For decades, workspaces have evolved in step with culture, technology, and the way people relate to one another. Today’s office is no longer simply a place to work: it is an environment that influences creativity, well-being, and team productivity.
On this journey, we will explore how we moved from rigid offices filled with cubicles to collaborative spaces where human connection takes center stage.
1. The Origins: The Traditional Office (1900–1950)
- At the beginning of the 20th century, offices were designed like silent factories.
- Rows of desks, supervisors in private offices, and areas divided according to hierarchy.
- This was the era of Taylorism, where design focused on efficiency, not well-being.
- The worker was a cog in the system.
- The aesthetic was rigid, functional, and hardly human.
2. The Birth of the Cubicle (1960–1980)
In 1968, Robert Propst revolutionized corporate design with the Action Office system, which later became popularized as the cubicle. His proposal sought privacy, ergonomics, and the freedom to reorganize space. However, companies adopted the most economical and standardized version: endless rows of identical, repetitive, and disconnected cubicles.
For some, this meant:
✔ Privacy
✔ Noise reduction
✔ A personal space
But for many others, it represented:
✖ Isolation
✖ Lack of interaction
✖ A monotonous environment
3. The 1990s and 2000s: The Open-Space Era
With the rise of tech startups came a completely opposite vision: open spaces.
The philosophy was simple:
“If we remove barriers, creativity will flow.”
Open-space offices promote constant interaction, dynamic environments, and immediate communication.
Advantages:
✔ Improved collaboration
✔ More modern environments
✔ More efficient use of space
Disadvantages:
✖ Constant noise
✖ Distractions
✖ Lack of privacy
Although it transformed the corporate world, it soon became clear that “opening everything up” was not the ultimate solution.
4. 2015–Present: People-Centered Offices
Today, we are living in the most human phase of corporate design.
Modern offices combine the best of each era and add a key focus: user experience.
Contemporary design understands that each task requires a different type of space.
That’s why today’s offices include:
- Collaborative areas
- Phone booths for video calls
- Deep-focus corners
- Lounge areas
- Welcoming cafeterias
- Flexible workstations
- Indoor green spaces
- Warm, biophilic materials
Today, space adapts to people… not the other way around.
5. The Future: Purpose-Driven Corporate Design
The office of the future is more than a functional place: it is an emotional, aesthetic, and cultural experience.
The spaces to come will be:
More flexible
More sustainable
More technological
More sensory
More human
Lighting, materials, acoustics, color, and ergonomics become tools for well-being.
Design tells stories and reflects an organization’s identity.
In a hybrid world, the office must offer something the home cannot:
connection, culture, and belonging.
Conclusion
The transformation of corporate design leaves a clear message: spaces do matter.
They influence how we think, create, collaborate, and feel.
At IngAr, we believe in offices that connect—spaces where people meet, ideas flow, and teams grow. Because well-thought-out design doesn’t just change a place… it changes the way we experience work.
