As we explore the evolution of the office planning models by focusing on key influencers of trends, we begin to identify consistencies in trend markers. Starting with the 1960s Burolandschaft’s drive to encourage social interaction and human behavior, the resulting lack of privacy which drove to the development of the “cube” to provide personal freedom led to a feeling of isolation. Moving forward to the start-up culture of the 2000s and technology that allowed work to be anywhere, the objectives of design shifted to incorporate collaboration, individual work, and speed of change. Throughout these transitions, generational difference, social issues of work/life balance, recruitment and retention of valuable skilled employees, and the impact of health and wellness all remained the consistencies that drove our need to better design with innovation.
Today, the impetus behind that innovation is the blurring lines between home and work. The answer? Resimercial design; a somewhat overused term that defines the incorporation of the residential look to a commercial space. As companies look to make workspaces a more inviting place for employees to get work done, we’re seeing elements of residential and hospitality design splashed across design boards and requested by clients. We know that we want a more comfortable feel for the office environment and we have a fairly keen understanding of what that looks like. But have we really taken a step back to look at the measurements of this new movement? Is it having a positive impact on our working life? How have companies that implemented it benefited? And what does resimercial design really mean?