positing techniques – the type used for TV
newscasts. That would allow users to create
a virtual office on the display. It would also
be interesting to incorporate VR and AR
technologies, although I don’t know where
that would lead.Your project reflects a shift towards working
from anywhere. People today are con-
necting via video conferencing more often
than in the past. How do you envisage the
workplace of the future? I think we’ll move
even further in the direction you describe,
ultimately into a world of virtual offices. We’ll
experience the feeling of working together
in the same room while physically being in
different places. That said, I don’t believe all
companies will adopt this method. We live in
a physical world, so physical communication
will still be important. A conference room,
though, which is often empty in real life, makes
more sense in virtual reality. You could adapt
its size to suit the number of participants
attending a meeting. We need to rethink our
surroundings and furniture, which ought to
keep up with constant developments in tech-
nology. Certain elements may require altered
shapes or functions. We may even have to
create completely new typologies. – TI
koheikojima.comOn Air provides an appropriate background,
an acoustic barrier and flattering lighting.We extended an invitation to
‘The Challenge’ to KOHEI KOJIMA
because of his research into how
technology and culture influence
human behaviour. Kojima’s
credentials include a degree
in spatial design from Nagoya
University of Arts and a master’s
in product design from ÉCAL.Have you worked in an open-plan office?
KOHEI KOJIMA: I’ve never worked in
a large office, but I was an intern in an
open-plan design studio. One benefit is the
collaborative atmosphere: it’s easy to share
information with your colleagues, and even
serendipitous encounters can result in great
ideas. On the other hand, the casualness of
communication in open-plan environments
can disturb concentration. And whenever
my boss had a video call, we had to tidy up
the space and hide confidential samples.
Once he’d started an online conversation,
sounds from outside would often impede
the discussion, or the lighting wouldn’t be
appropriate. We were always rushing to fix
the setting; it was just like a film studio.
Those experiences drove you to design On
Air... The project is a mobile studio for hold-
ing one-on-one online meetings anywhere in
the office. It provides a suitable background,
an acoustic barrier and flattering lighting that
makes users look their best on the display. On
Air is also inspired by selfie culture. I feel that
people are becoming increasingly preoccu-
pied with their appearance on screen.
Are you hoping to develop the project
further? I’d like to apply chroma key com-
THE CHALLENGE 43