The way we work is changing – this we know. But while the subject of agile working has been discussed at great length, few have aspired to walk-the-walk and adopt the radical changes the concept presents. By Sophia Watson.
December 17th, 2013
Since the opening of its new head office building in 1969, KOKUYO has consistently been a driving force behind advanced office projects and internal explorations of workplace movements. The so-called ‘modern workplace’ has a strong focus on integration, connectivity, technology and a notable levelling of hierarchy.
The KOKUYO ‘Next Office’ – a ‘live office’ in Tokyo’s Kasumigaseki –aims to explore and integrate these ideas by taking the ‘modern workplace’ to a higher level. Located on the 18th floor of the prestigious Kasumigaseki Building in Tokyo, this ‘living’ office is structured to achieve something critical to this new way of working – transparency.
Using Cloud technology to facilitate communications with no restrictions involving time or place, is just the beginning of the shift. Hosting a phenomenal 300 employees in the space, the 2,400 square metres are utilised to engage all company players, and create a borderless environment of intense collaboration and inter-office engagement.
Here, the open plan layout merges all departments to encourage a more cohesive work style. The meeting rooms – or ‘sync’ rooms – are private, yet entirely transparent with floor to ceiling glass barriers, again breaking down the idea of separation, fostering openness and team cohesion.
Free address seating is another initiative being applied in the space, where there is no assigned or ‘owned’ seating – even KOKUYO’s CEO Hidekuni Kurodahas has no personal office or reserved desk in the office.
The work areas themselves are varied, with a number of settings designed to accommodate a range of needs and functions. For example, there are solo work desks, team hubs, team booth collaboration spaces, relaxation areas, private meeting rooms, shared desks, community salons, show-and-tell facilities and so-on. But the Next Office represents far more than fancy features.
The office is an innovative space for new ways of working that produce strong bonds within a team, challenge traditional ideas of hierarchy, and shift the balance of power from the supervisor to the individual users.
The modern workplace is not just about installing an open floor plan, nor is it about merely letting individuals sit where they want. It is about adopting a radical attitude shift in your approach to working – a fundamental synergy between behaviour and mindset. KOKUYO understands this principle, and through the Next Office and other projects, continually plays with complex ideas of environment and work, designing proposals ahead of their time.
KOKUYO
kokuyo.com/en
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
Sub-Zero and Wolf’s prestigious Kitchen Design Contest (KDC) has celebrated the very best in kitchen innovation and aesthetics for three decades now. Recognising premier kitchen design professionals from around the globe, the KDC facilitates innovation, style and functionality that pushes boundaries.
Suitable for applications ranging from schools and retail outlets to computer rooms and X-ray suites, Palettone comes in two varieties and a choice of more than fifty colours.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
With Milan 2024 only a few weeks away, we sneak a view of some of the most exciting pieces set to go on show – from lighting design to furniture, here are nine preview products.
The AIA Alta Wellness Haven offers the complete package for health and wellbeing away from the busy city life in Hong Kong and does it through a stellar interior design.