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...