The Office Jungle

"One can take the ape out of the jungle, but not the jungle out of the ape", said primatologist Frans de Waal. Despite of our advanced technological society, we are, and remain, apes. Humans have proven to be able to live in circumstances that are very different from the ones they evolved in, yet they are still driven by the same needs and desires as their prehistoric ancestors. Some of those needs, however, are compromised by our modern society, such as our need for body movement. The lack of physical exercise is seen most strikingly in the office environment, where computer-based work dictates people to sit for long periods of time. Besides the fact that a lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases, it also directly interferes with the work that caused the lack of exercise in the first place, as it negatively impacts creative thinking, attention-span and memory. If people would move more, they wouldn't only be sick less often, they would be able to perform better and feel better! The problem, however, doesn't lie with people; people are not naturally lazy, as popular dogma has it. People are only lazy, or physically inactive, in an environment that encourages lazy behaviour. The problem, therefore, lies in the office environment itself. To solve our physical inactivity, the office environment needs to become less like a parking lot for our bodies and more like a jungle in which we can release our ‘inner-ape’.

The Office Jungle is a radical new office environment made for the modern ape. Its suspended, dynamic geodesic structures are physically and sensuously engaging, affording people to climb and manoeuvre their body in a playful fashion. The Office Jungle doesn't force people to move, it naturally invites them to. The difference between The Office Jungle and most other designed interventions in the office is that the interaction with The Office Jungle is open-ended; there is no obvious way of using it, just like there is no obvious way of climbing a tree. It, therefore, stimulates creativity and challenges the user. Furthermore, it makes the office in general more dynamic and appealing; it stimulates the imagination and makes the office a slightly more adventurous place. Other advantages of The Office Jungle are that it is modular; its structure is highly adaptable and can be integrated in nearly every existing office environment. Secondly, it is made from natural and durable materials, such as pinewood and hemp rope, that are pleasant to touch, smell and see. And finally, it is fairly cheap, as the structure itself only uses 3 distinct components. Companies like Google have paved the way for more playful offices and are taking steps “to create the happiest, most productive workplace in the world.” The Office Jungle intends to be such a workplace; a workplace where people will no longer take steps, but where people will take leaps.