Standing offices: the next step towards workplace comfort?

In recent years many experts have discussed the benefits of standing at work and the health risks posed by sitting down for long periods at a time. But now one company has taken these suggestions to the next level – by designing an office with absolutely no seating available.

Sitting down for long periods of time is notoriously unhealthy – not even exercise can compensate for the damage we inflict upon ourselves by sitting down in the office all day. But the reality is that few offices offer alternatives – standing desks and workplace workouts might be accessible to some, but to the majority they are not. 

A Dutch firm has unveiled a design which could be used to combat the health problems imposed on us by our perilous office chairs. Rietveld Architecture-Art-Affordances (RAAAF)’s innovative office layout eradicates sitting down entirely.

The project – called ‘The End of Sitting’ – has resulted in an office which has no seats at all. Viewers of the office in Amsterdam were given the opportunity to experience the workplace in an interactive design exhibition. RAAF’s office went on show after a screening of a silent animation called ‘Sitting Kills’.

The RAAAF’s website describes the project as an “experimental work landscape”, a “concept wherein the chair and desk are no longer unquestionable starting points”. The organisation researched natural human posture and movement in order to achieve ideal, flexible workspace scenarios.

The research also led to the creation of a short video showcasing the evolution of the office. According to the RAAAF, the introduction of the typewriter resulted in workers being sat at their desks, when previously office workers’ tasks saw them alternating between sitting and standing.





















Related articles:
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Treadmill desks: The hidden benefits
Stand-up desks: fad or future?
 
 

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