You know that feeling of no longer recognizing an old friend because he suddenly changed? This is a bit of what is happening with the design of work spaces. And the person responsible for all this is not a person, but Artificial Intelligence.
An intelligent hand
Arjun Kaicker, an architect and designer specializing in workspaces, underlines how the evolution of the last two years (not two decades) has been more significant than that experienced in all 25 of his career.
Kaicker and colleagues of Zaha Hadid Architects, historic architecture agency founded in London in 1979, have chosen to embrace change by using data and AI to design futuristic work spaces.
“The pandemic has given an incredible jolt to innovation in the world of work” Kaicker says. Previously, office design was all 'one size fits all', with standard desks and environments for everyone. Now, the wind has changed.
Here AI was used for the positioning of internal components such as pipes, stairs and elevator shafts
New Era for workspaces
The team of architects is a trailblazer: among the few to have already set up a group dedicated to artificial intelligence, it shows working methods and dynamics that we will soon see everywhere also in the field of architecture and design.
The design of work spaces will see an earthquake: algorithms and artificial intelligence will allow for a much more accurate and dynamic reading of the space and its use.
Mind you, it's not a question of aesthetics: sensors capable of monitoring the flow of people and environmental conditions (temperature, air quality, noise levels, humidity, CO2 levels and daylight) will provide data with clearer detail than ever before. real needs.
Result? Constantly evolving workspaces, rearranged furniture, reworked lighting, people positioned in the most suitable positions for their work, and optimized times.
The challenges of the future
Secondo Patrick Schumacher, who took over from the late Zaha Hadid at the helm of the studio, many studios prefer to focus on museum or residential projects. A mistake, because offices are the place "where wealth and prosperity is generated", in the exact words.
For this reason, he says, artificial intelligence will make 21st century buildings as responsive and advanced as cars and electronic devices.
What about privacy? How can workers' privacy be protected when their every movement can be monitored? Schumacher is clear on this: companies need to behave responsibly. The ultimate goal is to improve the work experience, not to police or penalize employees.
Maybe. Meanwhile, 3 years after the start of the pandemic, most of the planet wants to redesign the relationship between home and work. And not with artificial intelligence, but with emotional intelligence.
