The history of the office.

Historically, the way we work has always changed whenever there were social upheavals or groundbreaking inventions. How, and above all where, we work has always been connected to the work itself and the challenges associated with it. Thus, during the period of industrialization the separation of work and living space as well as a time-structured workday were rather rare. Working hours were determined by the tasks to be done and not by a specific number of hours. Then came industrialization and with it the invention of the assembly line and the time clock. In that era efficiency was the greatest economic driver, and people themselves were reduced to efficient machines.

With the introduction of the five-day week in the 20th century, living and working conditions steadily improved and people once again had time for themselves besides work. The newly gained leisure time was the central aim of the five-day week, which was largely shaped by Henry Ford. He recognized that no one would buy his cars if everyone worked without interruption. At the same time, functional urban-planning concepts were developed for the first time during this period that provided for a spatial separation of commercial and residential areas. The consequences of these ideas are still noticeable today, for example in daily commuting.

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At the same time, the small writing rooms developed into urban offices and then into the open-plan offices we still know today. Large areas were filled with desks arranged to face the supervisors.

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In the 1950s, managers shut themselves off in closed private offices, while employees in the open-plan office continued to contend with the soundscape of clattering typewriters and constant telephone ringing.

This hierarchical concept was challenged a few years later by the idea of the "office landscape," and the American furniture manufacturer Herman Miller introduced the Action Office—with its now-familiar cubicles—for the first time. In this setup, workstations in large open rooms were separated from one another by partitions.

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This model persisted until the 1990s and the rise of Silicon Valley. There, open office layouts were adopted again to promote collaboration and innovation. But one problem returned: the lack of privacy. Nevertheless, the concepts were widespread and can still be found today in many companies in various forms.

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In summary, it is evident that the history of the office has always moved between extremes. The future of the office is not an either-or but a both-and. The spaces in which work will be done in the future must ensure a balance between social interaction and distraction-free concentration. Moreover, spaces and concepts must be fundamentally rethought in light of technological progress and the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context the term "purpose office" is also used — the meaning and purpose of an office. This can be as individual as the organizations and the personal needs of the employees themselves.

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There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Only those who know their organization and the challenges of the future, and who ask bold questions, will be able to develop an office concept that meets future requirements.

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Who knows what challenges await us tomorrow?

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