ABSTRACT
In this chapter we trace the evolution of the office workplace by examining the nature of work and the organisations that occupy office space. We look at the work that they undertake, the workstyles that they adopt and the consequent change in demand for physical space. We examine the evolution of workplace technology, from the typewriter to Twitter. The chapter traces the evolution from corporate workplace to digital workplace, and describes the main drivers of change on the office economy in the twenty-first century.
Early on in the modern era, the office performed an ancillary function to manufacturing and trading activities, largely recording and accounting for transactional activity. Before the end of the nineteenth century, purpose-built office buildings were increasingly common, housing the burgeoning banks and insurance companies. As the economy generally evolved, so the office economy grew, eventually providing accommodation for the corporate behemoths of the twentieth century. The past three decades have seen the arrival of the knowledge economy and the digital workplace – transforming again how office work is undertaken.
