Office

Collaborating with Arauco, the Andes House tested the durability of cholguán by exposing it to liquid. To their surprise, they found the material survived but bent gently, revealing that it could be shaped to divide offices.

Design studio the Andes House saw potential for an office system in an unlikely material. Cholguán, a natural, lightweight composite wood board that's commonly found in industrial packaging and backing for furniture, has been manufactured by the Chilean forestry company Arauco for over 50 years.

For this tiny house in the Belgian forest, a little extra square footage comes in the form of a glassed-in addition with a stellar view. The added space is home to an office.

The second-floor office is housed inside a rounded rectangle of concrete that the architect inserted on top of the old farmhouse.

Mike's second-floor office features locally-sourced cabinetry. Photo credit: Dale Christopher Lang PhD AIAP

Socializing is for the birds. Thanks to a clever design that absolves the need for metal hardware on the roof, your avian neighbors can perch atop their swinging modern home, the better to chirp hello.

The study features floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that bring the outdoors in. Space-saving custom walnut desks are accented by a Pixo Optical LED Table Lamp, an AJ table lamp, and a 1958 Eames Management Chair.

The playroom later became Xenia’s office.

Design Army's work-a-day tools and design library.

National Design Collective's Solomon retractable desk dividers can easily turn open workspaces into private ones.

The abstract geometry of the exterior allows for unique openings and this sklylight, which provides natural light to the staff throughout the day. "One of my ambitions is to place openings, windows, and roof lights strategically, so you get a sense of the time of day and the weather," says Brooks.

The pair of desks that Paul and Shoko work at in the office space look directly onto the courtyard. The concept for the design was to be able to see the sky from your seat at the desk.

Central Beheer Office Saval says this design by Herman Hertzberger was one of the great open office plans of Europe, which differed markedly from American interior designs. “It’s like a casbah, a lot of nested, private spaces.”

Agustín Hernandez's home office.

Regain focus and boost your productivity—here, we walk you through seven steps to soundproofing your home office.