FUTURE TALENT November - January 2019/2020 | Page 41

ON TOPIC
A brief history of
the office
O
CREATIVE CO-WORKING
AT SECOND HOME,
LONDON FIELDS
1726
The Old Admiralty
Office is built in
London. The centre
of the Empire’s trade
operation, it is
considered the first
‘modern office’.
1900s
American Engineer Frank Taylor designs factory-
style workplaces, famous for their efficiency.
1940s
As skyscrapers and
communal buildings
grow in size, more
spacious open-plan
of f i c e s b e c o m e
increasingly popular.
1970s
1960s
The German concept of
‘Burolandschaf t’
(translating to ‘office
landscape’) brings in a
less structured
philosophy. Teams are
organised around
clusters of desks to
create a social dynamic.
Robert Propst
designs the first cubicle desks (which
become ubiquitous in the 1980s).
2000s
Following two decades of ‘cubiclisation’, the
proliferation of technology and different methods of
work mark a return to open plan – and subsequently,
activity-based working.
Executive chairman Paul
Richardson explains: “The
design reflects the business
c u l t u re o f G y m s h a r k
because it allows us to be
i n n ov a t i ve , c re a t i ve ,
ambitious and hard working
all in the same building.”
Ryan Manton, programme
director for think tank ‘Class
of 2020’ adds that this
understanding of purpose
and space establishes a
closer affinity between staff
and
company
and
can ultimately create a
stronger culture.
“I think this image of all
companies being clinical
white spaces with your usual
grey carpet is homogenous.
It doesn’t reflect a company’s
vision,” he says. “Company
culture is supported by the
right atmosphere.”
W
hat is a common
manifestation of
values in a
physical space?
Look around your office.
Chances are, you’ll see an
open-plan space, with banks
of desks, loosely configured
around teams or business
functions. This says that your
organisation is ‘transparent’,
‘promotes equality’ and
‘promotes’ communication’.
Or so the theory goes.
In reality, a lack of personal
space has led to many
workers creating distance
from their co-workers in
other ways. The Royal
Society found that after a
multinational Fortune 500
company declared a “war on
walls”, workers spent 72%
less time interacting face-to-
face, while instant messaging
and email communication
increased by around 60%.
November – January 2019 // 41