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Patterns of work are changing. New technology is leading to more flexible working lives, with less emphasis on working from '9 to 5'. Population ageing is leading to extended working lives and the emergence of a multigenerational workforce. New legislation is curbing discrimination at work on the grounds on age or disability, leading to a more diverse workforce. Most workplaces, however, still adhere to an outdated model of management efficiency for the young and fit. The challenge is to make our future workplaces more effective, comfortable and sustainable for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
The Royal College of Art has a long tradition of engagement with the design of workplace interiors, systems and furnishings. Royal College of Art graduates have worked with many of the world’s leading corporate clients and furniture companies to create workplaces at the cutting edge of new ideas: Geoff Hollington, Ross Lovegrove, Gerard Taylor, and Jasper Morrison are just four alumni who have built a strong reputation in the sector. Today, many College graduates continue to win projects in this field. Workplace design therefore has special resonance for studio-based practice at the College, as well as providing a challenge for researchers who believe that independent living in later life depends on economic independence and access to work for older people.
Early Helen Hamlyn Centre projects focused on new ways of working, especially working from home, in collaboration with industry. The aim of these studies was to develop new workplace products and services. More recently, with support from the UK funding councils, the focus has widened to look at the effects of demographic change on workplace design, especially population ageing. Welcoming Workplace is a two-year study that began in January 2007 with academic partners in Japan and Australia. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), it aims to identify the environmental needs of older workers in knowledge organisations. The study is part of the Designing for the 21st Century initiative run by the University of Dundee.
