Have you ever wondered how today’s office or workplace design has changed? What did offices look like 30 or 50 years ago? Your premier hourly office rental provider, 191 Works, discusses some of the catalysts of change in office and workplace design.
Nothing Is Permanent
Indeed, nothing is permanent; change is inevitable and offices are no exception. Evidence suggests that the first offices originated in ancient Rome as spaces where official work was conducted. This was based on the Roman Latin officium, a term loosely meaning “bureau,” or a human staff or formal position.
As skyscrapers and other large commercial buildings were developed, workplaces were altered to open-plan offices. These were spacious with over hundreds of staff placed on one floor, including amenities such as bright lights, warm spaces, and cork ceilings.
Then, in the 1950s, smoking was largely acceptable due to pop culture trends dating back to World War II. The availability of cheap but effective modular walls is a key factor behind the complete shift in office design throughout the 1980s. Employees were often encouraged to work independently and stay focused as offices used to be made up of cubicles. This design trapped workers in giant fabric-wrapped walls for a long period. People had no idea what conference room rental meant in those days.
It took the evolution of technology to force companies to look at office design in a more holistic manner after almost two decades. The first personal computers were all invented in the 1970s, but mobiles were not around until 1988 and the internet was not created until 1990.
The Workplace Today
The modern workplace is all about social collaboration and rising tech trends. A more casual feel to offices was pioneered by creative industry firms out of the advent of the information age. Technology has transformed the way that we work and has made it possible to work anywhere and everywhere, leading to a rise in remote working. The question now becomes: will physical offices still exist in the future?
191 Works offers you premier office services and meeting room rentals with all the conveniences you deserve. Contact us at (203) 405-0005 or drop by to see our office suites.
