Office in the garden, space outside the window: what awaits us in the architecture of the new century? Notion is the new cool kid on the block and it’s replacing lots of productivity tools and software at lightning pace. Let’s look at why.
I am an architect specializing in commercial interiors, not only dream of the future but also shape it. I work in the field of the future of work, which means thinking 10, 50, or even 100 years ahead – that's my job.
I have developed projects in London, Miami, Odessa, Kyiv, Ufa, Barcelona, Moscow, Cyprus, Istanbul, Hanoi, Shanghai, Marseilles, Chicago for the brands such as Mars Wrigley, Nike, Adidas, Radisson, Mercure, Marriott, Skillbox, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Scania.
Being a developer of the popular online course about 3ds Max I have appeared as an invited lecturer to Pratt and Parsons Schools in NYC during 2021-2022 and continue my teaching career. Today I am working on various commercial projects in Turkiye, OAE, USA, Europe, China.
I am developing my own minimalist furniture brand in Istanbul - LOCAL MADE ™
About dreams
Since childhood, I read encyclopedias on the history of art and architecture instead of fairy tales and teenage fantasy. Ray Bradbury, Stanislaw Lem and Gibson showed the world in the distant future and she believed.
I preferred spending my free time drawing new worlds. I have got a master's degree in "Urban Planning and Architecture." I dreamt of creating skyscrapers and cities—and I still think on that scale. Today I successfully work on Office and Hotel projects globally.
I find inspiration on the intersection of business and technology. I learn through the practice and use technology by creating new experience.
About Clients
I am tailoring solutions to specific goals: analyzing team workflow scenarios, efficiently utilizing every square meter of space. Demanding clients in the design industry are legendary. Surprisingly, I have never met such clients. It's unlikely that this is just luck; rather, it speaks volumes about my working style. If the worldviews, tastes and approaches of the designer and the client do not coincide, it is better to break up immediately, avoiding the long agony of a divergent relationship.
Of course, an architect can create a personalised project for any client, but it's crucial that values and principles align. For Hilton, Marriott, and Radisson, I designed rooms, halls, common areas – all according to the guidelines and standards, striving to introduce individual elements. Comparing to work on offices, IT companies are more future-oriented and open to experiments.
About trends
Fifteen years ago, when I was just starting my career, office designs followed a simple scheme: company – department – office – desk. In a short period, more than everything changed: businesses now have a need for collaboration zones and teamwork among specialists from different fields. With the pandemic, we all learned the term "remote work," and designers had to incorporate it into modern office design: screens for video communication, temporary work zones, and so on. New forms of work organization emerged, where work is structured not by department but by teams, implying project-based work. I believe that the future will change even more rapidly. I already know what to offer to clients who want to stay ahead of the times.
I believe a modern office is primarily about functionality and only secondarily about aesthetics—colors and materials. As a predictor of the future, I can envision what people will do in a space at the stage of the initial sketches: leaders, subordinates, their clients. In advance, I know how the lighting will work, whether people will relax there or, conversely, focus on work.
The surrounding space strongly influences productivity and mood. For meeting rooms, for example, two lighting scenarios are specially created: for intensive team work and for negotiations. These are two different moods, two different tasks. Very often, the exterior, the view from the window, or the adjacent territory becomes visually or functionally part of the space. Together, these details significantly boost work efficiency.
Another current trend is the desire to reduce consumption and reuse furniture items, not just once but by modifying/repainting/recovering them again and again. Of course, these items must be maximally functional and high-quality to withstand several generations. Thus, I gave life to the idea of the LOCAL MADE ™ collection — a furniture brand where models are so versatile that they seamlessly fit into any interior and can be used both at home and in offices or cafes. I am confident that the future lies in such universal solutions.
About the Future
To predict the future, it's crucial to understand how people's worldviews will change. Currently, I see two scenarios that do not contradict each other but complement one another.
The first scenario suggests that after global changes and upheavals, people will seek something very stable and grounded. Buildings and spaces will be created "for centuries," for future generations. This movement is noticeable in the principles that companies are beginning to follow: advocating for sustainable consumption, creating things that can last a long time, monumentalism, drawing inspiration from brutalism, and the classics of the 30s and 60s – neo-futurism as a trend.
The second scenario, due to mobility and new technologies, will bring new possibilities. For example, living in one hemisphere while working in another – this is already happening, but it could become a widespread phenomenon where teams are scattered across different parts of the world. Offices, accordingly, will be seen as something temporary, suitable for the here and now. The growing popularity of furniture rental services, housing rental apps, and similar trends support this theory. In a global sense, the focus will be on space exploration, as well as on solutions at the intersection of architecture and high technology.
I dream of creating an office for Elon Musk and many others who think on a grand scale, with a focus on 5000 years ahead. It would be interesting to create a flexible space that adapts to any mood and work processes. I dream that people in this space will be happy, and they will want to return there. Many currently perceive work as stress, but this attitude can be changed, including through visual means. In design, there's a trick for 'tuning' the mind through lighting, color, and technology – why not use it?
I am looking for likewise brave people who like to experiment and share their innovative ideas while working on the project. If you feel attracted by the atmosphere of my concept I welcome any form of collaboration. More works at my website! You are invited to follow this link: www.kateturbina.works
