In a downtown high-rise in Denver, Colorado, a consortium of architects and businesses have created what they hope will be the work environment of the future. Entitled Workplace 2010, the project integrates innovations in design, ergonomics, organizational behavior, technology, business planning and productivity.
Some of the features of Workplace 2010 include a space called the playground, which is intended to encourage dialogue and brainstorming. The playground space is furnished with comfortable, movable furniture to allow unrestricted communications and creativity. A convergence space will be equipped with sound, video teleconferencing and A/V control technologies, accessible both in the room and through the Internet. The Info Bar space is designed to resemble a neighborhood cafe where employees gather to talk, exchange ideas and access the Internet for information. This space is central to the overall atmosphere of the project, encouraging impromptu gatherings and challenging traditional paradigms of what constitutes “productive work time.”
Workplace 2010 opened in January and will be available for tours and business retreats, in the hopes of continuing the dialogue of space and efficiency.
