The historical past of the open plan workplace
From the surprisingly radical roots to the post-pandemic role, Jennifer Kaufmann-Bühler – Assistant Professor of Design History at Purdue University – talks about the legacy of the open plan office
It's hard to come up with the very first example of an open plan office, but there is general agreement that it emerged in the 1960s and 1970s – and was at least in part driven by a rise in open plan architecture in general. New ideas from management and work theories as well as the conviction that office spaces require a drastic conversion also contributed to the acceptance.
And although many today regard it as the epitome of dreary corporate culture that strives to be egalitarian, the open plan office was surprisingly controversial in the early years. "Many young architects and designers saw it as a radical and even youthful solution for the office," explains Jennifer Kaufmann-Bühler, assistant professor of design history at Purdue University and author of a new book that reveals the development of the open planning office in the US.
“There was also a kind of countercultural association. In my book, I talk a little about the McDonald & # 39; s office, which was this think tank with a huge waterbed, as an example of how they wrote these countercultural reference points into the open plan, and not only can you do that see inside, but how they marketed it and talked about it. "
Above: Installation of Action Office 2 at Citizens and Southern National Bank in Atlanta, Georgia, 1968; Above: Original interior of the office landscape in the newly built administration office (Freehafer Hall) of Purdue University, 1971
Photograph of the interior of the Freehafer Hall, 1971
Not just a 700-gallon waterbed, which incidentally was in a cushioned circular meditation room accessed through a hatch, the 1971 McDonald & # 39; s headquarters played rock music in its cafeteria and encouraged workers to get in To dress “fashionable” mod clothing, ”writes Kaufmann-Bühler. Journalists reported the space as "a reflection of their progressive corporate culture," and McDonald & # 39; s executives stressed that its more youthful approach would attract and retain talented employees who weren't interested in a top-notch corner office. It's strange to think about it now when nothing seems more pedestrian-friendly to many than an open-plan office.
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