by ArchitectureWeek

With a slowing economy, burned-out workers, and an escalating energy crisis, how can a company make sure its investments in office space, technology, and work force are wisely spent? A new exhibit of work-environment innovation in Seattle suggests answers to these questions.

Sponsored by the Office of the Future Consortium, a nonprofit group of more than 90 regional, national, and international businesses, "Future@Work: A Sustainable Approach to the Workplace," is a resource-rich 3,000-square-foot (280-square-meter) exhibit that showcases incremental, adaptable strategies for companies that want to sustain business, people, and the environment.

"The new exhibit is the product of three years of discovery, experimentation, and implementation," says Andrea Vanecko, a founding member of the consortium and principal at the Seattle firm Callison Architecture. "It demonstrates a depth of integrated expertise that is unprecedented in the industry."

By touring Future@Work, business executives can experience workplace theories made tangible. Key concepts addressed in the exhibit include work style, personal control over environmental conditions, connectivity, communication, worker well being, and environmental sensitivity.

The exhibit's hub-and-spoke configuration allows visitors to connect directly with the settings, tools, and infrastructure related to their specific interests.

At the center of the Future@Work exhibit is the "club," a multipurpose space designed to support informal meetings and group presentations. Photo: Chris Eden Floor plan of the of the Future@Work exhibit in Seattle. Image: Callison Architecture   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.