs, but also for its importance and relationship to the unique neighborhood. The West Loop neighborhood is home to numerous restaurants, galleries, residential buildings, and workplaces. It is an example of converged typologies on an urban scale, as it brings together these different spaces to provide a unified work/life blurred experience. The West Loop is also project to become Chicago’s new tech hub, as it is becoming home to an exponential amount of tech companies. This new role as a tech hub combines with its existing character of creative and eclectic core to make it one Chicago’s biggest up-and-coming neighborhoods. The building itself has a close proximity to public transportation and the Kennedy Expressway. It also has proximity to many of the local public amenities including Restaurant Row and several art galleries. It is the tallest in the West Loop, providing optimal views of downtown and of the local neighborhood.
STAKEHOLDERS The stakeholders of the building were developed from the research, and in response to the projected programs. Specifically, the types of workers Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf. 4. “R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 3. file:///E:/ Thesis%20Prep/Research/R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.
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from the “Transformations of the Worker” section of the research provided three clear users: the typical office worker, the business traveler, and the nomad worker. The typical office worker is someone who works in a traditional office environment. Their primary work experience takes place inside an office suite, but they may also work in other places for short periods of time, including their home or a café. The main problem they face is an office environment that may not meet their individual needs and comfort. They may work in an open office where noise or distraction is a common occurrence, or a traditional office where it is difficult to collaborate with coworkers on a casual level. They likely do not have choices in where and how they would prefer to work. The business traveler is someone who is working in a hotel or local third place environment while they travel for work. The main issue they come across is a hotel environment that is likely not sufficient for working in. They may work in a public hotel space like a hotel lobby or café, which likely deliver a good ambiance, but highly lack in power outlets, horizontal work surfaces, and ergonomic seating options. Or they may work in their guest room or the hotel business center, both of which are typically lacking in adequate lighting, attractive atmosphere, and have limited amounts of space. The nomad worker is someone who does not work in a typical office, and instead works from home or a local third place environment. The primary problem they encounter is working in spaces that were designed for alternative uses than working, such as eating or lounging. These environments likely provide an admirable ambiance and separation from the distractions of an office or home, but provide less than adequate working space. Common issues include lacking of horizontal work surfaces, few comfortable long-term seating, limited group meeting options, scarce power connection, and no work resources such as coworkers or printing capabilities.
PROGRAM Part of the process of site selection for this design test included the need for a large amount of square footage. As one of the goals of this thesis work environments everywhere, the site and programs must be able to showcase a large range of both separate and intertwining typologies. Therefore, a large mixed-use building is necessary to represent all of the different typologies and environments that realistically occur. To develop the programs for the design test, both the research and site’s neighborhood were taken into account. First, the leading programs that came out of the research as areas to explore and redefine were workplace environments and third place work environments, namely hotels and cafes. Next, the need to provide for work/life balance inspired the need for public amenities such as a daycare center, gym and yoga studio, salon, and dry cleaner. Further, lounge or atrium spaces in between these first programs, which also occur in any office building or urban environment, fill in some of the space between. With those first programs in place, the understanding of the site neighborhood’s culture, existing amenities, and prescience, informed the rest of the programs. To maintain commonalities with the neighborhood, a restaurant, event space, and a gallery was added. To interject experiences missing from the neighborhood, the programs of classrooms, conference space, a think tank and maker workshop, and a public outdoor garden were included. Finally, special attention to the nomad worker translated into the inclusion of a Co-Work space and rentable meeting rooms.
DESIGN
Materiality: This material palette takes inspiration from the eclectic, industrial, and artistic vibe of the West Loop and blends with the clean, colorful, and modern environments of contemporary tech companies. Much of the
interior exposes the original architecture of the building, unifying the historical context of the building and the character of the neighborhood, with its new innovative users. A base palette was developed to provide cohesiveness to the entire building experience, highlighting the converged nature of the design as a whole. Two accent palettes allow each space to have its own unique identity. Special attention was paid to giving the public space, the hotel, and the office suites their own character and branded environment.
Alternative Work Space Modules: Throughout the design of the space, alternate work spaces were developed on both a large programmatic scale, and in furniture layouts. On the large scale, specific programs were selected that allowed for alternative work space experiences, such as the Work Café or the Office Suites. On the small scale, specific furniture arrangements were developed and used as modules that could be repeated and customized to any program typology. Various settings were developed in response to the toggling nature of work methods, providing spaces for individuals to do focus work, as well as spaces for groups to do collaborative work. All solutions provide ranges for differing levels privacy and acoustical needs. Extensive research on commercial furniture manufactures was completed to source the ideal furniture for these modules. Three types of modules were created: café-inspired, individual, or collaborative. CAFÉ: Inspired from elements found in cafes, the settings of the kitchen, the community table, and banquette seating can be applied to any hospitality or workplace environment. These modules were specially developed for their role in creating the highly sought after café ambiance; but by bringing them into more converged spaces, they maintain their character while in a more functional environment. Through this method, the third place is infused into non-third place spaces. The settings of the kitchen include the typical kitchen appliances, but with special attention to the seating surrounding it; these include an island-like table and chairs, and a homey and casual atmosphere. The community
table replicates the typical fixture found in coffee shops, providing individuals with seating at one long table. Finally, banquette seating modules were created with either built-ins or stand-alone furniture; either way, they provide certain enclosure and comfort. INDIVIDUAL: Developed primarily from research findings on introverts from Steelcase and Susan Cain, the individual settings seek to provide differing options where one person can perform focus tasks. Enclosed walls and high tech systems that control lighting, sound, and visibility allow users more control over their individual environment. Alcovelike furniture allows users a partially enclosed environment with more accessibility to the outside than with enclosed walls. Both methods provide a higher level of visual and acoustical privacy for the user, and therefore an increased efficiency and wellness. COLLABORATIVE: Research completed by Teknion guided the design principles for the collaborative modules. These collaborative settings offer both enclosed with walls and stand-alone furniture options. Enclosure provides the highest level of acoustical and visual privacy for groups working together; however there are also numerous benefits of more open settings. Visibility of people and work in progress creates opportunity to spark ideas or invite collaboration to in progress work occurring. Setting off sparks also occurs when the workplace provides Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf.
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locations for impromptu interaction. Planning collisions to drive people into common space can be done by mixing environments, like putting a meeting space in a library or placing pin-up walls in a cafeteria. Providing places to have quick meetings can be accomplished by placing standing height tables throughout an office. WP-31, pg 73
Elevator and Atrium Core: The first step in the design was developing the locations of the programs into the space. Next, the decision was made to also maintain the elevators in their existing location, and to place an atrium and public restrooms in close proximity; this central core was repeated on each floor in the same location. With this core centrally located, there is optimal accessibility for users on each of side of the building. Further, the atrium’s location here allows for light to come in through the opening at the top, and be filtered in throughout the building; in such a dense building, the location of the atrium infuses much needed natural light into the center of the building. The shapes of the cut outs in the floor plates respond to the path of the sun; the sizing of the hole in each floor, as well as the location of the corners, were arranged separately to not only provide visual interest in their differing appearance, but also to allow more light to be pulled down into the space. As each atrium cutout engages the outside wall of the elevator core, a monumental green wall was developed to coat the backside to increase visual interest in the atrium. This infusion of nature, the rounded shapes of the atrium’s corners, and the partial wood siding of the railings also provide a softness and comfort to an otherwise concrete and industrial building. After the core and atrium were laid out, the location of the programs on each of the building’s ten floors were developed. However for the final design test, only floors one, two, four, and seven were thoroughly space planned in an effort to showcase the parts of the design that respond the most to the thesis topic.
First Floor: On the first floor, the programs of Work Café, back of house and service entries, and public amenities (or retail space) were placed here for their
accessibility needs to the ground level. Especially for the Work Café and retail programs, access to ground level was needed to draw in passerby from the street level. With the back of house and service entries being maintained as they exist in the real 1K building, the remaining first floor programs respond to that arrangement. The Work Café was placed on the corner to capture access to two streets. It serves as a huge draw for all of the users of the building, and for local community members who may not use the building except for this amenity. There are two sides of the Work Café which provide different levels of work ability. While both provide the ability to work in the space for longer periods of time, one also includes more collaborative tables, vertical writable surfaces, and even media tables with the ability to project work up onto a screen. The materiality here was designed to bring out the ambiance that workers seek when working in third place environments. The colors and materials are warm, highly layered, and rusty to create a lived-in atmosphere. The rest of the retail amenities are located around the outside ring of the building, so that both users of the building and those local community members can easily access it without having to go inside. If they do go inside, users find several spacious corridors that guide them to the vertical circulation. With the back of house located right below the atrium on the higher floors, the real base of the atrium begins on the second floor; therefore, the staircase and atrium lounge connecting the first and second floors is off center from the main atrium that extends from floors two through ten. This condition creates a striking entry sequence for users going up into the rest of the building. This atrium lounge provides plentiful casual lounge and work settings, as well as a visually interesting pull up to the hub that is the second floor.
Second Floor: The second floor is home to the beginning of the hotel and to more public amenities, but support more work and growth functions than the retail. A gallery is located centrally at the base of the atrium to provide an interesting ambiance and sightline between it and the above floors. More lounge seating is located around the 1st floor atrium and the
outside of the gallery space. In each of these atrium lounge spaces, the existing materials and architecture of the building are showcased by keeping the materiality more bare, and adding aesthetic interest through murals and wood sculpture, and comfort through casual, upholstered lounge furniture. The think tank, maker space, flexible classrooms, conference space, and rentable meeting rooms are located around the outside eastern ring of the building, while the hotel lobby and hotel cowork are located around outside the western ring. Both the hotel lobby and co-work redefine the design approach to current and typical hotel lobbies and business centers. This lobby provides higher quality seating, and numerous horizontal work surfaces and power connections. A stimulating atmosphere is created through the inclusion of another small atrium through the hotel side of the building, which also replicates the green wall on a large vertical wall. Next to the lobby, the hotel co-work is a radical improvement on the traditional hotel business center, as it provides much more extensive options for working, including a small café-like kitchenette, several enclosed meetings rooms, and benching systems.
Fourth Floor: The fourth floor is home to the hotel on the east side and the office building on the west side. Floors three through six are repeating in their configuration. Hotel guests continue to use the hotel elevators to access the guest rooms. A small atrium and the green wall is reoccurring on each floor, and is located directly in front of the elevators to help guests orient where they are in the building. A small work lounge with different kinds of furniture, enclosed and in the open, provides guests with another space to work in outside of their room, the lobby, or the co-work. A large vending area, the ice machines, and housekeeping are located adjacently, to provide some auditory separation from the guest rooms. The guest rooms were developed to provide for several options for working. A sit-stand desk and ergonomic desk chair are located in one corner and a work lounge and storage ottoman is located in the opposite corner. Each room has lots of lighting, including overhead and task, as well as numerous outlets. The rooms are as welcoming and comfortable
as they are functional. Users of the office building utilize the main core of elevators for vertical circulation. They also have optimal access and views of the main atrium. Each floor can house one to two office suites. This design test explored a floor with two suites, to show two different approaches to workplace design that includes the drivers from this thesis. The first suite showcases an office with highly integrated concepts of third place, also known as highly convergent. There are settings throughout that provide for both individual and group-oriented work tasks. In this suite, there are no assigned seats, and instead of traditional desk furniture, there is an equal mix of benching desk systems and third-place settings. These settings include all the necessary functionality of work, but utilize a more lounge-like approach to furniture and materials. To accomplish a casual and comfortable vibe, a palette of energetic colors in playful patterns is combined with rough and unfinished light stained wood and concrete. The second office suite demonstrates how a more traditional office space can incorporate third-place settings. Instead of being fully integrated, this office suite interjects third-place environments into spaces that are typically wasted or less efficient in their current use; such as breakrooms or hallways. The corridor on the atrium provides an experiential ambiance where users can work individually or meet in groups. Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 3. “Hospitality Brochure_single.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.steelcase.com/en/resources/industries/hospitality/ documents/hospitality%20brochure_single.pdf. 4. “R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 3. file:///E:/ Thesis%20Prep/Research/R1410D-PDF-ENG.pdf.
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What might have been an under-utilized breakroom has been designed as a café environment where users can take a break from their desk without having to leave the office. The palette in this suite includes neutrals with accents of subdued color, as well as refined textures and pattern. These selections create an environment that maintains a high level of professionalism and sophistication, while still providing alternative workplace environments.
Seventh Floor: The seventh floor is accessed through the main core of elevators. This floor is the top of the newer construction part of the building, so that half is entirely an outdoor roof garden. The other half, the existing portion of the building, continues on for several more floors. Located right off the elevators and the atrium, a public coffee shop provides another café work experience, but with a very different ambiance due to its proximity to the atrium, roof garden, and Co-Work space. It has the same improved work functionality that occurs throughout the building, and provides a variety of seating options. Warmth comes from the colors, wood accents, green wall, and especially the large glazed exterior wall from the atrium. It also shares a unique interface with the Co-work, with a two sided coffee service counter and partial walls dividing them. This level of permeability between these spaces allows for the appealing atmosphere to flow openly between the two. Located on the other side of the coffee shop, the Co-Work provides a workspace for entrepreneurs and independent workers to escape the distractions and isolation of working at home, while also providing a more functional workspace than the traditional third place environment. It contains a mix of traditional settings, like desk systems and conference rooms, but with an equal number of third-place work settings as well. The balance of individual and group settings promotes a networking and collaborative aspect that these nomads would not get from working in isolation elsewhere. The materiality is along the same lines of the Work Café and coffee shop to express the similarities between those spaces’ ambiance.
The outdoor roof garden and lounge is accessed through the elevator corridor or through the coffee shop. The green wall on the inside atrium visually spills out onto the roof, to demonstrate the visual and physical connection between the interior and exterior. Functionally, as convergent workspaces bring different people together, this is a place where people can come together and enjoy the outdoors. With plentiful gardens and covered patios, this outdoor work lounge provides a variety of functional lounge settings for users to both socialize and work in.
CONCLUSION As mobility ad technology continues to impact our culture and lifestyle, interior space must adapt to reflect the changing behaviors of how we use space. Design that provides for a higher level of flexibility, balance, and choice will create space that allow individuals to alter space to suit their changing needs, and provide an overall improved user experience.
Footnotes 1. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68 2. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html.
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Appendix b: list of illustrations 1. “360_Issue63.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www. steelcase.asia/en/resources/360-ezine/Documents/360_Issue63.pdf. 2. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68.pdf. 3. “1871 | Projects | Gensler.” 2015. Accessed June 12. http://www. gensler.com/projects/1871. 4. “2013_US_Workplace_Survey_07_15_2013.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/2013_US_ Workplace_Survey_07_15_2013.pdf. 5. “6 Major Design Trends Shaping City Life In 2015.” 2015. Accessed May 31. http://m.fastcompany.com/3040823/6-major-design-trendsshaping-city-life-in-2015?utm_source=facebook. 6. “About Us | Coalesse.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www. coalesse.com/about/. 7. “Airplane Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.greatachievements. org/?id=3728. 8. “A New Set of Metrics for High-Performance WorkspacesWork Design Magazine.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://workdesign. com/2014/03/a-new-set-of-metrics-for-high-performance-workspaces/. “Architecture Blog: Design as a Differentiator: What Are the Drivers? | WATG.” 2014. Accessed October 19. http://www.watg.com/index. cfm/page/design-as-a-differentiator/. 9. “Automobiles - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://www.history.com/topics/automobiles. Brown, Rachael, and Lorraine Farrelly. “Introduction.” In Materials and Interior Design, 6. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2012. 10. “Chicago’s Sleek Soho House Has Echoes Of An Industrial Past | Co.Design | Business + Design.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http:// www.fastcodesign.com/3037520/wanderlust/chicagos-slick-new-sohohouse-has-echoes-of-an-industrial-past.
11. “Chicago’s Soho House Opens And It’s Not Just Members Only.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ lauriewerner/2014/08/19/chicagos-soho-house-opens-and-its-not-justmembers-only/. 12. “Coworking Office Space in Chicago, IL | WeWork West Loop.” 2014. Accessed November 4. https://www.wework.com/locations/ chicago/west-loop/. 13. “Dialogue-22.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 12. http://www.gensler. com/uploads/document/310/file/Dialogue-22.pdf. Delfino, Steve, and Ric Carrasquillo. Phonebooths & mailboxes: the way we work now. Mt. Laurel, New Jersey : Teknion, 2012. 14. “Evolution of Office Spaces Reflects Changing Attitudes Toward Work.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://archive.wired.com/ culture/design/magazine/17-04/pl_design. 15. “Hey…Leave My Third Place Alone! - Urban Planning and Design Gensler.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.gensleron.com/ cities/2012/7/25/heyleave-my-third-place-alone.html. 16. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 17. “The History of Communication.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of_ communication.htm. 18. “The History of Hotel & Restaurant Management | USA Today.” 2014a. Accessed October 19. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/historyhotel-restaurant-management-54946.html. ———. 2014b. Accessed October 19. http://traveltips.usatoday. com/history-hotel-restaurant-management-54946.html. 19. “History of Lodging - AH&LA.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://www.ahla.com/content.aspx?id=4072. 20. “The History of Transportation.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of.htm.
21. “360_Issue63.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www. steelcase.asia/en/resources/360-ezine/Documents/360_Issue63.pdf. 22. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68.pdf. 23. “1871 | Projects | Gensler.” 2015. Accessed June 12. http://www. gensler.com/projects/1871. 24. “2013_US_Workplace_Survey_07_15_2013.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/2013_US_ Workplace_Survey_07_15_2013.pdf. 25. “6 Major Design Trends Shaping City Life In 2015.” 2015. Accessed May 31. http://m.fastcompany.com/3040823/6-major-design-trendsshaping-city-life-in-2015?utm_source=facebook. 26. “About Us | Coalesse.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http:// www.coalesse.com/about/. 27. “Airplane Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www. greatachievements.org/?id=3728. 28. “A New Set of Metrics for High-Performance WorkspacesWork Design Magazine.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://workdesign. com/2014/03/a-new-set-of-metrics-for-high-performance-workspaces/. “Architecture Blog: Design as a Differentiator: What Are the Drivers? | WATG.” 2014. Accessed October 19. http://www.watg.com/index. cfm/page/design-as-a-differentiator/. 29. “Automobiles - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://www.history.com/topics/automobiles. Brown, Rachael, and Lorraine Farrelly. “Introduction.” In Materials and Interior Design, 6. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2012. 30. “Chicago’s Sleek Soho House Has Echoes Of An Industrial Past | Co.Design | Business + Design.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http:// www.fastcodesign.com/3037520/wanderlust/chicagos-slick-new-sohohouse-has-echoes-of-an-industrial-past.
31. “Chicago’s Soho House Opens And It’s Not Just Members Only.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ lauriewerner/2014/08/19/chicagos-soho-house-opens-and-its-not-justmembers-only/. 32. “Coworking Office Space in Chicago, IL | WeWork West Loop.” 2014. Accessed November 4. https://www.wework.com/locations/ chicago/west-loop/. 33. “Dialogue-22.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 12. http://www.gensler. com/uploads/document/310/file/Dialogue-22.pdf. Delfino, Steve, and Ric Carrasquillo. Phonebooths & mailboxes: the way we work now. Mt. Laurel, New Jersey : Teknion, 2012. 34. “Evolution of Office Spaces Reflects Changing Attitudes Toward Work.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://archive.wired.com/ culture/design/magazine/17-04/pl_design. 35. “Hey…Leave My Third Place Alone! - Urban Planning and Design Gensler.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.gensleron.com/ cities/2012/7/25/heyleave-my-third-place-alone.html. 36. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 37. “The History of Communication.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of_ communication.htm. 38. “The History of Hotel & Restaurant Management | USA Today.” 2014a. Accessed October 19. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/historyhotel-restaurant-management-54946.html. ———. 2014b. Accessed October 19. http://traveltips.usatoday. com/history-hotel-restaurant-management-54946.html. 39. “History of Lodging - AH&LA.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://www.ahla.com/content.aspx?id=4072. 40. “The History of Transportation.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of.htm.
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Appendix b: list of illustrations 41. “360_Issue63.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www. steelcase.asia/en/resources/360-ezine/Documents/360_Issue63.pdf. 42. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68.pdf. 43. “1871 | Projects | Gensler.” 2015. Accessed June 12. http://www. gensler.com/projects/1871. 44. “2013_US_Workplace_Survey_07_15_2013.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/2013_US_ Workplace_Survey_07_15_2013.pdf. 45. “6 Major Design Trends Shaping City Life In 2015.” 2015. Accessed May 31. http://m.fastcompany.com/3040823/6-major-design-trendsshaping-city-life-in-2015?utm_source=facebook. 46. “About Us | Coalesse.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http:// www.coalesse.com/about/. 47. “Airplane Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www. greatachievements.org/?id=3728. 48. “A New Set of Metrics for High-Performance WorkspacesWork Design Magazine.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://workdesign. com/2014/03/a-new-set-of-metrics-for-high-performance-workspaces/. “Architecture Blog: Design as a Differentiator: What Are the Drivers? | WATG.” 2014. Accessed October 19. http://www.watg.com/index. cfm/page/design-as-a-differentiator/. 59. “Automobiles - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://www.history.com/topics/automobiles. Brown, Rachael, and Lorraine Farrelly. “Introduction.” In Materials and Interior Design, 6. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2012. 60. “Chicago’s Sleek Soho House Has Echoes Of An Industrial Past | Co.Design | Business + Design.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http:// www.fastcodesign.com/3037520/wanderlust/chicagos-slick-new-sohohouse-has-echoes-of-an-industrial-past.
61. “Chicago’s Soho House Opens And It’s Not Just Members Only.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ lauriewerner/2014/08/19/chicagos-soho-house-opens-and-its-not-justmembers-only/. 62. “Coworking Office Space in Chicago, IL | WeWork West Loop.” 2014. Accessed November 4. https://www.wework.com/locations/ chicago/west-loop/. 63. “Dialogue-22.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 12. http://www.gensler. com/uploads/document/310/file/Dialogue-22.pdf. Delfino, Steve, and Ric Carrasquillo. Phonebooths & mailboxes: the way we work now. Mt. Laurel, New Jersey : Teknion, 2012. 64. “Evolution of Office Spaces Reflects Changing Attitudes Toward Work.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://archive.wired.com/ culture/design/magazine/17-04/pl_design. 65. “Hey…Leave My Third Place Alone! - Urban Planning and Design Gensler.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.gensleron.com/ cities/2012/7/25/heyleave-my-third-place-alone.html. 66. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 67. “The History of Communication.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of_ communication.htm. 68. “The History of Hotel & Restaurant Management | USA Today.” 2014a. Accessed October 19. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/historyhotel-restaurant-management-54946.html. ———. 2014b. Accessed October 19. http://traveltips.usatoday. com/history-hotel-restaurant-management-54946.html. 69. “History of Lodging - AH&LA.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://www.ahla.com/content.aspx?id=4072. 70. “The History of Transportation.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of.htm.
71. “360_Issue63.pdf.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www. steelcase.asia/en/resources/360-ezine/Documents/360_Issue63.pdf. 72. “360Magazine-Issue68.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 7. http://www. steelcase.com/content/uploads/2014/11/360Magazine-Issue68.pdf. 73. “1871 | Projects | Gensler.” 2015. Accessed June 12. http://www. gensler.com/projects/1871. 74. “2013_US_Workplace_Survey_07_15_2013.pdf.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/2013_US_ Workplace_Survey_07_15_2013.pdf. 75. “6 Major Design Trends Shaping City Life In 2015.” 2015. Accessed May 31. http://m.fastcompany.com/3040823/6-major-design-trendsshaping-city-life-in-2015?utm_source=facebook. 76. “About Us | Coalesse.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http:// www.coalesse.com/about/. 77. “Airplane Timeline - Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www. greatachievements.org/?id=3728. 78. “A New Set of Metrics for High-Performance WorkspacesWork Design Magazine.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://workdesign. com/2014/03/a-new-set-of-metrics-for-high-performance-workspaces/. “Architecture Blog: Design as a Differentiator: What Are the Drivers? | WATG.” 2014. Accessed October 19. http://www.watg.com/index. cfm/page/design-as-a-differentiator/. 79. “Automobiles - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://www.history.com/topics/automobiles. Brown, Rachael, and Lorraine Farrelly. “Introduction.” In Materials and Interior Design, 6. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2012. 80. “Chicago’s Sleek Soho House Has Echoes Of An Industrial Past | Co.Design | Business + Design.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http:// www.fastcodesign.com/3037520/wanderlust/chicagos-slick-new-sohohouse-has-echoes-of-an-industrial-past.
81. “Chicago’s Soho House Opens And It’s Not Just Members Only.” 2014. Accessed October 26. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ lauriewerner/2014/08/19/chicagos-soho-house-opens-and-its-not-justmembers-only/. 82. “Coworking Office Space in Chicago, IL | WeWork West Loop.” 2014. Accessed November 4. https://www.wework.com/locations/ chicago/west-loop/. 83. “Dialogue-22.pdf.” 2015. Accessed June 12. http://www.gensler. com/uploads/document/310/file/Dialogue-22.pdf. Delfino, Steve, and Ric Carrasquillo. Phonebooths & mailboxes: the way we work now. Mt. Laurel, New Jersey : Teknion, 2012. 84. “Evolution of Office Spaces Reflects Changing Attitudes Toward Work.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://archive.wired.com/ culture/design/magazine/17-04/pl_design. 85. “Hey…Leave My Third Place Alone! - Urban Planning and Design Gensler.” 2014. Accessed September 14. http://www.gensleron.com/ cities/2012/7/25/heyleave-my-third-place-alone.html. 86. “Historical Eras.” 2014. Accessed October 13. http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/eras.html. 87. “The History of Communication.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of_ communication.htm. 88. “The History of Hotel & Restaurant Management | USA Today.” 2014a. Accessed October 19. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/historyhotel-restaurant-management-54946.html. ———. 2014b. Accessed October 19. http://traveltips.usatoday. com/history-hotel-restaurant-management-54946.html. 89. “History of Lodging - AH&LA.” 2014. Accessed October 18. http://www.ahla.com/content.aspx?id=4072. 90. “The History of Transportation.” 2014. Accessed October 12. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of.htm.
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