Design Thesis/11

Future of the Office

Xiaojing Sang

Studio Description

This studio will explore the future of the office building in response to major changes in how we work today.

How hard is it to find our way back when we're lost? When we thought we had found our destination, but found it was a mirage, how do we find the right direction in the mystery and finally reach the ideal world?

The design of office buildings is facing many doubts and uncertainties today. Once seen as irreplaceable to the life of the city, the impact of new technologies, and the rise of work from home, has put its future in doubt.

When the design of office buildings is facing a historical challenge, exploring the answer to this challenge is a very meaningful and practical process. If we believe in the continued need for spaces to work together, what form might the future office take?

This design studio will conduct in-depth and complete research on office design from all aspects. Adhering to a completely open attitude to redefine the office building, based on an objective research process, students will find their unique design inspiration through the combination of collaborative working and independent thinking. For the definition of concepts that are crucial to thesis level design, students can maximize their creative thinking and play to the extreme in this final design studio in your student life.

For the choice of design site, students can choose independently, or they can also choose between these two areas under the guidance: Flinders Street in Melbourne CBD, or Glenferrie Road in Malvern. One is a very representative address of a city centre office building in the restoration period, and the other is a historically significant address that is in contradiction with the changing times. Looking for answers suitable for these two sites is also looking for two different coping strategies for urban development.

When seeking innovative models for office buildings, we also need to understand the urban cultural and economic contexts that driving these models. The creation of architecture has never been a single technology, but a reaffirmation of the historical trend of time. To achieve the integration of the spiritual needs of users and the social pursuit of architecture in the design.

Studio Outcomes

In this studio, students will be encouraged to explore these in search of answers. The exploration process will combine thesis writing and office building design, go beyond architectural language and innovative architectural thinking. Through the challenge to the definition of office buildings, the re-creation of office models, and the reflection and reshaping of design techniques, the answer will be found.

Studio Leader/s

Xiaojing Sang: Bachelor of Arch (2003), Tongji University, Shanghai; Masters, UNSW (2006); 2012-14, Tutor of Level D, UoM; 2007, Lab architecture studio; 2008-12 Lyons architecture; 2012-17 Denton Corker Marshall; 2020-current, Tutor of Design Thesis Level, UoM; 2021-current Gray Puksand.

Readings & References

In the process of research and design, reading materials are formulated by students according to the needs of exploration.

Schedule Friday 9:00 am - 12:00 pm MSD Bldg Room 138 and Friday 3:15 pm - 6:15 pm MSD Bldg Room 138

Contact Handbook