Design Ambassador and Archisearch organized in strategic partnership with Inmind the exclusive event “The Future of Work” Design Week – The Milano Design Film Festival Greece—Athens, participated with the projection of the short film Elevation, Marcus Fairs, Oliver Manzi, UK, 2018,18 ′, and the curation of a discussion that explores the Event’s main theme: ” The Future of Work. ”
Film Screening:
Elevation, Marcus Fairs, Oliver Manzi, UK, 2018,18′
English, with Greek subtitles
‘Elevation’ is a short documentary by online magazine Dezeen, about how drones will transform cities. In what way are drones bringing in a new special level, the aerial one? “Aerial highways” will relieve pressure on roads as deliveries and human transportation take to the skies. Architecture will change dramatically as the ground floor entrance is replaced by rooftop landing. Today the accessibility and the use of drones is raising a lot of social and technological discussions that identify in their progress a point of strength or a threat to our privacy and safety. Through the interviews of architects and industry experts, including Norman Foster, Paul Priestman, Liam Young and Anab Jain, Elevation induces us to reflect on this fast and revolutionary change.
➔ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
*The film was introduced by Annie Markitanis, Director of MDFF Greece & Cyprus
Discussion
“The Future of Work”
(in Greek)
Guest Speakers
Alexis Vikelas, Architect at Vikelas Architects
Marika Mavroleon, Architect at A&M Architects
Simos Antoniadis, Associate Design Director/Partner at Urban Soul Project
Ioli Chiotini, Interiors & Concept Stylist
Moderation
Annie Markitanis, Director of Milano Design Film Festival Greece & Cyprus
Well Being. Flexibility. Collaboration. Creativity
What is the expected future scenario, given the digital and cultural shifts fast changing the office’s fabric? What is the expected purpose that the office’s setup will serve? Perhaps a support structure for the sense of belonging and community for the employees? Will our whole perception of the office as a building shift to the office being a network of physical and virtual places that support us to do our best work possible? Will tomorrow’s offices be smarter or more human or both? How will technological advances speed up these new forms of working for the future digital generation? What risks will our working relationships and privacy bear as a consequence? What sort of interaction, activity, and new behaviors will future workplaces and spaces foster and give prominence to?
Change brings opportunity: In a phygital environment, the house acquires a point from which residents orchestrate the new teleworking rules. Co-working spaces are transformed into a nursery of ideas, where anything is possible – a place where ambitious people with a vision meet and generate ideas that will change the world. The cafes or restaurants, traditionally associated as the validating spots for business relations, and a fertile groundor for sealing agreements, have nowadays become operational points for the realization of projects.Smart working, new technology, attention to employees’ well-being, versatility within the interior set up of professional spaces, comfort, sharing, support, sense of belonging, and community define the “vocabulary” of tomorrow’s workspace. The discussion touched upon such thematics as:
What is the etymology of today’s “workplace”? Prosperity. Flexibility. Cooperation. Comfort, Collectivity with a focus on the individual: What is the expected architectural interpretation of the above values in terms of re-approaching existing (historic) spaces? How can new materials contribute towards the revalidation of historic office buildings? Which are the parameters that determine the aesthetic, functional part of a workplace, and how these elements directly or indirectly determine the relationships and emotional assimilation and performance of an employee in a given space? As technology advances, should architects focus on creating spaces with a social imprint / social spaces that unite, catalysts of social interaction? The virtual environment seems to be chosen by some for better working performance: How accurate is this? Is the new office located both within our personal space as well as in the conventional office spaces? How much are we considering individual preferences when designing new workspaces, and which is the vocabulary of tomorrow’s interior design? Restaurants, Cafes, Co-Working Spaces, Massive Airports, Smart working home ambiances: What will prevail in the interior portraits of these new forms of professional presence?