The Poltergeist Office: Re-envisioning the Office in an Era of Boundary-less Work, Ghost Connections, and Virtual Lives

Abstract

In the new work environment of the 21st century, the office has become a concept as much as a place. The conjunction of advances in technology, the introduction of social media, and the economic pressures that drive an expectation of twenty-four hour work, have transformed the workplace into something that is as much a state of mind as a physical place. This shift has significant implications for both the culture and the architecture of the 21st century. This thesis draws concepts from Dalton Conley's cultural analysis presented in his book U.S.A., as well as the stream of consciousness presented daily in the social media sphere, and weaves together a picture of the changing architectural and cultural landscape of the modern white collar workforce. To quote Dr. Joseph Juhasz, is a container for ideas too radical to be released unfiltered into the outside world. There is an opportunity for the Architecture of the Elsewhere Office to contain solutions to the dilemmas faced by today's white collar workers. From new ways to envision the office setting to ideas to rehabilitate the cubicle dweller, architecture can act as a mediator in the lives of the people inhabiting it.