Workplace
Reimagined

According to the author of POPULATUS: "The abandonment of rural towns is a phenomenon that has been occurring for decades and has affected numerous rural communities around the world. This trend is especially accentuated in European countries such as Spain and has been driven by a variety of factors, both economic and social, that have contributed to population decline and loss of vitality in many rural areas." The proposal claims that the factors driving such movement include migration to urban areas, aging populations, deindustrialization, changes in economic structures, as well as the lack of basic services, investments and infrastructure. This project thus aims to soften the problem by bringing urban job opportunities to rural areas without necessarily gentrifying or repopulating these towns. It proposes a building designed to adapt to a rural environment, offering ideal spaces for installing businesses, with open workspaces, relaxation spaces and exterior activity areas. The building, designed for a nonspecified Mediterranean site, is designed to be flexible, resilient, quick to assemble and disassemble, and respectful of the environment.

According to the author of X-BOX: "In the post-pandemic era, digital work and telecommuting have gradually become common ways of working. Facing rising office vacancy rates, long commutes and high costs in Beijing, how should the new workspace change?" The well-researched proposal focuses on 'old' neighborhoods in Beijing geographically located between business districts and sprawling residential areas. The design considers a six-level existing apartment building in Beijing. It retains the load-bearing portion of the brick structure and inserts a series of modular office 'boxes' as a means to infuse residential areas with business or work spaces. The project aims to meet the physical needs of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as individual workers. It is proposed as a pilot program for commercial renewal, a retrofit strategy which might be applied to similar structures within the city.

Ethiopian Cultural Centre is a proposal that aims to establish a community-driven cultural workplace focused on visual arts across various fields. It seeks to organize enjoyable educational and entertainment events for people of all ages and backgrounds within Ethiopian communities, run by local individuals with the assistance of external organisation such as UNICEF. The submission states that Ethiopia is a multicultural and multiethnic country, a manifestation of socio-cultural differences of over 82 ethnic groups that have inhabited the land for generations, and that each of these manifests its own respective "values, ideals, arts, rituals, songs, stories, literature, moral and spiritual wisdom." The project seeks to reimagine the workplace in Ethiopian communities to foster collaboration and showcase positive aspects of culture. Such a building, it claims, would instill a sense of pride and community involvement, facilitate community integration, and mitigate feelings of isolation. The chosen site is located some five kilometers from the capital city of Addis Ababa.

In response to the recent global pandemic, the need to reassess workspaces has become paramount, urging a shift towards adaptability to ensure productivity in uncertain times. Traditional office setups are experiencing a decline, as sustainability, human-centric design, and emerging technologies are now prerequisites for discerning tenants. The proposal of Metamorpho Space: A Sustainable Office Evolution introduces an innovative and replicable approach. It intertwines cutting-edge architectural techniques with the sustainable repurposing of construction and demolition (C&D) materials. By utilizing recycled materials, the project aims to inspire dynamic architectural solutions while strategically reducing material waste and carbon footprints. A key aspect of the initiative is its pre-collection strategy, efficiently gathering waste materials from the local neighborhood for salvage and reuse in construction. The focus lies on the adaptive reuse of materials sourced from the deconstruction of Bunshaft's 270 Park Ave building, with a systematic approach addressing curtainwall panels, fixtures, drywalls, and steel frames in reverse order. Utilizing locally sourced waste, the project creates modular office hubs tailored to the diverse needs of different companies. New office tenants are actively engaged in the design process through an open-source toolkit, fostering a collaborative negotiation dynamic that goes beyond traditional boundaries of private and shared spaces.