As Digital Infects Nature

What will the future hold for our physical spaces?

That – in particular – is one of the biggest questions that businesses will to ask. We have seen digital completely re-invent how we operate our businesses on the backend. We have seen digital completely re-invent the way in which brands can communicate and connect with their consumers. As these big companies change the way that we do business, we are beginning to see how it affects both our economies and the space that we live in. When you think about it, companies like Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon are not only dominating the online spaces, but they are taking over office spaces. But, then what? They expand. They take on other buildings, and try to customize these spaces. Many have turned these spaces into campuses. This kind of development causes a new kind of interaction between people, their work and the surrounding community. It changes the community, the people who work there, the environment, transit and so much more.

What can spaces look like for digital businesses? 

I am often asked to be on the Google campus (known as the Googleplex). I have watched this space grow, expand and be pushed to its limit over the years. I remember the first space that YouTube operated in when they were first acquired by Google and now, they have major production and creative studios in multiple cities. On my last trip, I had a meeting with someone at Google. Their office had been moved. It was so far from the Googolplex that it was – literally – a different exit off of the highway. Well, Google (like Apple) is looking to build a new campus in Mountain View, California. Below, is the Google proposal for North Bayshore. Sure, it’s a sales pitch to the community, but it also provides layers of interesting content that revolves around digital products and how they interface with our physical lives. It looks at architecture beyond buildings, and how it has  a more expansive definition. Architecture and design is all about the actual people who use these spaces, and the environment that it breathes in. It’s exciting to see a video like, especially if you have any interest in how we work in the near future. Take note of the space and how it flows. Take note of how the people are moving through it. It all seems to breathe as one. Is this done, to keep people at work? Or, is this being done, to inspire people to want to work?

What does the future of our work spaces truly look like?