Helen Hamlyn Research Centre

shared space: enhancing social dynamics in office buildings

A design study of new architectural strategies to enhance social dynamics in office buildings, aimed at giving users greater influence in their work environment across differing 'communities of scale'.

The 20th century office was an impersonal and hierarchical architectural container for work which stifled social dynamics. But in a climate of change, new workplace models are urgently required. By working closely with users in a range of organisations, and by exploring the process by which culture and environment are intertwined, the study proposes new design elements for the physical landscape of work.

Four 'communities of scale' were developed to illustrate different types of social dynamic in a range of building and organisational types. Magnet shows the expression of social dynamic in a building serving a national industry sector; Matrix shows social dynamic over distance, with hi-tech teams collaborating globally; Mentor shows social dynamic within a group, such as a creative agency on a single site; and Mutual shows social dynamic across rank, breaking down hierarchical or discipline barriers. The study concludes with a focus on key shared spaces with the potential to enhance social dynamics. The technical core of the building is mirrored by a social core; serviced office space becomes small-scale, tenant-governed business incubators; office foyers become public arenas for cultural dialogue; and cellular offices are reinvented as group-owned privacy zones.