Following the ‘work-from-home’ reality of the pandemic, we find ourselves in a sea of changes that are tangibly influencing the way we work and live. How can we design more human-centric, inclusive, resilient, healthy, and sustainable work environments that support the evolving workplace culture of today?
The authors explore how a cultural anthropological perspective can offer valuable insights that can enrich and shape architectural approaches during the current era of transformation.
Today anthropologists are more likely to study Wall Street firms or Silicon Valley technology startups. This work has shown the ways the cultural, social, and spatial structures, including the specifics of design, and amenities matter most in workplace environments. For example, as ethnographers of finance sectors observe, the spatial arrangement of where traders sit on the trading floor has an impact on how they see and hear other traders, access technologies, and receive and interpret information.
At the same time, anthropological concepts, theories, and methods have been assimilated into corporate venues, as more anthropologists work for JP Morgan Chase, Intel, and Meta. Drawing on the discipline’s signature method fieldwork (participant-observation), professional anthropologists are able to gain deep insights into the mindset of employees; help organizations understand their workplace culture; and provide practical solutions to questions such as how to draw employees back to the office and how to foster stronger, cohesive, and inclusive communities.
In an era where flexible and remote work is becoming increasingly prevalent, architects also adapt workplaces to accommodate evolving trends, advances in technologies, and sustainability goals. Their role in workplace design, if well informed, can greatly contribute to the creation of dynamic, efficient, and employee-friendly settings that promote well-being, innovation, and the fulfillment of the greatest collective and individual potentials.