Spaces as Stimulus and Catalyst As nomadic working styles spread and changing organizations become the norm, people are less inclined to stay for long in the same location or space. This may result in a somewhat weaker relationship between people and spaces. On this basis, it may be time to begin exploring strategies and designs that supplement what is missing, or even exploit the characteristics of the new relationship. Everybody Round the Table Everyone in the company sits around a table for a lively exchange of opinions. What is possible for a small organization becomes a challenge for larger ones, especially one with over 100 people. Bold design helped London advertising agency Mother overcome the problem. A massive, oval-ring table lets the whole company sit side by side and occupies a whole floor. Mother / London, UK Modern Bottega with a View of the Sea Near Genoa, Architect Renzo Piano's greenhouse-like office is nestled in the heart of nature above the sparkling Mediterranean. A diverse group of people works here amid a pleasant atmosphere of alertness, using hands and minds to create world-class designs. Renzo Piano Building Workshop / Genoa, Italy A Research Community Where Government, Academia, and Industry Collaborate IT development is progressing so rapidly that it is no longer realistic for companies to develop IT technologies on their own. A more contemporary approach is about knowledge sharing and collaboration with other organizations. The IT City of Katrinebjerg puts this principle into practice. IT City of Katrinebjerg / Aarhus, Denmark Art Fires Intelligent Intuition Innovation is now a key concept for organizations. It emerges from a free flow of ideas and challenges the status quo, bringing about changes in everything. What conditions facilitate this free flow of ideas? One is art?at least according to space creators Bosch & Fjord, who have concluded that daily exposure to art heightens the senses. Art therefore plays an important functional role in the workplaces they create. Bosch & Fjord / Copenhagen, Denmark History Inspires the Future Angels on a vaulted ceiling, botanical motifs adorning walls... interior elements so out of place in an office environment are evidence that this building was once an opulent residence. By passing on memories of the past, it is a source of constant inspiration for the staff of 5+1AA?an atelier of architecture whose design concept values local character and history. 5+1AA / Genoa, Italy Impactful Spaces Enliven Organizations Uniflair's new headquarters demonstrates how office layouts can be a powerful tool for filtering organizational reform throughout a company. Having decided to make a fundamental shift from a product-based to a process-based organization, Uniflair placed three long tables in the workspace and allocated seating by business process in sequential order. Workers learn about the company's policy from experience in their daily work in this layout, which also follows a clear, logical sequence much like that of work processes in an assembly plant. Uniflair / Conselve, Italy Workplaces for Creative Communities How about a community-style office environment that flexibly incorporates motivating opportunities in a way that facilitates interaction and collaboration? We're thinking of chances to meet people from completely different areas of endeavour?people with different perspectives than colleagues; or going outside the office for a change of scenery?to seek inspiration from, say, bookstore shelves. Here are some of our ideas.