Office planning: living offices

Ergonomic, functional and modern: these are the three key qualities for a perfect piece of office furniture. The design of the chairs, tables, desks and filing cabinets that make up the working environment in offices today has gone through a series of different phases, governed by new techniques, user behaviour and technological innovations. Whether it is inspired by Bauhaus in Germany, the United States, the Union of Modern Artists in France or Scandinavia, office furniture design tends to be minimalist, or at least not as extravagant as more personal furniture. Founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius in Weimar, the Bauhaus (literally, building-house) is known for having extended its research to all the major and applied arts in a view to integrating art and technology in design. Many famous personalities from the design world were children of this German art school which was closed in 1933 under the Nazi oppression.

Among its principles, the Bauhaus supported the idea that art and architecture should learn to adapt to the needs and the influence of the modern industrial world, and that the quality of a design depended on a harmony between aesthetics and techniques. It is easy to understand how this idea led to a revolution in people’s attitudes to the notion of space planning. Whether metal tubes, plywood or sheet metal, the materials used to produce office furniture were borrowed from the industrial sector. Nearly 90 years later, the major furniture manufacturers still claim to be inspired by Bauhaus, and German designers continue to have a good reputation worldwide. “A German product is recognised for its reliability and quality, and because its design integrates a concern for lasting quality. Also, German furniture is timeless, whereas Italian products, or even Spanish ones now, have a very interesting design but are less marked by the notion of durability, preferring originality,” explains Pierre Bouchet, associate director of the office space planning consultants, Génie des Lieux.

Conveying images
Given that these conceptual influences recommended a mix of aesthetics and practicality, they initiated drastic changes in the working environment. There was a move from closed offices in fixed spaces to open plan offices, and this changed organisational solutions. “There is a more collective approach to the work station than before. In the past, there were individual posts, but now we speak of spaces for presentation or communication, and these are both individual and collective areas,” adds Pierre Bouchet. The walls have been replaced by mobile partitions and storage space, which have increased the rate of return of work stations per square meter and been a great success for manufacturers of modular systems. Office furniture and fittings also take into account new uses in companies and new habits. The democratisation of technological tools has increased staff mobility and invented new ways of working.

It is less and less unusual to share a work station with other people. Wireless technology (Wifi) and lap-top computers tend to free offices from the constraints of wires, and this will doubtlessly lead to more new solutions for optimising space. Technological changes are a key factor in developing future ranges of office furniture. For instance, flat screens, telephony and computers can now all be fitted into tables or filing cabinets. As a leitmotiv for office furniture and fittings manufacturers, the search for optimal ergonomy has helped to develop new types of management. In a world of networking, where more and more is asked of employees, it is easy to understand the advantages of an environment designed to cater for human beings and their emotions. Through their inspirations and influences, designer models doubtless help convey images to company staff that suggest notions such as the spirit of enterprise, well-being and durability.