Collective(s) Future of Work Briefing No.02 — The Place of Work
Future of Work: A Four-Part Series
Architecture is not innocent. Because our built environment is so functional, we often make the mistake of seeing it as merely functional, when in fact the mass of bricks, glass, wires, concrete, and steel with which we surround ourselves has a profound effect on our experience of the world. This experience goes on to influence the kind of people we can—and cannot—be. Our built environment encodes deep-rooted cultural beliefs and social biases that in turn are reconstituted in the people who spend their days moving through these spaces.
When faced with the escalating devastation of the German Blitz in 1943, British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill remarked, “We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us.” He was alluding to the symbiotic relationship between architecture and the nation state, but other social theorists such as Marshall McLuhan have explored this concept in more critical ways. As humans, we tend to think through things, and engage in social networks that extend deep into the inanimate world. This briefing explores the relationship between our society and our spaces, especially with regard to the ways we work. As the very concept of the physical office comes into question, following the pandemic lockdowns and technological problem-solving that came with them, we’ve been offered a unique moment to analyze, interrogate, and even reimagine the place and space of work. As the world finds a new rhythm post-Covid, we do not need to meekly return to the structures created for us.
This Briefing serves as the second of four perspective pieces that comprise the Future of Work Collective, tackling the very notion of “work” from differing angles. Based on insights drawn from live sessions and fireside chats throughout the spring of 2021, we present a series of thought-starters, questions, contemplations, and industry best practices for how we can embark on this once-in-a-generation opportunity. We hope you find them to be useful tool kits to begin the important process of rethinking the way we work.