The authors skillfully distinguish the primary trends in contemporary office design by dividing their engagingly written case studies among four chapters, each dedicated to a particular type of workplace: "Academics" encourage the sharing of knowledge within a corporate structure; "Guilds" allow the members of a profession to interact as peers; "Agoras" bring the workplace closer to the marketplace, and to civic life; and "Lodges" combine the home and the office. Two hundred vivid color photographs and fifty architectural drawings show how the featured architects have configured public areas, meeting rooms, and private work spaces to meet the needs of today's increasingly versatile and mobile workers. The inclusion of an informative introduction, which outlines the economic and technological factors driving the rapid evolution of contemporary workplace architecture, further ensures that this attractive book will be an essential reference for everybody who has a hand in designing offices, and thought-provoking reading for everybody who works in one.
PHILIP ROSS is a commentator, writer, and consultant on technology in the workplace. His previous publications include The Cordless Office and, with Jeremy Myerson, The Creative Office and The 21st Century Office.