IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017 - 20

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This "collision coefficient" movement reached a major
milestone earlier this year when Fast Retailing-the parent
company of clothier Uniqlo-opened its new headquarters
in Japan where traditional work culture and office space
still holds strong. The space-designed by New York and
Portland, Oregon, USA-based Allied Works Architecture-
includes open work lofts, hallways inspired by traditional
Japanese porches, furniture typically found in residential
design, communal worktables, and several gathering
spaces (called "town squares"), including a gallery, a library,
and a digitally linked information hub. The goal of this
groundbreaking space: to spur the unexpected innovation
that off-the-cuff conversations can generate.
But just because more offices are striving to spur
creativity and innovation doesn't mean they're being
conceived as playgrounds for adults. Philippe Paré, IIDA,
AIA, principal, design director, Gensler, London, England,
says that movement, which dominated many startups
and tech companies just a few years ago, is on its way out.
"Whilst clients understand the benefits of unscripted
interactions, serendipitous encounters, and collaboration
in more casual settings, there is a recognition that the
workplace is an extension of a company's brand," he says.
"Hence, clients are looking past attention-grabbing,
gimmicky features in favor of a more mature approach to
crafting spaces and experiences infused with authenticity
and purpose."

of U.K. workers blame uninspiring
workplaces or a lack of appropriate areas
in which to focus as major obstacles to
the creative process, according to a 2017
Microsoft Surface survey.

Getting Real

20

perspective

Photos by: Swiss Bureau Interior Design

Andes restaurant
in the World Trade
Centre, Dubai,
United Arab
Emirates, was
designed by Swiss
Bureau Interior
Design, Dubai.

iida.org/perspective

That battle for authenticity isn't just happening in the
workplace. It's reaching a watershed moment in all areas
of design, in large part due to the public's dwindling sense
of trust. According to the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer,
media are distrusted in 82 percent of countries while
government is distrusted in 75 percent of countries, and
business in 46 percent.
Designers can't repair the bad blood between consumers
and these entities. But they can eschew the highly curated,
highly stylized spaces that dominated just a few years ago
in lieu of an honest look that tells the story of a brand, a
building, or a business.
"I think everyone's looking for a different way to
represent authenticity without using conspicuously rustic
and salvaged materials," Holt says. "There are plenty of other
ways to tell a true story about the history of a location or
about a company's values than making everything look like a
barn, for example. And if it makes sense to use salvaged and
upcycled materials, they can be used in simple and elegant
ways. Using them completely unchanged from how they
were found is not the only option for authenticity."
In hospitality, these materials are still showing up,
but they're juxtaposed by more refined ones, such as
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017
