Normally the thought of returning to work in a large office brings on an uncontrollable sense of dread, complete with eye twitches and slurred mutters (anyone who has worked for several years in a certain part of Van Nuys in a corporate park would feel the same; Sandra Tsing Loh has got nuthin' on us). But Edouard François' Carte Blanche Love Table almost has us wishing we did work in a shared creative space...only if it looked like this of course.
Providing a large, up to 35-metre length table made from multiply with cell-shaped recesses produces a large single shared desk, thereby conceiving of the space as a place which holds the middle ground between an individual desk which is often found to be too isolated and an open space layout which in turn is often experienced as being too noisy and too impersonal. Here it is the furniture piece in itself which organises the space of its own accord as it were.
The urge to create a decompartmentalised, be it nowhere disorganised or particularised space, brought Edouard François to incorporate real cacti into the hole table which he himself refers to as vegetable barbed wire : “The cactus, as a concept of vegetable barbed wire, with a view to creating identity, a sense of private property. It pricks and is conducive to engendering a sense of distance.”
Purchasing/order information available here.
[Photos: Paul Raftery]
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
That's amazing. I love the cacti that are part of the landscape, not invading it.
Emily
view Emily Sneds's profile
I'm not loving it. I'm currently in an "open plan" office that is about to make me go crazy - I would love nothing better than a cubicle wall right about now.
view blueroses1's profile
I agree, sharing your visual space with others can be a lot stressing. That was my case too until a few weeks ago, every design agency I've worked at has had me crazy with those open shared spaces, sharing one same long desk, etc etc.
You can use a little privacy when you're working. It doesn't necessarily mean you'll be slacking off or whatever, but sometimes we need our own space.
I'd go crazy if I worked there, no matter how amazing those desks are :S
view eddie p's profile
But yeah, the cacti are looking pretty cool.
view eddie p's profile
looks cool, but don't do it! unless that pine is finished, it will ruin your clothes.
view lucymom's profile
Cacti? Are they mad? The last thing you need on every single desk is a hazard waiting to sink its spines in you if you wave your arm a little too far while spreading out paperwork.
And the unpainted plywood would be splintery murder on your clothes, your arms, your legs from bumping into that stuff....
I like the round work space idea a lot, but the entrance to the desks looks like it would be difficult for a handicapped person to get into. They probably don't have anyone in a wheelchair right now, but you never know who you're going to hire in the future...
view Kaete's profile
I agree, open-plan work spaces are awful. And this thing is just plain ugly, cacti included.
view jooly's profile
To me it has the vibe of a harsh, hostile work environment. I'll keep my nice soft-sided cubicle, thanks.
view nazrd's profile
good note above about handicap access. this would be very daunting for someone with different abilities (hell, even just different ergonomics - height adjustment etc!)
i like the look of it very much, but i do get a sense that the user would need to conform to the design, and not the other way around.
view MrsKJ's profile
Like it or not, personal calls must be made or taken at work from time to time, and privacy is required for that. Sure, cell phones are ubiquitous, and you can walk outside or to a conference room or something, but it would be much easier to have cube walls for privacy. Plus, you have to look at others all day (and them at you), and do you really want to see one another picking noses, scratching themselves wherever, etc., etc.? This solution does nothing for me.
view BruceS63's profile
Nothing says "Welcome to work, have a productive day!" like sawn out raw plywood. And cacti.
Not only are you AT a desk you are encased IN the desk. And surrounded by coworkers. And cacti.
The only thing that could possibly make this more unfriendly is if they had caged rattlesnakes at the exit channel of each desk that tried to bite you if you escape.
view Modfan's profile
Looks like a lot of wasted space and materials to me. Plus the unfinished plywood pieces are going to be worn out very quickly.
Open space plans can be very successful if done right. You need to offer spaces were employees can get out of chairs and collaborate as a team. If you're concerned about noise and privacy you offer phone rooms for employees to take private calls.
I've worked in a very open workspace for a number of years and noise is rarely an issue because of a common respect by everyone. The biggest issue is keeping the office clean and tidy since you can't hide everything behind a cubicle. Whenever I give friends a tour of our office they're always jealous as to how casual and friendly the space feels. Plus, no tall cubicles means that more people get more natural light which is always a good thing.
view BrendenM's profile
Much of a university lab idea..
From the outdoors only the sunlight seems welcome, the cacti can be safely tucked into planters somewhere (hanging out of the windows maybe?)..
The open design will definitely set in a tone of cooperation and nobody minds a subconscious development of self-discipline..if not we have the cacti as dutiful reminders
view pikaco's profile
Open plan space sounds just as oppressive as cubicle walls. It's nice to have cube walls at my office so co-workers/bosses don't see me slackin' or making frustrated grimaces at my work.
view atron's profile
atron, you couldn't be more right.
Modfan, you cracked me up :D
view eddie p's profile
Francois just wanted the office to look like a desert, didn't he?
view Zonn's profile