Abstract
This article analyses office spaces and their gendered meanings, specifically concentrating on informal spaces such as coffee rooms, corridors and so-called chill-out areas. The analysis draws on feminist research on space and Henri Lefebvre’s theory of social space, which focuses on how lived space in the workplace is signified and contested. The ethnographic material was gathered in office environments during the 1980s, 1990s and 2010s. The analysis shows that opening up the office space invites new sorts of management of work tasks, social relations and embodiment. The authors suggest that the aim of fostering and capitalizing on informal encounters and spaces – which were typical for women workers in industrial offices – may paradoxically decrease direct meetings and communication in the post-industrial office.
Highlights
A few years ago, Microsoft launched new business premises in Finland
The hierarchical order is usually emphasized through the furniture, colours and size of the space
We suggest that the openness of office space might entail new requirements for managing social relations and workers’ bodies
Summary
A few years ago, Microsoft launched new business premises in Finland. At first, these premises were called ‘meeting points’. Activity-based offices and the new visions they embody put workers on the move, breaking the visible hierarchical order and the control of visible work. What kinds of workers and social relations do office spaces enable and shape, and what do they rule out?
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