Principles of Typology 1950s-1960s/70s

Building concepts I. The relationships between office organisation and spatial design have been classified in a field study in the USA which provided a benchmark for changes in office structures as a result of office automation.

Open-plan offices are suitable for large groups of employees with a high degree of division of labour, performing routine activities with a low level of concentration. Nowadays, open plan is more the exception than the rule. The concept was developed in the 1960s to provide efficiently organised, multipurpose areas, based on arguments such as transparency and clarity of working processes, and the development of a group spirit. Data processing equipment was kept in separate rooms and was not available at each workstation. Extremely deep offices (from 20 to 30 m) resulted in the use of expensive services technology that became unsuitable when the building use changed. Modern requirements, such as windows which open, lighting and environmental control, and electric power suitable for partitioned spaces all limit potential flexibility.

Sociologists have attested to the implicit coercive nature of open-plan offices, which is caused by social control, reliance on technical equipment, and visual and acoustic disruptions. This has led to a rejection of this type of office by employees.

Separate offices are suitable for independent work requiring concentration, and also for multi-occupant offices for very small groups constantly exchanging information. They are still used for certain workstation requirements, and in multistorey office buildings where the structural form of the building is so dominant that it determines the spatial and organisational features of the workstations.

Building concepts II. The reversible office was an attempt to improve the open-plan office system, which was felt to have many drawbacks for users. These included no individual environmental or daylight control, and visual and acoustic disturbances. Larger areas were subdivided into separate offices, which are better for work requiring great concentration, and this began a move toward greater flexibility. In addition, skyrocketing energy prices also cast doubt on the desirability of open-plan offices.

Changes in working structures as a result of new technologies (such as personal computers) made it possible to organise work in small groups. Group offices (small open-plan offices) are suitable for teams of clerical workers who constantly exchange information. They also allow greater flexibility for individual decisions about the working environment because of their smaller size (max. 7.50m to window) (see earlier notes on changes in the workplace). Fully localised environmental control is not necessary; back-up control methods can be used, in addition to ventilation fins on fagades and heating surfaces.

Methods of reorganisation include remodelling the building, providing daylight through courtyards, clear subdivisions in the floor plan to create workstations with uniform standards of light, ventilation and noise protection, or the use of office equipment that can quickly be adapted to fulfil new technical functions that entail more electrical cables and complex connections, as well as dividing the space. Raised floors and movable partitions often provide an easy way to adapt a building in terms of services, communication and space division. An example of space reorganisation after employee dissatisfaction is provided on the next page (- (26) – (28)). Although it is still a popular trend, the open-plan office appears to be useful for very few organisational forms or types of work. The prime objectives at Bertelsmann were to improve the quality of the workplace while retaining the flexibility to adapt to new office technologies and group reorganisation, and to use the working space economically and reduce operating costs.

Building concepts III. Recent trends aim to provide a spatial design that is appropriate for all the individual office requirements of an organisation. That means providing a space that is flexible when required, allows for group work, and includes individual rooms for work requiring concentration. It should also provide equipment that can be used both separately and collectively by groups, and which is particularly well-suited for high- quality independent work while allowing workstations to change according to daily requirements.