The Nowhere Office Designing the Future
Mar 13, 2025
David Dewane, Chief Experience Officer at Geniant, dives into the transformation of workplace design. He discusses how historical innovations like air conditioning shaped spaces and the evolving role of architecture in a tech-driven world. Dewane emphasizes the importance of human creativity amid AI advancements and how dynamic workspaces can enhance collaboration. He highlights the irreplaceable value of in-person interactions for creativity, advocating for a hopeful vision of future architecture where user experience reigns supreme.
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Architecture As User Experience
- Genient treats architecture as user experience by merging digital UX and physical space design.
- They use UX research methods to design environments that work across physical, social and technological moments.
Big Innovations Shaped Cities
- Structural steel and Otis's elevator brake unlocked vertical cities while air conditioning unlocked hot-region urban growth.
- Emerging digital-physical integration could be similarly transformative in ways we cannot fully foresee.
Otis's Elevator Demonstration
- Otis demonstrated elevator safety by cutting the cable while inside and relying on the brake to save him.
- That stunt convinced people elevators were safe and enabled the rise of skyscrapers in cities like Chicago.
