WORKSPACE FUTURES

Project Team: JohnTaylor Bachman, Katie Stranix, Lauren Brown, Collette Block, Audrey Liu, Meghann McMahon, Sam Feldman, Chris Murphey

The nature of work has evolved dramatically since the mid-1800’s, and continues to accelerate towards new, unprecedented and unknown horizons in the wake of cultural movements and technological advancements.

Beginning predominantly as physically demanding labor in agrarian landscapes, work shifted to assembly lines within large industrial halls, to seated administrative tasks within the deep floor plates of multistory buildings and, most recently, to the spare rooms of our homes. All of these types of work require specific tools and environments. Today, much can be achieved on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and many assets, documents, and lines of communication can be stored and maintained in the cloud. Group meetings often occur via video conference, and most tasks tend to require complex teams, creative problem solving, and nearly no manual labor. This type of knowledge work no longer has clearly defined spatial requirements and can take place anywhere with a decent wifi connection.

Technological advancements, increasing globalization, and most recently global pandemics, have catalyzed this ongoing evolution of work and the dissolution of the traditional workplace. Each year new tools and technologies allow for the continued automation of tasks in an effort to accomplish work faster, cheaper, safer, and ultimately with less human workers. How can the history of work and the narratives of workers - past and present - inform the future of workspace? What role might architecture play in this unfolding paradigm shift?

JT Bachman and Katie Stranix, in partnership with Google, and together with students of the UVA School of Architecture, began to investigate the spatial implications of the changing nature of work in the fall of 2019. This exhibit includes the work from their two seminars, Workspace Evolutions and Workspace Generations, as well as additional research conducted over the 2020 academic year.