The Evolution of Office Design
- 2015-10-30
- Morgan Lovell
The humble office has evolved hugely over the past decade. But what about the past century? What are the origins of modern office design, and what have today’s offices evolved from? At Morgan Lovell, we know offices, and as such have compiled all of our research to present some insights into just how far office design has come.
ROME
Offices have existed in some way, shape or form throughout history as a means of a person, or body of people, to conduct official administrative business. It is based on the Roman Latin officium, a term loosely meaning “bureau,” or a human staff or formal position. In ancient Rome, it was not so much a specific place or building, but the people within it; hence the phrase, “The Office of the Prime Minister,” for example. The Romans had a unique knack for using only time-tested building techniques that inspired organisation and order for dealing with central bureaucratic processes, as exemplified in the almighty and archaic Pantheon in Rome’s modern business district.
THE FIRST MODEN OFFICES
It’s difficult to fathom the idea that gigantic, multi-functional organisations did not exist in quite the same size and relative complexity as Roman bureaucratic government until the 18th century. Organisations such as the Royal Navy and East India Company were established to further Britain’s interests overseas – and to manage their incredibly varied tasks and organisation, a central base of operations needed to be built. East India House was built in 1729 on Leadenhall Street as the HQ from which the East India Company administered its Indian interests and required thousands of employees to process the necessary paperwork.