Grey Matter: Erik Veldhoen

Interpolis, Tilsburg, Holland

The most interesting part of the episode focuses on an office space designed by Erik Veldhoen. 

His ingenious designs create clubhouses and smaller working spaces dependant on the mood of the worker. He explains how one office area is made for group one, using long desks, bright colours and lots of different lightshades, creating a bright happy atmosphere. He then says however if you have a headache that day you may want to work in another space which is completely white, still using interesting furniture, such as chairs and benches in the shape of people as if you are sat in their lap. He has created different 'pods' each with a different purpose. He said the employee should arrive in the morning, decide what they want to achieve that day and then they can decide where is best to do so. 

Devices such as this wall of ropes, still creates the feeling of zones, but without being shut off from the rest of the space. It allows the employees easy access without solid angular walls and doors. I would really like to use this idea as inspiration in my final designs.

Although from the programme it looks as though money has been thrown into this project creating huge costs, however because of all the different spaces and the 20% increase in productivity, the space used has been reduced by 40% saving them almost half of their original construction costs!

Tom Dychoff decides to experiment with these employees and for one day puts them in an environment similar to those of a British office space. They had plain walls, ceiling, and a simple table in the middle of the room with their computers to work on. They weren't allowed to change the temperature or open the windows. It is only until you put it into such simplistic terms that you realise how bad our office conditions can sometimes be. 

The result of this was the employees complaining of feeling tired, bored and had much less productivity. They explained that in their normal office they felt happier and so more proud of the company and the work that they were achieving.