Appropriate Flexibility:

New Twist on an Old Conundrum

Offices are increasingly social places where connections and relationships are established and tended. Is flexibility in work environments that big a deal? What is flexibility anyway, and do we all need the same kind? How much does it cost and how much do we use? This conversation with STUDIOS Architecture reveals some interesting answers. One in particular deals with the idea of "appropriate flexibility." By balancing the realities of the building with the needs of those who work in it and those who own it, it is possible to reach a level of flexibility that is real and workable now. And that increases the chances of handling the unknowns of the future.

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Equal Opportunity Facilities:

Designing for Universal Accommodation

Supporting people at work is the obvious and admirable goal of facility design. But several developments in recent years have complicated formerly assumed notions of who working people are, what they look like, and what their bodies can do.

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Forward Thinking:

Why the Ideas from the Man Who Invented Cubicles Still Make Sense

In the nearly 40 years since Robert Propst wrote The Office: A Facility Based on Change, what has become of his ideas? His study of offices found "it is our buildings, furnishings, and services that have to be revisualized and revitalized." That required an approach for addressing what Propst called the new master in organizations--constant, rapid change. For Propst, this meant new rules for the office: a "forgiving" behavior in facility design; the ability to change with "grace"; putting more control in the hands of the person working in the space. While these rules have been unevenly applied and sometimes misused in the intervening years, they continue to resonate even as work and work environments evolve. Built on Propst's original thoughts, two additional rules address the new office landscape apparent today: Give people choice and variety in how they create and share; enrich their work experience with a workplace that is flexible and open to change and serendipity.

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