Modeling Collaborative Idea Flow in an Open O!ce

The Modern O!ce Tower: “Form Follows Function”

1891Wainwright Building, St. LouisLouis Sullivan

• The only “indigenous” American building type

• Made possible by the availability of steel framing, allowing height

• Eschews ornamentation in favor of modern e!ciency, clarity, simplicity

• The defining aesthetic of the Modernist architectural movement

1949 860–880 North Lake Shore Drive

Mies van der Rohe1886 - 1969

“Less is More”

1958 Seagram Building, New York

1891 Wainwright Building

1940s-60s Set of “Mad Men”

1970s-90s Set of “O!ce Space”

2000s-now Google

“...communications technologies in the form of the Internet and mobile communications technologies are once again changing the shape of business culture, by changing the ways people work and renewed requirements on the workplace. As more people become

mobile, meetings and social interaction become more important as time together is growing more limited. This change is placing more

dynamic requirements on space to help foster communities and encourage social interaction.”

“The Living Skyscraper: Mapping the Vertical Neighborhood”

1959 The Norton BuildingSOM, inspired by Mies van der Rohe“Seattle’s first glass curtain wall skyscraper”

https://vimeopro.com/user15766364/lmn/video/158252147

Communications Theory

Bonding vs. BridgingHigh Context vs. Low Context

Engagement vs. Exploration E!ciency vs. Innovation

Project Team: High Context/E!cient/Bonding/Engagement

Community Event: Low Context/Innovative/Bridging/Exploration

Pin-Up/Model Areas Collaboration Tables

Conference Rooms Focus Rooms Materials Library

Classifying Interactions

Bonding Bridging

Primary team

Team resource

Non-team related

Non-work related

4

3

2

1

1

2

3

4

PROJECT TEAM

PROJECT TEAMFLEX SPACE / LIBRARY

MODEL +

PINUP

TABLECIRCULATION / STAIRS / ELEVATORS

Classifying Interactions: Internal vs. External

Bonding Bridging

Primary team

Team resource

Non-team related

Non-work related

4321

General public

Colleagues

Collaborators

Clients

1234

1234

4321

Inte

rnal

Exte

rnal

Classifying Interactions: Physical vs. Digital

Inventory of communications technologies used in the o!ce

Collaboration/Interaction• Email• Phone (landline & mobile)• MS O!ce• Adobe CC• 3D Modeling Software, e.g. Revit• Bluebeam (drawing markups)• Paper

• Social media• Company intranet• Company website

Individual Research• Books & magazines • Internet search (Google)

Classifying Interactions: RankingsVirtual (internal) Virtual (external)

4 Bonding (high context)3.5 Revit

3 MS O!ce Revit / MS O!ce / Phone / Bluebeam2.5 neutral Email, Adobe CC Email / Adobe CC / Company website

2 Phone1.5 Company intranet Social media

1 Bridging (low context) Social media

Face to Face (internal) Face to Face (external)4 Bonding (high context)

3.5 Collab tables, Model/Pinup Collab tables, Model/Pinup, Focus rooms, Circulation/Lobby3 Focus rooms, Materials lib, Shop Materials lib, Conference rooms, Desk

2.5 neutral Conference rooms, Desk, Restaurants, Others Desks, Kitchen Restaurants, Flex space/Library2

1.5 Circulation/Lobby, Flex space/Library1 Bridging (low context)0 no interactions phone rooms shop, others desks, kitchen, phone room

Face to Face + Virtual (internal) Face to Face + Virtual (external)4 Bonding (high context)

3.5 collab tables, model/pinup areas collab tables, model/pinup, circ/lobby3 focus rooms, materials lib, shop focus rooms, materials lib, conference room, phone room

2.5 neutral desk, others desks, conference rooms, kitchen, local restaurants desk, local restaurants, flex space/library2

1.5 circulation/lobby, flex space/library1 Bridging (low context)0 no interactions phone rooms shop, other people’s desks, kitchen

Classifying Time: Group vs. Individual

Discovering new knowledge

Synthesizing existing knowledge

Group

Solo

Bonding Bridging

Engagement Exploration

Survey...