SEVIL PEACH
SEVIL PEACH
NC
Tell to me about this idea of the street in the offi ce.
SP It’s an easy analogy. For us it lies in the urban planning of a large space. At Vitra, they
had desks up to the window, surrounded by screens, which created a hierarchy, but we wanted a democratic
approach to the views. The raised platform we introduced was set back to create a street along the window
and everything that happened along the edge had to be communal support facilities: the post, the café, in-
formal meeting areas, print and copy and non-territorial desks which allowed every one to work with a view.
But yes, in that sense it is creating a street life along the edge. It was easy to call it a street because people
understood it. We introduced gardens at the deep end of the building to allow for light, fresh air and as a
place to work in good weather. We hung plain canvas panels to break up the vista. There are also quiet, in-
timate boxes that you can work or meet in that really take you out of the open plan.
NC
Do you go out and see “hot offi ces” of the moment?
SP Yes, as much as I can. I think their approaches are mostly retail or image driven. I don’t
think offi ces are about style and stylistic interventions. For me, they are a tool to help support you in doing
your work effi ciently, they need to work well and still be pleasurable. We are not designing shops on Bond
Street and we need to control our designer egos. I was looking at some private work cubicles with images of
trees, I think it was Google, however much I love forests, I think these gimmicks are not sustainable. You
would be bloody bored with it in a few years time. But best to ask the users!
