Don’t just work from home. Creep out your employees from a distance!
I saw this article recently about the robot that visits your cubicle. Advertised as a “telepresence robot”, Anybots aim to connect workers more seamlessly through the use of video cameras, still camera and a microphone. The basic concept is that, working anywhere from a laptop, you can log into one of these robots which reside in your office and the robot essentially becomes your “avatar”. Your Anybot can zip around the workplace interacting with coworkers; stopping by your desk, sitting in on meetings or impromptu collaboration sessions, heading over to the factory to see what’s coming off the production line, etc. The video demonstration on their website gives you the idea.
While I do see some of the fundamental advantages of “Robot Boss”, I still can’t help but think of all the hilarious and awkward scenarios that could play out in our workplace culture:

It looks like a Segway had a one night stand with a vacuum cleaner. I hope the cleaning staff doesn’t try to use Robot Boss to buff the floors.
People will definitely dress up Robot Boss in embarrassing clothing. Mine would have a handlebar mustache and dress accordingly for the seasons and holidays. 
If you put a piece of paper over the sensors, can you laugh as Robot Boss crashes into walls because it can’t see straight?
Will people eventually prefer Robot Ross to in-person boss? If in-person boss wears cheap cologne, then yes.
I’d like to see Robot Boss take a client out to lunch. Good luck catching a cab, Robot Boss!
I’d be freaked out if [...]

One of the great things about our Atlanta office location is accessibility:  10 minute walk from my house to the train, 15 minute ride, and 5 more minutes to the office.  From there, when hunger strikes (and I didn’t’ bring my lunch) it’s only a 10 minute walk to…Paris? 
A few weeks back my good friend and fellow architect, Luca, invited me to lunch.  “I know this great little French bistro – you’ll enjoy it!”  “Oui!” I accepted and we met on Peachtree Street – the main thoroughfare in downtown Atlanta.  It was a hot, humid, Wednesday afternoon and the typical crowd of business people, tourists and conventioneers were crowding the steamy sidewalks looking for shelter and a cold glass of sweet tea.  “Which way?” I asked.  With a nod and an outstretched hand gesturing north in a way that only a true Roman can do, we started our journey.
Now, I’ve lived in Atlanta for a long, long time, I studied architecture and planning at Georgia Tech and I’ve worked downtown for many years so I’m very familiar with the city and the unique Atlanta-Southern culture.  Downtown Atlanta is not known for its vibrant and diverse street scene.  It has a few lively pockets here and there, but not much continuity between them.  And you have to know where they are or you will wind up wandering aimlessly and never find anything of interest (but something may certainly find you…).  
Thus, I know what to expect when I encounter a downtown side [...]

The Builders Association is a leading trade association serving the commercial construction industry in Chicago. They are a reliable source to keep up on relevant issues in the local construction community. I was recently asked to write an article for their June newsletter to discuss how the Architecture and Design community is viewing the current state of the market, what firms are doing to weather the economic storm and what market sectors look to have growth in 2010. Check out the article here: School’s In

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I first read about this a few months ago and was fascinated with the idea. The Mars 500 project is a research endeavor that aims to simulate obstacles that a manned mission to Mars would experience, including stress, claustrophobia, fatigue.
Video: Locked & Sealed: 520 days, 6 men, 1 bunker
Six participants will spend a total of 520 days in a series of modules, part of an isolation facility in Moscow.
During the isolation period the candidates will be simulating all elements of the Mars mission, travelling to Mars, orbiting the planet, landing and return to Earth.
The crew will have to be self-reliant, and organise a great deal of their daily tasks. They will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining the health and psychological states of themselves and each other, monitoring and controlling and maintaining systems, including life support, control resource consumption, carry out standard and non-standard cleaning and maintenance, as well as fulfilling scientific investigations.
The other interesting catch…all communication will be on a 20 minute delay to simulate the delays that would be anticipated travelling so far away. Makes my spotty cell phone service not seem so bad, I suppose.
I’m curious to see the research findings on the psychological and physical effects of this experiment and if there are any takeaways in terms of how the “human factors” will ultimately help shape the design and experience of the physical living/working conditions.
Looking at the photos of the facility my first thought was “wow…wood paneling!”. My second thought [...]

I was flipping through this week’s Planetizen newswire email and ran into an hilarious concept: Subway Etiquette Posters. 

Apparently, some guy (Jay Shells) has developed a series of posters discussing some of the most prevalent subway etiquitte issues and is posting them throughout the system, guerilla style.
Flipping through the posters, I got thinking about how many of these can apply to the workplace….

Nail clipping.  Definitely had a subconsultant pull out his nail clippers and start clipping away DURING a meeting with a client.  Same guy (yes, guy) also brushed his hair during another meeting.
Eating.  We all eat at work, but avoiding smelly food is definitely important – I don’t want to smell your leftover fish or burned popcorn (of course, I’m eating chili at my desk as I write this).
Noise.  Whether it’s loud headphones, whistling, or playing videos on your computer…keep it down!

Often when our clients transition to a new type of workplace (such as from enclosed offices to open workstations or from assigned seating to hotelling/group assignment type seating), there is an educational component involved in the change management process.  This education can involve posters, information sessions/town halls, pilot space – all in the hopes of teaching the employees appropriate behaviors (read: etiquitte).
Any graphic designers, change management experts,  or HR reps out there with ideas or funny stories about transitioning the snarky poster concept to the workplace?

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The warning signs have been up for days – ROAD CLOSURES / EVENT DOWNTOWN.  We have been hearing about it on the radio and on the local news – massive gridlock!  It’s the Nuclear Security Summit with 50 Heads of State invited to downtown DC – that is the most present in the US in one location since the founding of the United Nations.  If you live or work in DC, you’re used to occasional motorcades and street closures, however the next three days will be unprecedented.  Over the radio and TV yesterday and this morning, the announcements also included:  ‘Federal workers are encouraged to telecommute’.  Since DC boasts just about the worst traffic in the country, it’s hard to imagine that an event could make it worse.  This morning I braced for the nightmare – I live in the far western suburbs and usually have a commute of about an hour.  I left the house twenty minutes early expecting to inch forward in the gridlock as I approached the office.  Much to my surprise, this was one of the best commuting days ever!  It seems that many Federal workers, and perhaps a number of other workers, followed the advice and worked from home today.  I think they should do that as often as possible.

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Bike to work using Google’s new bicycling directions.