A Brief History of Office Space

Office Space Realtor - JHARTNEY "I have been studying the history of office space, and believe it to be quite interesting. To see where the concept of office space started, and how it developed through the Industrial Revolution is fascinating. I will take you through a short tour of this history, and bring you back to the present: corner offices, home offices, high-rise offices, open offices; these concepts and more have evolved throughout the years of industrialization, and into the age of information.

For eons people have needed the services of clerical, administrative and commercial personnel. Even back to the early days of Egypt , there are records of clerks tracking the collection of grain; all crammed into a tiny space, sharing the same benches, tables and working hard. Since then, the office has evolved into an immaculate, multi-functional space that is seen in homes and high-rises alike.

One of the first sole office spaces was built in Florence between 1561 and 1571, it was the Uffizi created by the great Cosimo Medici. The pristine office building served in all of Medici's endeavors. Notably, he was a wealthy banker and entrepreneur who inherited most of his riches from his father. Later it became an esteemed art and history gallery, as many works were collected within the space.

Smaller scale examples are the inns where barristers trained within London . These were functional inns, but training grounds for students of the law. It wasn't until much later that any sort of true office came about.

There was no place for an office-system within pre-industrial economies; the workplace was the field, or the smith-shop. Only a select few held office places, and most of those were government officials, or law-officials. Accounting was done at home, or in small spaces above a shop which usually doubled as a living space. It was not until after the Industrial Revolution, that modern office space started to emerge. But more on the Industrial Revolution next time.

Here are some interesting links relating to Cosimo Medici, and the glamorous Uffizi House:

Pictures from the Uffizi gallery

The Uffizi gallery including tour times, and prices.

A virtual tour of the Uffizi gallery"

JHARTNEY is a Professional Space Consultant and can be found at http://prospaceconsultant.blog.com.

Office Space Realtor