The idea of a workspace has transformed over the past decade, in large part, due to the emergence of co-working spaces like WeWork and Industrious. The shift has fueled the proliferation of the "open office," and the many documented problems associated with the setup. Is the pendulum ready to swing back to a focus on single-person workspaces?
Mitsubishi Estate Co., a Japanese real estate investment company, thinks so and has offered a potential solution to the problem of the open-office: a phone-booth-sized mini-workspace for one. Meet Telecube, the 13-square-foot, soundproof workspace that comes complete with a desk, seat, and power outlets.
In collaboration with office furniture maker Okamura Corp. and video-conferencing software vendor V-Cube Inc, Mistsubishi Estate Co. has unveiled plans to install 1,000 Telecube units by 2023. According to recent coverage from Bloomberg: "The companies are betting there will be enough demand for the mini workstations. Coffee shops in Tokyo are often full of workers toiling away on laptops. WeWork Cos., which opened its first locations in Japan last year, also sees businesses and employees embracing more flexible working spaces in different locations that can be used only when needed."
8 Comments
Is the seat also a toilet?
It will be if they roll these out in the Bay Area.
Soundproof, eh? Hope the fire alarm doesn't go off when you're in there.
Just make sure you don't step into the wrong one.
I’m a workplace designer, and have noticed a growing number of concerns over units like this. The Fire Dept wants sprinklers in them and above them as well as a fire horn strobe inside. The Building Dept wants them to be accessible and seismically braced. Clients want them to be cheaper than traditional construction. Designers want them to have a better aesthetic.
Very interesting. I wasn't even aware of these 'til now, but it sounds like enough of them are already in place to cause a whole list of problems.
I can see this having some uses now that phone booths are gone.
Nice! Bringing the sweatshop to the office!
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