Back to the Office: Building for eternity?

Building sustainably isn’t just about emissions. It’s also about aesthetics. In a coming book, researchers present fascinating images of buildings then and now; At birth and old age. And they suggest we start looking at the way old buildings have aged when we build.

08.04.2021

In the book, titled Back to the Office, associate professor Ruth Baumeister and her co-authors show images of 50 buildings from around the world – at birth and now.

“It is the first image based history of the office, because we want to reach out to all those who do office work, not just researchers”, says Ruth Baumeister.

For example, the authors reveal how an office in Finland morphs into a discoteque and back into an office.

“When we build new office spaces, we look to other iconic buildings for inspiration. But we always look at them in mint condition – at birth. What if we started to look at the way great buildings have aged?”, says Ruth.

The test of time

The book offers a glimpse into the post-covid office design and asks if it is still possible to build for eternity today, just like ancient structures have withstood the test of time.

“If we want to build sustainably in the future, why not look at the buildings that have sustained? Sustainability is not just about emissions; it is also about social qualities, about collective memories, and aesthetics.”

The book is expected late 2021.