The Evolving, Creative American Office - exhibit examines work space - Brief Article

Workforce, Feb, 2001 by Caroline Louise Cole

The gradual shift from treating workers as little more than extensions of the machines they ran to valuing them as independent, creative thinkers can be seen in the evolution of the desk into the modem work station and the office from expansive work room to solitary cubicle to mobile laptop technology.

Photographs, many enlarged to fill an entire wall, show off this evolution in office environments. Film clips of workplace dramas alongside office equipment advertisements complement the physical displays.

Finally, with the help of Sun Micro systems, the museum takes a stab at what the office will look like in the future. Museum-goers can answer a computerized questionnaire that evaluates whether their current jobs are best done at the company's main office, at a remote satellite location, from home, or in a more social cafe setting.

"On the Job: Design and the American Office" runs through August 19, 2001. The National Building Museum is at 401 F Street NW in Washington, D.C. Admission is free. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 to 5p.m. Telephone: 202/272-2448.

Caroline Louise Cole is a New England-based freelancer.