Week 7: Healthy Innovations

In our modern world today, I feel as though we are moving 100 mph. Technology is booming, and new innovations are coming out faster than I can comprehend. (By the time I update my phone, a newer update is waiting for me... again.)

Why is this happening? Because we are striving for efficiency. The maximum amount of work put out, with the least effort put in.

Innovation is generally always seen as improvement. The superdesk featured below is an example of a beautiful innovation.

In New York City, the Barbarian Group's HQ has a "superdesk", designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects. Hmmm... superdesk? Yup. This desk is 4,400 square feet, 1,100 feet long, and has a maximum width of 11.5 feet. It's a desk fit for 170 people!

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This desk is to encourage and enable interaction among all of the workers. The arches in the design have seating under them as well, also serving as a quieter, more private discussion area (there's acoustic insulation for privacy). The continuous, 'flowy' design of the desk reflects its purpose to allow 'flowing conversation'.

Innovations like these are what arguably improve our efficiency.

However, sometimes innovations may affect the things that did not even have to be adjusted. This sort of notion was explained in the article "Architecture and Human Behavior: The Place of Environment-Behavior Studies in Architecture" by Gary T. Moore. One example used was senior living spaces.

As time and age takes its toll, to "ease" the elderly's living situations, we would most-likely design modified living spaces, ones with easy accessibility, ultimately providing the most comfort. However, "Strange as is may seem, making the environment easier for the old person to get around in may encourage the elderly to become more dependent and less self-assured." Like going up and down the stairs: once you stop doing it, it's hard to restart. With an "alternative option" readily available, why put yourself through all the trouble?

Some innovations aiming to make life more efficient and easy, might really be detrimental to our health and lifestyle.

Ultimately, innovative architecture isn't to make things "efficient". It is to reveal the best qualities of place (which may sometimes result in more efficiency). All in hopes, that our maximum capabilities may shine through.