Office Shock by Bob Johansen & Joseph Press & Christine Bullen

Author:Bob Johansen & Joseph Press & Christine Bullen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

The Timeless Meaning of Place

Architects are schooled in the Roman concept of genius loci, the protective spirit of a place. Genius loci is less about the physical environment and more about the timeless meaning of place. It is the attributes of the environment that are impregnated with memories, emotions, and resonance. In an officeverse, the role of place will be very different—but even more important.

Place has always been a platform for social experience. From open-air or covered marketplaces to the piazza for community gathering and cultural events, social interaction was always the real attraction. Shopping together, playing together, learning together, and working together are integral parts of human history. The officeverse will be a place for new forms of interaction.

Jaron Lanier, one of the pioneers of virtual reality, builds on McLuhan stating that our experiences in the virtual worlds will ultimately teach us how to see and be sensitive to stimuli in the real world. His experience of being in a real forest was enriched in a visceral way after spending time in a VR forest—the digital brought a greater appreciation of the analog.25 Such convergence can establish an amplified presence that has the feel of “being there” regardless of physical location and time dimensions.

Places reshaped by office shock can promote new serendipity and sociability among individuals, organizations, and communities. Physical buildings and their surrounding areas can create a very attractive culture of communities. They can reflect a corporate culture and facilitate the growth of that culture.

However, there will be a need to develop new principles, guidelines, rules, and practices in the officeverse. When private information becomes public, the pain for an individual, a company, or a government could be severe. New concepts of sharing and boundary management will develop, and there will be many challenges. By learning how to coordinate in the officeverse, we will have new insight on how to better coordinate in the real world.

With a new appreciation and potential of how place can engage people for collective action, the officeverse may also contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing inspiration from Lanier, we can envision that Goal #9 (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation) will be accelerated by redrawing the boundaries of time and place.

The rejuvenation of place is an ingredient essential to leverage office shock to create better futures for working and living. The Spectrum of Place and Time provides choices to challenge our old ideas of place and time, look for new ways of working, and harmonize our journey to the future.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.