How do you see the new normal of combining
working from home and in the office, in the
context of a creative design process?
It became clear to us very quickly what the pros
and cons of this hybrid working situation are with
respect to the creative design process, and it’s
something we have been aware of for quite some
time. Namely, that while solitary work enables
better concentration, innovation occurs through
knowledge exchange and this works better in
group situations. Digital communication tools are
great for meetings etc., but for truly spontaneous
brainstorming, people need to be together in a
group situation. This was also clearly evidenced in
our collaboration with Delta Light.
UNStudio has several large scale office projects
in its portfolio. How do you see the future of
offices changing in the coming years?
In terms of the different spaces required,
collaboration, group work and breakout spaces
will continue to be extremely important, but
there will also be a renewed understanding of
the need for spaces that enable concentration
and individual work. With more people working
remotely, offices will also have to cater for an
increase in digital communication within teams,
and provide more dedicated spaces for this. Also,
with the possibility that hybrid work scenarios will
be the new normal, flexi desk use will become
more common. But offices will also become
‘smarter’. Not only through sensor gathered
data relating to energy and space use, but also
in terms of providing healthy, personalised
environments. Air quality, light, acoustics etc.,
will become extremely important environmental
factors in the design of future offices.
Do you expect any remarkable changes in the
integration of lighting in future offices?
Yes. There is a growing understanding of how
important light is to our health and sleeping
patterns, and while daylight is essential, it is
usually not sufficient inside buildings, especially
in the darker winter months. I expect lighting –
like office buildings in general - to become much
smarter, much more personalised, versatile
and flexible. In the future I expect to see more
lighting systems like Soliscape that are digitally
enhanced, activity, behavior and sensor-based;
that are responsive and connected to other
automated processes and building management
systems. I also expect greater attention to be
paid to the quality and colour of lighting, in
order to help to control the circadian rhythm
and influence the productivity and wellbeing of
the people working in the building. That said, I
don’t believe that these new lighting systems
will be limited to offices. I think they will become
commonplace in a variety of different spaces.
What are the key priorities for UNStudio in the
coming 3 to 5 years?
We have been very focused on designing for
health for a number of years now and the recent
pandemic has demonstrated how important that
focus really is. But health is not limited to physical
factors alone, it also encompasses psychological
and social wellbeing. So community building
on both a building and a city level is always a
facet of our designs and will continue to be
so. Sustainability and circularity – the health
of the planet – is also a priority, but so are
challenging issues such as housing shortages
and densification. An added fascination I have
is how we can incorporate new and emerging
technologies to find the best solutions for all of
these challenges. It is not the hardware or the
software itself that interests me, but how it can
be applied within architecture and urban design
to improve our daily lives; how we can use the
digital to improve the analogue.
Which projects in your pipeline are you
particularly looking forward to and why?
All of them, for different reasons. We are working
on a number of large-scale projects which I
think are really going to be spectacular, but
also on a number of cultural projects that I am
very excited to see completed. It is also going to
be fascinating to see how the Brainport Smart
District in Helmond develops, especially as that
is a project that both UNStudio and UNSense are
involved with. We are also developing a number
of very interesting products. But even so, I always
say that the project I am most excited about is
my next one, because that really is the case. I’m
always most excited to see what’s coming next.
BEN
VAN
BERKEL
