[Work]place [inter]actions: the Dynamics of Space + Interpersonal Relations

Abstract

Everything about work has changed, but very little about the workplace has. The current work environment is not working for humans. The defining ethic in the modern workplace is more demanding, bigger, and faster. More information than ever is available and the speed of every transaction has increased exponentially, prompting a sense of permanent urgency and endless distraction. Humans are not programmed like computers. Nor do they run in a linear manner like a machine. Life is moving faster than ever and unintentionally isolating people from one another. People are spending more time at work than they are with their loved ones and maintaining their personal lives. “Relationships are one of the main sources of happiness, but when they go wrong they produce very great distress and are one of the roots of mental disorder” (Argyle). Humans were created to interact, with one another, and with their environments. Human Energy comes from four sources: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Humans achieve great performance when a source or work environment can activate and respond to all four spectrums. This is when humans can achieve great performance. In order to better understand human behavior, understand work, understand how humans measure performance there needs to be more investment on the part of people who design, plan, provide and manage workplaces so they can use those measures to justify changes in the workplace. Furthermore , several corporation case studies regarding organizational culture will be explored. The precedents foreground how design can keep workers happy, engaged and productive while enhancing work performance and satisfaction.