Metropolis Magazine Hosts Think Tank at Goettsch Partners

As part of its Think Tank series, Metropolis hosted a panel discussion on the workplace at the Chicago office of Goettsch Partners on March 17. Entitled “Workplaces in a Global City,” the discussion was moderated by the magazine’s publisher and editor-in-chief Susan Szenasy and featured GP design leaders James Goettsch, FAIA; Paul De Santis, LEED AP; Joachim Schuessler; and Elias Vavaroutsos, AIA.

Discussion was based around the premise that today’s workplace must be flexible, efficient and embody the culture of the company or prospective tenant it serves. Densification is also increasing globally, and communal spaces, both inside and out, have become as important as the individual work areas. Mobile technology has helped facilitate the incorporation of these communal spaces into the work environment, and there is increasing emphasis on designing these spaces as unique interaction areas for both collaborative and social activities. Architecture needs to respond to specific climate conditions in accommodating the right types of spaces for each setting.

Active GP corporate and commercial office developments in Chicago, San Francisco, Warsaw, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi provided the context to compare and contrast issues driving today’s dynamic office market.