Firm： EK ARCHITECTURE PLLC

Type： Commercial › Office Pop-Up Cultural › Pavilion

STATUS： Concept

SIZE： 0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET： $0 - 10K

WorkOut is a design proposal, shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival–Isolation Transformed design competition.

WorkOut is a worldwide network and an outdoor pop-up workspace with enhanced filtration and air cleaning systems for remote workers and students. It can also be used for leisure activities, such as reading and writing. It remediates the effects of isolation on individuals as providing human nature and random human interactions. It enables global co-working and networking for its members. It gives people the chance to step outside, socialize, and exercise while accomplishing their daily work-related goals. The biophilic design of WorkOut and exercise opportunities reduces stress levels, boosts positive feelings, and supports the nervous system.

WorkOut introduces work as a leisure activity and supports people to find their passion for life. Public scapes would be considered collective dream yards where people get inspiration from nature for their next big ideas to transform the world for the better.

There was already an increasing number of people working from home on a contract basis before the pandemic. During the pandemic, people tasted the convenience of working from home, and many would like to adopt this new normal with improved workspace conditions. Also, there is a strong emphasis and demand for entrepreneurship, innovation, and self-sufficiency to enhance the living conditions as the population increases. These show that there will be more and more people working remotely, although there are some challenges, such as isolation, loneliness, communication, and collaboration. However, communication and collaboration can be overcome in time as people get used to new technological tools. Isolation and loneliness can be overcome with the occasional change of atmosphere and socialization in third places such as the outdoor workspace WorkOut.

There is an increasing consciousness of well-being at workplaces to increase productivity in response to a lack of resources and a highly competitive environment. With these realities, workspaces are designed with substantial footprints to provide various work, play, and rest places for employees while there is a shortage of affordable housing worldwide. Also, these workspaces with large footprints do not consider that an increasing number of people are going to work remotely as contract base workers. Vacant office spaces can be converted to affordable housing since many will partially remain empty, even after the COVID-19 crisis. Some outdoor areas, such as parks and rooftops, can be the third-place alternatives for remote workers. Because many people spend most of their time working or studying, WorkOut would be a fair use of parks and open areas.

WorkOut is modular and re-configurable. It is flexible to add new functions such as cafes, and bathrooms and adaptable to different locations at parks, open spaces, rooftops at co-living buildings, university campuses, innovation centers, and recreation areas. Each module can be rented for a period of an hour to an entire day. Two or three modules can be rented for a meeting or group work.

WorkOut has various sustainability and wellness features.

It is designed with sustainable materials such as FSC-certified wood.

​It supports biodiversity with green walls, which are drip-irrigated with harvested rainwater.

​It has autonomous energy harvesting with transparent thin-film photovoltaic cells applied to shades and glass to produce electricity for modules.

It has a waterless toilet and a coffee shop module with bio-digesters converting waste to energy and fertilizer.

It has variable opacity glazing with electrochromic glass to reduce transmissivity by a minimum of 90%.

It has re-configurable modules to provide adaptability to different locations, taking into account various space and daylight access restrictions.

It has sensor-operated lighting responsive to daylight and occupancy to dim and switch off lights automatically.

It has external automated shading with manual override to prevent glare and optimize the view.

It has enhanced filtration and air-cleaning systems, natural ventilation, automated surface cleaning, and disinfection systems with spraying.

In conclusion, the devastating health crises made us reimagine the workplaces of the future. Rather than containing ourselves in dull, prison-like boxes days and nights at long work hours, we will step outside, take a deep fresh air, and start the day with hope, imagination, pure joy, and passion with pop-up workspaces.