The Shrinking Office Project

From the industrial age to the 1980s the rigid corporate structure limited employees’ working spots, routine, social activities, leisure and schedules. The kind of office environment that can be seen in the movie Play Time (1967), which looked and looks awkward in our vivid urban life, without any freedom.

Since the 1980s the demand for office space has been decreasing. We are stuck with an enormous qualitative and quantitative mismatch in supply and demand of offices. This has many causes like the excessive supply of offices built in the 80s and 90s, the stagnant economic growth, demographic changes and flexible working.

I focused my project on the changes that arose as a result of the developments in the information technology, like flexible management and individual demands. Many people began to choose to work outside the office in their own domain. This current situation can provide us opportunities to improve our working environment. As a result, I create a comfortable office format for the workers and took advantage of every inch of the space.

In my design, the office consists of units in different heights based on human’s need, allowing people to work and meet everywhere, in many postures, in the office. For example: The one in the corner can talk with the one who is upstairs. With this format, it is able to create a free working environment for people in any office to fulfill their individual working needs.

If you are interested in Roy’s thesis, please feel free to contact him.