Severance: Does Your Office Control You?
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
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Synopsis
Severance Architecture: Reality or Fiction?
In Severance, Lumon Industries’ eerie, minimalist offices are designed to sever employees from their identities-both literally and architecturally. My video explores how corporate office design has long been a tool of control, tracing its roots to figures like Frederick Taylor, who pioneered “scientific management” to maximize efficiency, and Robert Propst, whose “Action Office” was meant to free workers but was distorted into cubicle farms. We examine how buildings like Eero Saarinen’s John Deere HQ and the Bell Labs complex shaped the sterile corporate aesthetic, while real-life disasters like the Waterside Mall’s Sick Building Syndrome revealed the dangers of hyper-controlled workspaces. Drawing parallels to The Backrooms, liminal space, and memory palaces, I break down how Severance turns office life into psychological horror. Ultimately, the video asks: Where does your job end and your identity begin? And how can we design workplaces that respect humans, not just efficiency?
#severance
#adamscott
#architecture
#FrederickTaylor
#RobertPropst
#EeroSaarinen
#JeremyHindle
#LumonIndustries
#BellLabs
#JohnDeereHQ
#HolmdelComplex
#WatersideMall
#EPAHeadquarters
#SickBuildingSyndrome
#ScientificManagement
#ActionOffice
#Bürolandschaft
#MemoryPalace
#LiminalSpace
#TheBackrooms
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LOL. Jeff Bezos is one of the LAST people to be talking about quality of life. But then, he'll be one of the masters for whom my country will be working to serve, so ...
I've been looking for something like this for a while, as there is way too much bias out there. Thanks for this recommendation, and continue the good work. Guess I'm watching Severance now lol
Each time I see anything being a ad on UA-cam or from UA-camrs, I always ask: What is the cach?
I'am scaroused now.
this was fantastic. thanks dami.
Jokes aside, if we're being honest, it’s not JUST the architecture's fault. It's this entire culture that worships “frictionless productivity.” I've never felt like i've worked in the "perfect office", so in the last few years I spent a lot time thinking about what's the ideal work environment? Money, pressure, or fear might boost productivity for the short term, but I do think genuine motivation comes from curiosity and inspiration - which a lot of offices don't really bother to nurture. So are we asking too much of a building to solve existential questions about work and purpose? Maybe if we start treating workers like people, not machines, this line between “human” and “worker” wouldn't feel so much like an amputation... What do you guys think?
**edit** also, I noticed that some of you were confused why Jeff Bezos made an appearance at the end 😆originally, I wanted to talk about how I believe that when you can blend work and life together seamlessly, it can improve both (which I personally believe), but then I came across interview by Jefferey and realized the irony behind a business owner talking about "work life balance", so we opted to go in this direction. (attempt at dark humour lol)
The perfect office is my home office. None of these amenities that businesses add to their offices make a difference. They still feel like places you'd rather not be, in favor of being home.
You're right chotu
Used to work for tesla and ergonomics was essential so we had desk that raise. As far are being bounded by nature, the Go Pro office in Santa Clara w it's glass windows help make it scenic. Deers would roam around the outside time to time
The irony that even progressive AEC firms were guilty of perpetuating this culture as well...
Honestly, I've never felt more fulfilled now, when I'm a Journeyman Plumber working to fix leaks, unclog drains and the like than I was sitting in a cubicle answering calls for tech support. In fact, those years I did so I consider to the an especially low point and I'd describe them as "soul crushing" without an ounce of irony. I had never felt more like a mere cog or anonymous employee before or since. Did the relentlessly grey-and-white colour scheme, burber carpet, and cubicle layout contribute to that? I think so, or at the very least it didn't help.
Kinda baffled by how the production quality somehow manages to surpass the previous upload each time. It was already magnificent years ago xD
Absolutely!
1:05 Library of Congree 😂
Yea its amazing. i am shell shocked people still watch cable. lol
It's absolutely stunning. Remarkably high-quality production. I wonder how many are behind this channel. They're definetely quite competent people.
Ok bro calm down 😂
Makes sense then that so many people really, REALLY didn’t want to go back to the office after the lockdown… and why so many actually never did. People were unwillingly freed from the corporate environment and as you say: it creates a better work life harmony.
Nah, it has absolutely nothing to do with the office itself...
Think about it. When it comes to physical exercise, no two people are the same. Some of us are stronger, some of us have more endurance, some of us can lift heavier weights, some of us can run marathons. Every individual is completely different and trying to maximize how "productive" they are when they are exercising requires a lot of trial and error.
- Do you train in the morning or at night?
- Are you better before eating or after you have loaded up?
- What supplements do you use?
- How many days a week do you train?
- Do you do a 2 day split? a 3 day split?
And on top of that.. HALF of the productivity gains happen outside of the exercise you do... how much sleep you get, how healthy your diet is, how much stress you can minimize
But when it comes to mental exercise.... your work productivity... all of a sudden every human being on the planet is the same?!!?!?! Everyone works best Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm with a 30 minute break? And nobody takes into considering anything outside of work (like how long you have to commute)
It is absolutely insane that employers think this is the best way to be productive for everyone like we are all robots who function the same
What happened with the lockdown was people got to actually TRIAL a different way of working and in many cases found it far more productive and conducive to well being. So why would someone intentionally go back to a less productive, more stressful and more draining way of working when they have found a much better way to work?
The irony of all of this "return to office" bullshit is that the moment something else happens which requires us working from home (like transport issues or another pandemic), employers will IMMEDIATELY demand we go back to working at home. Regardless of whether we are working from home or the office... work gets its work, but it makes a HUGE difference to people where they work. So you have these petulant little ignorant babies who want everything their way regardless of the cost to human beings
I hope the entire world revolts against the office and people keep pushing to work from their preferred location... as long as they get their work done, who cares where they do it from
@ yeah I see that you mean. It definitely has SOMETHING to do with the office based on what we learn here, but it’s more to do with the absolute control companies try to have over their employees. The office is just a symptom of that.
ya i know what u mean... u mean the ones who died nver made ut back to th office right?
@Sim-q9t also that yes
@@ScarabD Agree with both points here. I’ve worked in really sterile and soulless offices and more laid back ones. The sterile one is definitely worse, but work in that similarly structured way for that duration of time is soul sucking no matter what.
The more efficient work has become, the harder people are expected to work. The more productive you are, the farther the goal post is moved.
they shape your expectations and environment so that there's no possibility of you 'winning'
but when there's no chance of winning, the only smart move is to not play the game, thus all the 'quiet quitting' happening now.
I wondered if the reason children get given homework is to accustom them (and us) to working outside of regular hours. If it's true then I hate it.
I remember when they installed new carpeting at my old job DURING office hours. The smell from the glue or whatever was the most horrendous acrid stench I have ever experienced. I told my boss I was leaving for the day and could not care less if they fired me for it. I could not comprehend why others chose to stay (some even wore masks), but “office cult” is really a thing.
wow I've had a very similar experience
Did you expect the carpet to be installed outside office hours, when contractors would charge a hefty premium for the inconvenience of having to work after hours or on the weekend?
@@Steamrickyes. This actually happens.
Unfortunately most of our species are now complisits. They don't know how to say no anymore.
@@Steamrick They could have done it during the Christmas break when fewer people would be impacted.
"I am a person, you are not" really captures it all. Thank you for another top quality video
It was a quote from the show, and the read of it here was amazing
It's so eerie how she delivers it. It felt personal. 😂
For someone who never watched the show, it seemed very weird... but amazing video nonetheless
Ah, thanks for clarifying. Yeah, I never watched the show and was very confused.
Once you realize Jesus and Satan are real. Or even if you just consider it for sake of argument. Suddenly motivations are clear as day. Weird. Isn't it?
Jesus is Messiah and he is no liar.
My mom has worked the same job for over 40 years. When I was in elementary school and there were 'take your kid to work' days, I'd go hang out in the cubicle farm and meet all her coworkers. At some point, my brain developed enough to understand why I found the place unnerving - it was all gray. All of it. Exactly like this video. I vowed to myself that I would never work in a cubicle farm, much to my mom's chagrin. She values job security/benefits above all else (which is why she works in unemployment!) but I also witnessed her struggles with mental health when she endured years of emotional abuse from a bad boss. I worked in food service for over a decade, which has its own nightmares, and now I'm at this weird point in my 30s where I'm interested in so many things but I don't know what do with myself - I just know what I *don't* want to do, lol.
Personal struggles aside, I love this channel. I watch these videos and seriously think about them on and off for weeks. You all do great work!
Why was your mother working? Why wasn't Dad providing? Do you not see the deeper violence inherent in the system? Do you not see the breaking of the traditions and the destruction of the family? Do you not see how this is building a fake god?
I'm a fan of video essays, I consume a lot. And no video essay channel consistently make me feel more intelligent after viewing quite like her's. This is top tier UA-cam content.
Sick building syndrome was used by the tobacco industry to cast doubt on the dangers of second-hand smoke. That was probably worth a mention.
I have a friend whom works in IT, they changed the office to open space as it would encourage more social interaction between the employees and thus make them happier. With in day/weeks, most people had noise cancelling headphones or earbuds in as the office became to noisy.
My co-workers and I used to grumble about cubicles. Then we were moved to an open space office, and like you, we hated this. We would give anything to get cubicles back. Well played corporate America. well played. ☹
If you don't live surrounded on all 6 sides by computers, you're not a true IT guy.
Your grandfather had an office. Your father had a cubicle. You have a desk. Keep showing up and soon you’ll have to share the desk.
@ I'm beginning to see -- actually read about -- the shared desk. And some corporations wonder why we prefer to work from home.
Based TUNDERFOOT BUNNY!
Too bad he went insane and Atheist.
I worked in a brand new building in Chandler, AZ, built for General Motors in 2015. It was a sealed, all-glass building in AZ, so it functioned as a greenhouse. The AC collapsed numerous times, to the point that I sent my team home to WFH numerous times because 88 degrees is not a livable temperature inside. We also had horrible smells, caused by the cafeteria grease trap being vented into the 2nd floor (of 3) vent system instead of going all the way to the roof. All the cubicles in the building were only waist high, so gave you no privacy or quiet at all. Truly a dystopian hellscape in many ways. There were also not enough bathrooms for 800 people, not even close. Corners were cut every conceivable way you could.
Just poop in the grease traps. Not your floor's problem anymore 😅
@ I was on the 2nd floor, not far from the hell vent of stench…
I have not yet watched 'Severance', but this video is so relatable. You didn't drop my (least) favorite corporate buzz phrase of "Think outside of the box." When I hear it - like fingernails down a chalk board - I want to replay "I just want to live outside of the cube farm". Ms. Lee, I LOVE your videos. Keep up the great work.
hahah how could I have missed that one!
@@DamiLeeArch You weren't thinking outside the box!
The irony of a corprate saying that
Mine is at the end of the day. What are they talking about? There was no end of the day for me. I was on call 24/7/365 with clients or bosses on every continent wanting to know why I was ignoring them.
I haven’t seen severance. Googles rating: 6.4 nail biting. This s that the right movie?
It's pretty rich to hear Jeff Bezos talking about work-life-harmony when a) he's so rich he doesn't have to worry about a work-life harmony because he doesn't HAVE to work and b) he's hated by most Amazon employees and he's been tainted with scandals from union busting to "forcing" employees to urinate and defecate in bottles and boxes.
You spoke the dire truth, thank you.
My exact thoughts. That inclusion was jarring and felt wrong
There are so many layer to this!
It's a public event, so he did as much talk as he did PR for himself. Dude propably earend more for that speech than any of us do in a year.
Heck it might be just a general PR event for all the people involved, inbefore they go back to the office and make completly opposite decisions.
yes my guy. bezos is FORCING people to do that?? poop before work. poop after work. peeing?? idk i have worked many shifs without once urinating. sound like lil kids or fatasses if they had legit breaks and RRs at amazon u know every fucker gonna be in there on their phone for 15 20 30 minutes, and everyone gotta "take a crap" cause u know the boss make a dollar, I make a dime, thats why I shit on company time.
Work-life harmony is when you do all the work and Jeff Bezos has all the life - perfectly balanced, as all things should be
The idea of having an office job has always been a nightmare to me, im happy I landed a teacher job, the environment is very informal bc it's made for kids, and even though it can be exhausting at the end of the day to be dealing with super energetic kids, it does feel rewarding
From a psychology point of view, it is very important to talk about work life balance. Work can add value, feel like you are adding something to society, but it crushes individuality, spontaneity and feelings in the long term, for example. So it's very important to have a balance (which can also be thought of as harmony), and having a spatial and mainly sentimental separation from work can be a great way to work on mental health.
Spectacular video as always!! I love learning more about architecture from you!
Yes, you are right. It's interesting though.. I have a recruiting background, and I have on numerous occasions run into situations where candidates were denied positions for using the phrase "work life balance". Have you heard of this? That's just the word on the streets; there is an idealogical war on that phrase, and many companies take a hard stance one way or the other. In my opinion, it's all semantics, really. I've seen companies talk about "work life balance" but in practice they don't really implement it; there is still the unspoken psychological pressure to discard that balance. This issue may be one of the biggest linchpins to the stress and cognitive dissonance that disorients so many individuals in the modern office. People start to lose connection to that "spatial and sentimental" separation that you speak of, and once those batteries are drained: everything else suffers. Great comment. Thanks for engaging.
So this is why office spaces drove me a bit nuts just by even imagining it, before this video I could never put my finger on it, but now I am enlightened! Thank you Dami!
As a kid I used to look forward working in an office, but during my internship it felt very suffocating and imprisoning. It just felt that there had to be more to life than just doing this in a poorly designed office building.
I find the banality and slow pace of Lumen’s offices soothing and comfy. Everyone wears suits, works slowly, and is extremely polite. Sounds lovely. Modern offices are open plan, noisy, disorienting, and your boss pretends to be your friend but is your worst enemy. In fact, everyone is because it’s all a gig. Please, give me a cubicle, a suit, and a boss who address me as Mr.
Idea for your next video, based off of this one... How would you design the ideal work environment? Why would you choose the elements you chose? How could it possibly make life better?
I happen to work in a cubicle in a nearly windowless office. Everyone has the same desk, same furniture, same computers, monitors, etc. We are allowed some personal flair... For instance, I've added some things that remind me (and others) that I'm a veteran. There's a plant with very long vines and few leaves that was neglected, but now I'm taking care of it, and I've quite literally clipped the vines to the top of the cubicle walls (which are about 4'6" high) so that I have some leaves in my cubicle. Some life... some remnant of the 'outside'. I also have some personal mottos like 'Don't let Perfection be the enemy of Good Enough' and 'Semper Gumby', which is a Marine Corps motto that I've held onto since my time there. Everything else is kind of stale though... always the same, never moving... pale... bland... blegh. What I would love is to have my cubicle with one wall overlooking an atrium... with variable 'wind' blowing through the space and a couple water features for the added ambience. I would love to have a tree, even if it's a fake one, just the hear the 'wind' blow through the leaves of the 'tree'...
What are your thoughts? How would you design it?
5:01 Real Trees indoors sounds from recordings. Fresh air might be high tech, but essential. More oxygen? Rushing water sounds are very easy. Real water falls....
I hate offices, I've worked in one since 2015. I work primarily at home now. 3 days at home 2 days in office. I worked in a warehouse for 12 years before that. Forklift driver. Offices, are worse than warehouses. Offices are so void of actual life, this actually made me hate the people around me, for no other reason than, they added to the ambient noise of electrical sound, the smell of wet carpet etc. It was good initially being in the AC during summer, but after about a year. Also your work tends to follow you home. IT Oncall, getting calls at 2 am because some idiot forgot their password, only to come into work the next day to take literally hundreds of the same call. That one call at 2 am could have waited.
At any rate, offices are a cancer. I've done more work at home not having to sit on a bus with a bunch of people coughing or trying to drive through traffic. At any rate. Great video.
Thought provoking.... Worked in cubicle farms most of my life. Never really thought about it, but you're right. We had a cafeteria, never really left. This episode brought a fresh perspective. Thank you.
I've enjoyed every moment. I like shows that make you speculate, and high production value definitely helps.
If you have only seen the first episode, you're doing yourself a disservice. The first episode is basically establishing the characters and scenery. The real plot ramps up rather quickly starting with ep 2
But did you enjoy every moment… *equally*?
Omg! Dami just made my Saturday morning coffee 100 times better. Didn’t even know “kenopsia” was a thing.
It's so fun to learn a new word for something I've experienced so vividly. Gonna be sharing this word with some friends
A dude made it up for his pet project about making words for stuff there is no word for. So i've literally never heard it except when talking about his work. It's based on greek roots but it's not a greek word.
"The dictionary of obscure sorrows" - John Keonig
I've never worked in an office, and for that I feel rather fortunate after watching this. Thank you for the insight.
This entire show is a visual metaphor for my experiences in and around highly secured Army and government facilities. much of my life spent at Command and General Staff College and FT Leavenworth trying fervently to reconcile contradictions and what I need to remember and forget.
I worked in a top secret SCIF; the building was a monolithic concrete building. One large safe vault door. No windows. There were no direct connections to outside. Everything was disconnected and filtered repeatedly to ensure no signals leaked. Air quality was insanely poor.
The building was sealed LONG before the concrete, drywall, paints, and glues had cured. Molds immediately followed.
We’d enter in the morning and leave in the evening sometimes having never seen the sun…
It was absolutely dreadful.
Thanks for the video!
Im kinda obsessed with Severance since I watched S01 two years ago and I lost count on how many times I watched the episodes.
I was in corporate jobs for 14 years, accumulating burnouts and layoffs, making huge efforts to fit in and never get anything in return. For me, Severance goes really deep in corporate culture, in means that most people cant even grasp the magnitude of the ways companies operate in order to meet their goals. People are just tools, we’re treated like livestock and “no one” seems to realize this reality.
I work in asset management and deal with a huge portfolio of offices. Its so interesting to learn about the history of offices. HVAC and airflow is so important. It became even more so during covid. Off gassing is discussed often. We normally buy carpets and let them sit for months in stoarage before installing them.
The first 50 seconds of production quality were absolutely chef's kiss. I'm SO happy to see this channel growing and improving; swaying in and out of new and interesting topics while maintaining some element of the architectural interest that attracted us in the first place. The freedom to explore all these topics is inspiring.
I actually changed what I work with pretty recently and I'll be the first to say that when you feel you're doing something that matters and you're actually doing well your life quality improves immensely. I went from having anxiety crises just by thinking of having to go back to work to kinda actually looking forward to it.
I love this channel so much. Your takes on architecture and the way you kind of let the viewer peek behind the curtain when it comes to an architects way of thinking and the reasons why, make the videos very soothing and educational to watch.
I escaped the kitchen (just a cook, then) and got into an office (data entry and correspondence for a trade publisher) and my one year was deeply disturbing. I had fun, it was less stressful than a kitchen, but there was no sense of immediacy, everything was a wait for results, and I could not sit still in quiet spaces. my first eight months was an inner room with glass separating some drafting spaces from computers. the last four (moved offices) was an indoor room no windows... and newer building so stale air issues... ended up leaving, getting my papers and back into kitchen... less "work-life balance" but far more satisfying personally...
working in development and residential property management (not commercial), and i've been harping on our designers to make our property managers offices more enjoyable. Older designs have the office in the middle of the building, without windows and a solid metal door. Othertimes, the offices are TOO accessible to residents, and the building manager has no privacy or quiet to take calls. Every single one, without fail, is so tiny only one desk can fit with a second one shoved into the corner and three people is the max we can fit shoulder to shoulder.
One of our recent buildings didn't have a janitors closet, no where to dump the dirty mop water, store supplies, wash rags etc. We had to turn one empty storage room into a quasi janitorial space to accommodate the cleaners who were there every single day. It blows my mind how little care/concern or even notice is given to actual end users of the spaces being designed. I've said in my career time and time again: the architects should be forced to live and/or work out of the buildings they design to finally see where they constistantly fail.
Thankfully my team is getting more and more involved in the design and pre-development stages to advise on how these spaces will ultimately be used once they are complete. Doesn't need to be fancy.
Production quality through the eoof
If you think corporate offices are bad, try being a cook , janitor, security or anyone else office personnel see as less than human in the same environment. Even as a cook at a major university, I was being "encouraged" to ignore my health issues for the "greater good" aka whatever someone in a high paying position wanted. I ignored alot on that job. Got to a point that I couldn't ignore my health anymore.
I go to a big university in Tokyo that recently completed the new library building. As it goes with Library buildings in universities, they are also or even primarily used to study by students, and it is clear this building in particular has been optimised for this. I believe for the reasons mentioned in this video, the first two floors of the library are designed in a light, positive, “human” design, with a lot of plants, warm lights and natural shapes and colours. The seating in those two floors is almost always way under capacity and there is always plenty of space. The third floor takes a little different approach: you sit in half- cubicles with white desks, but the lighting is still warm and inviting. It is usually pretty full there. The fourth floor turns it up a notch: the lights are colder, and you sit in office style full cubicles. This floor is always packed full.
So students here gravitate to these harsh, unnatural environments for studying and doing assignments, but why? I conducted a little self study. I study a humanities degree that mostly requires literary research and report/essay writing. When assignment time came along, I began my first assignment on the first floor with a “human” environment, plants etc. my output was around 700 words per hour including research. The average was measured over a total of two 2500 word assignments
I then started the next assignment on the third floor. My output there was around 850 words per hour, again with two 2500 word assignments.
Then I moved to the 4th floor. I fell into a sort of study mode, lacking outside stimulations, and my output there was 1100-1200 words per hour. All the assignments required a similar amount of research and references. I felt exhausted afterwards but the work was done.
So of course this matter is a question of efficiency and how much you are willing to sacrifice for academic success. I think the mentality towards this here in Asia is different than in the west, hence why students at my university gravitate towards these harsh, efficient environments to get work done, but then again, I as a non Asian person have found myself on the 4th floor a lot now as well, since for the moment I value the benefits of time efficiency over the “human” but also distracting interior design.
This happened to me, was in a stuffy, dusty, and moldy office and I’m allergic to dust and mold. Was literally in survival mode and crisis daily, especially with misogynistic bosses, and eating comfort food on lunch break to feel better. Not only did my whole life improve bc of my better health, but doubled my salary in 2 years after leaving too 😉
This is a bit off topic, but it suddenly struck me that The Stanley Parable was playing around with "backrooms" concepts well before the idea started becoming lore. Some of its most offputting sections involve walking around empty, seemingly endless, noneuclidean office spaces. I see echoes of it in a lot of the discussion here.
Hello there. Just wanted to thank you for rekindling my appreciation for architecture and aesthetics! There has not been a single video of your where I was not fully glued to the screen. You and your team make amazing content and I just wanted to voice my appreciation for all of you and a shout out to your delivery. Thank you so much!
Thank you for always making us think. Speaking of thinking, I have to work today, on a Saturday, I remember having Saturdays off in the past, now we're expected to work whenever "available". But that is what I have to do to separate work from life is think, work is an excellent time to let your imagination and creativity churn in the background, take a note book with you and jot down thoughts and actions that can make your home life or "down time" better, and for heavens sake leave work at work, never let corporate control seep into your home lives. We have to stay the line because if corporations get into our homes and private thoughts they will own us more than they already do.
I adore the Backrooms and Kane Pixel’s newer project “The Oldest View” - and the idea of the endless, oppressive dehumanizing hallways is what turned me onto Severance recently when S2 started showing up in the news.
I work for a Parks dept and we’re moving office soon from my familiar and lived-in trailer to an oppressive office building and my Landscape Architect boss has done his darndest to try to make this more of a humanizing environment as possible - such as removing the drop ceiling fluorescent ceiling lights to expose the the underlying architecture and open the space.
I think I was also very anti-brutalist until I discovered your channel and thought about these spaces in the pop and niche fiction I like and about what our working spaces can be. It’s been an interesting exploration tied into my dept’s devoted efforts to DEIB, though who knows now with Federal grants and funding being pulled from programs with DEIB by this vile administration.
Thank you for the lovely analysis here and it’s always a great day when a DamiLee vid drops! Cheers.
I used to work at a call center and when I caught a cold, my symptoms were crazy awful during my shift, but I would feel so much better after I left the building. There was barely any ventilation, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
Oh yay, a new “Dami Drop”! This will distract me from my daily exist- oh no. Oh no no no…. not ”the office”! AHHHHH!!!
The Industrial Revolution wasn’t that long ago.
Folks used to feel inspired by the whole “career advancement” and many felt “their job defined them”. The Pandemic revealed so many truths- how few workers actually NEED to be in an office, and (for owners/management) how few worker bees are needed to do the work in a company.
Almost everyone I know has become detached- money (especially to pay bills and such) is the only reason why they work.
I wonder how the Office will evolve during the next few years.
Thanks for the video (AMAZING production and effects!) and thanks for the unexpected weekend existential crisis! 😉
I spent way too many years working in cubicle farms. The effects on my physical and mental health were devastating. Since retiring seven years ago I have been gradually recovering. I used to lie on the floor under my desk to rest my neck and back muscles. Yes, I got written up for that. One thing they do in these environments is feed you lots of free food, all of which is sugar based and horrible for you. I still struggle with addiction to sugars and starches. And that was just what they wanted. Coffee and sugar, coffee and sugar, coffee and sugar all day long every day. Literally toxic in both material and psychological ways. Work life balance? That was just enough life to keep you working. No more.
As someone who is simultaneously writing his PhD on the labyrinthine writing of Kathy Acker at the University of Cologne and working at a 'factory' (so to speak) to pay the rent, this video really intrigues me. Especially the end. - Corporate culture is developed to make you feel valued, but in the end you are a resource, material, and treated accordingly. Shifting from work to the University ever so often makes it even more felt, because at the factory one day is almost like the next, while at the University it is less so. But that, in the end, becomes even more dehumanizing, because people who work and live at the University think the numbed down you is less so... but then again, I have seen people working in offices at the University with diverse effects, some dulled down in shared offices, others thriving in a closed room they can shape and let bloom ... and the higher the rank, the more specific shape the office takes... one professor I used to work for has an office that is also like an advertisement of different projects they have been involved in.... So, in sum: I really enjoyed this video and how it allowed us to view and discover how the more collectivist, modular office space affects us... it articulated to me a feeling that I have been exploring in short stories, when I was younger... and again, the last take: love the detournement!
Gosh these videos sure have had a glow-up in the last 2 years since I been watching. I mean they were always quality but I really enjoy the cinematic theming and fx. You guys are really going above and beyond.
Quality is quite amazing, right? Thanks for commenting!
Kenopsia vocabulary term unlocked and a new awareness of the show 'The Severence' Effect. Thankyou for both of those.
That latter show's premise reminds me of a novella by science fiction author Vernor Vinge titled: The Cookie Monster.
this honestly has became one of my favorite channels. i was never even into architect i just saw it as building stuff and it was as bland as dry wall without realising how impactful something so unotuced is and really getting into frutiger aero and even older architecture i started realisong how these things are apart of our environment as well and environment isnt just trees and nature but the human environment that is aslo included
I recall back in the early 1970s, TVOntario was consolidating in one new office tower and as part of the liaison group with contractors we were given a presentation by Hermann Miller (the Eames chair people) about their open office concept. However, the agency decided to go with a cheaper off-the-rack version just as you illustrated despite our recommendation otherwise given we were primarily creative types and not administratives. Same happened when I moved to a federal government agency in Ottawa and it was moving to a new complex across the river to Hull. Same cheap bastardization of the H-M open office concept! (Though do admit I regretted losing my nice partially opening windowed four walled office.)
Had a feeling The Backrooms would be mentioned. Despite being internet fiction, the liminal horror presented comes from an extremely real thing. Working 3rd shift in an office building I had ENTIRELY to myself every single night really brought that home. It was eerie but fascinating because of it.
That's a true story... There are absolutely strange resonances to be felt in these kinds of spaces. Thanks for commenting!
A strikingly similar air quality problem happened in Ottawa/Gatineau at a federal office building. It was nicknamed the "shoddy air" building.
For those that don't know, it's a play on 'Terrasses de la Chaudière' the building complex itself named for the 'Chute des Chaudières', the nearby waterfalls on the Ottawa River.
Sadly, if you complain about sbs, HR will look for an excuse to fire you instead of finding you another space. They won't even unscrew an eye-burning fluorescent bulb bc it's more fun for them to fire you. I've even asked nicely bc I was getting migraines and they retaliated, getting the whole team to make my life miserable. I hope they're all unemployed and homeless now while I sit at home in my remote job paying 6 figs.
Bahahaha, that's an ultimate facepalm! :D 2:20 ish :D
Having escaped the drabness and depressing inevitability of the daily office grind, there is no way I'd ever want to come back.
The architecture was always boring, uninspired - as if I was little more than a cog. Even fresher work spaces operate to make your life more linked to work. That separation feels needed, especially today.
Disagreements aside over work/life balance, this was a great video illustrating the effects an environment has upon those forced into it.
I didn’t know it was possible to consistently make interesting and quality videos one after another without repelling the audience with the annoying like/subscribe/bell/comment mantra. Easily the best channel ever from all my subscriptions.
We could always tell on the 5th floor when the call center on the 4th floor was having pott-luck day - the food smells permeated our floor through the ventilation system.
Woohoo! I fixed my office... I stay home!!
My home office has low ceiling and fluorescent lights 😬
I got lucky. I was granted an accommodation for full spectrum lighting in my office. It's amazing how much good air and light can help.
As a woman who works in health care, what's frustrating is that efficiency is always from a incel male perspective. Okay sure these buildings were built to run at a low cost, but the biggest expense is sick time because your staff can't find reliable daycare.
Want to improve morale? Have available daycare for the staff working all shifts.
For a couple of rebuilds and new builds I've worked, this was always recommended by the people running the business but the president/cep brushed it aside as not necessary because family would just help out like they did in their day. 😒🙄😒
Opinions: You are correct. I would argue that it isn't just "incel males" pushing this agenda, though; Everyone has played a part in allowing these things to take root in our culture. The more we continue to reward the companies and institutions that thrive under these hyper "low cost" models, the more they continue to entrench themselves as market leaders. It allows them to rapidly expand into regional markets, and then National markets, and then Global markets. It pains me to see the lack of affordable child care options for people who work in offices and environments like this. Obviously, we have evolved to survive and there are individuals in poverty situations that have it far worse off than the modern office worker, but it sort of makes one wonder what all the extra efficiency and technology is even for if we aren't leveraging it to architect better long game strategies (like building up organizations with robust, and safe child care options on-site). Thanks for commenting on here. These are the kinds of conversations I like to see on here. 🙏
Cubicles? I wish! Nothing but open spaces where I live. Sitting with 3 or 4 people in the same desk-row, and other lines of workers in front and behind you.
11:46 the work is mysterious and important
I spent two weeks in a cubicle as part of my training with Washington State's WCC Program. It was the stuff of nightmares. And, from some of the jobs I've had working as a Laborer, and getting to observe the Cubicle Life as, well, an observer... My two weeks wasn't that bad. I have five work fields that I am passionate about. Forestry, Food and the Culinariy Industry in general, Agriculture and Agrisciences, Electronics Engineering, and Architecture and Industrial Design. Engineering and Design are the two fields I'm passionate about that I had no intention of pursuing professionally because cubicles and offices. Unfortunately, my health the last fifteen years may be pushing me to a *sigh* desk job. 😒
The mix between Windows XP and Windows 3.1 is the most unsettling part of this video.
Great video! I've also worked in sealed buildings. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) ducts are great places for mold and bacteria to form. Sick offices isn't just a metaphor. Fresh air and sunlight are good things. Wonder what good offices look like? Just look at the offices of senior management. Not too many cubicles in a large open space in a sealed building.
5:20, Cubicles are still better than open offices though, hard to get anything done in those.
Great episode DamiLee. I am so glad I am an artist/musician. I could not begin to imagine what life must be like for someone condemned to a working career in an office job. I tried it at my first job at 15. It lasted a week and the boss knew I was better suited a forklift and warehouse position. I sure hope I've learnt all the universe requires in this form. Imagine having to come back and get something right without a creative bone in my body!! My God!
Seriously, very interesting topic. It was one of them, "just when you think you got it sorted", ones. Thank you.
The visuals are 🔥!!!
This topic always reminds me of one of my favourite graphic novels, "The Return of Mr. X", by the Hernandez brothers (Love & Rockets)/Dean Motter. It's about this city that's built around the concept of this brilliant architect, something he called "psychetecture", that's supposed to make it a brilliant place to live by making everyone feel energized and positive. Only during construction corners are cut, plans changed to save money, all that sort chicanery, and in the end Radiant City is driving everyone in it slowly insane. I always loved that concept.
Loved the video! The editing was amazing. As a memory champion, I do have to chime in about the memory palace reference at 8:27. While in the context of a workplace, a stale workplace environment (à la Severance) would definitely make your days less memorable. But for the actual use of a memory palace, the extensive maze-like hallways (although bland) of the show itself make an AMAZING memory palace. I've created a few memory palaces out of the show's set and they've worked really well to help me memorize hundreds of things.
Great video. I worked in an office in a large open plan room. The managers had offices on the edges of the room so had views to the outside world, but us in the middle only had glimpses. The outer offices suffered from thin windows and walls so we're too hot or too cold, weren't private or were too bright or dark, and we had air con to fight over. Happy days.
Hard to accept any time in a cubicle. Actually nobody should accept time in a cubicle. It is dehumanizing.
The one exception I have to this are spaces in which workers can customize their office within reason. My mental health didn’t fluctuate from home to work for my current job since I have access to large windows with a view of nature, shelves to put fun stuff on, the freedom to order my own office stuff, and our department space is away from the evil bosses’ eyes. I say evil because they just pulled a fast one on us and now they’re getting rid of us :/
I’ll take cubicle over open office tbh
@ I think everybody needs their own lockable office with their own bathrooms and place to sleep. Anything less and it doesn't work.
Nice video. Because the space was so plain by design, Mark S’ coworkers ended up being his only memory anchors. That’s probably why he’s super attached to them - they’re basically his entire sense of identity.
That’s a great observation.
The way you talked about corporate life describes my job, even though I work with customers, I work in services where it's sometimes hard to see the end product.
New video!!! Lets gooo!
It’s funny that the movie was filmed in the old Bell Labs building because, to my knowledge, it never had cubicle farms. Both my parents worked there and all the offices were small enclosed rooms that you got to by walking down the hallways. They were private spaces, but for all the light from the windows, none would reach the offices. They said unless you left your office to walk around the building, you could go the whole day without seeing any natural light depending on where your office was situated.
Now it’s been renovated and a bunch of companies have set up offices there with more open-plan designs that allow in lots of natural light. The lower area is populated with shops, restaurants, a school, a library, gyms, a basketball court, and an astroturf green. It’s gorgeous now and a great third space for the local community.
If you ever wanted to do a follow up, I'd love to see a discussion of how these environments impact the autistic workforce.
My personal anecdote; I was diagnosed last year, when I was 40 years old, as autistic. After working in various offices for nearly twenty years, during the pandemic, my company went full remote. Once I settled in, like a lot of autistic people I struggle with change, my stress melted away. Being in control of my environment made such a huge difference in my quality of life, or my "work-life harmony."
When my company started a return to office mandate I asked for an accommodation to continue remote work due to my autism. My accommodation was granted and while the rest of my coworkers have struggled being back in the office, my quality of life has managed to remain the same.
Now, whenever I have an occasion to go into the office, it's a nightmare for me. All the little things I learned to live with for decades are overwhelming now. I can't believe how much I suffered in a sterile corporate office environment.
We don't even have windows at our office, and they wonder why I get sick and anxious there. I have to get special accommodation to work from home. I've told them straight up it's the building. Feels like a prison.
Well Done… hyper reality vs speculative fiction
this looks like a lot of fun to make.
Ted Nelson, who coined the term "Hypertext, also came up with the idea of "Silver Stands" Basically, a neighborhood co-working space. So, you get the vibe of working with other people around you who were intensely focused. Yet, they were your neighbors. Less lonely than WFH. I experienced this first hand in Bali at a co-working space with other remote workers. I could actually get stuff in the quiet room. Whereas the WeWork in San Francisco was just waaay too densely packed.
Would love to see a "what if" on alternate work/life schemes.
I'm a firm believer in the separation of work and your life. I do not bring my life to work, and I do not bring work home. It irritates me when I hear people use the "Work, Life, balance" mantra when they don't want to work extra hours, but then they are on the phone arguing with their Wife/Husband/Girlfriend/Boyfriend/Family member at work or facetiming their child. The "We are family" crap is irritating as well. People treat the workplace like they are at home, so we have coats/jackets on chairs in the break rooms, lunch buckets left out on tables. Are people using this table? Breakrooms and bathrooms are just filthy. Your mommy isn't here to clean up after you. So yes, separation of work and life. I do not wish to blend the two, ever.
The ventilation/Heating/Cooling is terrible. It's set up for a big open space, but then they put up walls and make rooms, change room sizes, or add more rooms, so now the zones are all messed up and the thermostat for one room controls a separate area and vise-versa. ... Okay my rants over. Thank you for the content 😁
Heck, Im studying to leave my heavy outdoor job to find something cozier but I really hope It's not a sad office. I get sleepy and nauseated by the environment when I have to be in one of those. I've been hating neon lights since I was a child, when I was at school on dark rainy days an they were giving me headache being on the whole day
Notification mob here
Nope it's just on my feed
Another great video from the DamiLee team and I am back to patiently waiting for the next one 😂
"I believe you have my stapler." - Milton Waddams
I admit i was a little disappointed there were no "Office Space" references in Dami's video.
@hermaeusmora2945 there was one with Lumberg looking into a cubicle
@@JamesCotter-be4se Oh yeah! Good catch.
What a great essay. The brutalist office architecture of Severance and a lot of the buildings mentioned reminds me of the architecture of the video game Control. Particularly, the liminal nature and harshness of the space.
only one question.... why there's plastic Jeff Bezos at 13:43???
Yes... I felt there was an attempt to make me experiment a shift in between realities, and Besos was the embodiment of inhumane contemptuous look upon the current system he has built, hence Dami saying "I'm a person, you are not"
I could be wrong though, I'm confused as well and quite tired today...😂
@@mariepaulecoutens yes that's correct 😆originally I was going to talk about how I believe that when work and life blend together, it improves both (which I personally believe for myself), but then I came across interview by Jefferey and realized the dark irony behind a business owner talking about "work life balance", so we opted to go in this direction
@@DamiLeeArch ✨😉✨✨✨✨✨✨✨🌟🙏🏾So powerful!... You made me feel the reflection of realities in my body and mind, a little sick in the stomach, and "The Ring" effect with you on TV, bending forward. You could literally cross over to cinema, at this point. You may have thought about it already...🤔✨✨✨✨ Sending so much Love to you! 💕🌟✨🌟🎶🌟🙏🏾🎶🌟✨✨✨✨✨
This was excellent! My sister recommended the show and I had just finished the first season when I saw your video. Perfect timing!
0:42 Capitalism. The answer to questions like this IS. ALWAYS. CAPITALISM.
True
Wow, what a thoughtful answer. All the problems are solved! Thank you!
It truly is. It's so unbelievably frustrating that people still don't understand this! They actively don't want to atm, which is fucking shit, and they should understand it, as it's their immediate obligation to!
@@Jepicositynot solved, but identified. That's the starting point
Sssshhhhhhhh. We don't talk about that. You know people who sell yachts gotta eat too!!... /$
My office is attached to a factory, a 50+ year old building. Our double-windows can't be opened and can't be cleaned between the panes as a result - but they always manage to have moisture trapped in there. The vents have NEVER been cleaned in the 15 years I've been here. The air purifiers that were brought in 2 years after Covid started broke down within 6 months, and nobody changed the filters because the facilities manager who bought them quit without telling anyone where to get replacements; they were thrown out after a work-wide Covid breakout last year. At any given time, half of the office staff has persistent coughs.
I'm one of two people who tries to care for the plants we have in there (and we two are the only ones who keeps art at our cubicles). The five health and safety managers we've gone through while I've been here have actively avoided any sort of discussion about air quality.
Maybe it's a good thing we're being closed next year and everyone will lose their jobs; at least we'll breathe some fresh air while unemployed.
0:15 not the deskstika
I’m kind of happy that I ended up as a janitor, because then I can’t take work with me home and I mostly see the effects right away. A bunch of places feel like they didn’t need to be cleaned every day, but then there’s also the places that do
Please enjoy the meeting equaly.
Always love your videos for the visual feast they are along with the fun little thought provoking journey you take us on. Thanks Dami and team 😊
Offices aren't the only thing that dehumanizes people.
Cars do the same thing. When people drive around, they often don't see other people. They just see their cars and I think this makes it easier to become agressive and angry or violent.
I think walkable cities that include biking and ofher manual powered modes of transportation are the future in cities. Not electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are designed to save the auto industry. Not humanity or the planet.
We would also be lower pollution, microplastics in the enciornment, cost of maintaining roads as they won't exist in cities, we'd become healthier over all as a society. We'd also be closer to one another and be able to see each other. This last thing will help build empathy.
Electric mass transit - trains, trams, and buses - have uses for mass movement of people as well as for people with disabilities. Also, not everyone can move lots of groceries or a new sofa on a bike. Small electric vans and trucks are also useful for business in cities - we're not talking 18-wheelers though. With walkable cities and smaller but more frequent shops, deliveries can be more frequent and less bulky. This isn't to say that bikes, walking, and other personal modes aren't desirable as well. Just that that people moving needs a variety for different purposes as does commercial activity. This may also mean overlapping but distinct transportation networks - think how bike lanes can go where trams or cars can not, or how there may be side roads within blocks designed for residential and local business traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) and not through traffic.
@PhotonBeast You can build all the shipping routes for businesses under the city in tunnels that also contain all the pipes and electrical work going into the city for easy access when repairs are needed.
You can power carts in these tunnels on electric rails to move deliveries of supplies to shopping districts.
As for moving larger items like couches and beds, you can provide a service for this. You can use cheap small electric trucks to move bigger objects. The same can be done with landscaping waste. Or you can make designated areas to throw landscaping waste and residential trash that brings it down to the tunnels below for removal. Not everything needs to be above ground.
Vehicles for people that want to own them can be parked in a parking garage outside of town. Semi trucks can use a massive warehouse outside of the city to bring goods in.
You can also build elevated roads and platforms for buses or trams that transport people around the city. This keeps heavy vehicles away from the walking areas on street level.
You can put airports 3-5 miles from the cities to help with noise pollution and have buses go in and out of it as well.
@@ZimaCyberia So metros but for strictly moving goods? And while shopping districts are great, in a walkable city, most of your daily needs are going to be relatively small buys at your local grocery store. Which is also going to be a lot smaller then your typical American store because it doesn't need to have everything everyone needs in weekly bulk packages. As for waste, tubes aside (though there is an island in NY that has such a system), that's what Amsterdam does. They have underground waste bins with top level access. Specific days for big bulky items. There are also dedicated composting points (AKA worm hotels). Most of what you suggest Amsterdam also does, in a fashion. All parking is underground in Amsterdam - or private garages - as well with very light paid parkign on some streets (with residents getting priority). There are dedicated tram lines which can also be used by buses and taxis. Pedestrians have right of way (only public transit has greater priority and even then, drivers usually wave people cross if the vehicle hasn't started yet) and there's a ton of traffic calming to keep overall vehicle traffic down. Emergency and police services also can use the tram lanes. The city has a ring road (highway, though it's not up in the air) around it with various access points. Schiphol Airport is basically next to the city but cordoned off with open space and a forest for visual and noise purposes. Schiphol is also connected to the 3 major transit hubs in Amsterdam via all forms of transit - bus, train + metro, and tram, with the train and metro using an underground station directly below the airport lobby. Each of the city hubs and most of the large secondary ones support multiple transit forms.
Very beautiful video!!!! Amazing realizing how office building may be designed in ways that are actually against how our brain works. Your video just remind me about “place cells”, one of our main brains method for spacial reasoning (and actually from some research seems used generally for reasoning). Your example of placing objects in familiar environments is just one of the known technics to use our “place cells” functions. Making an office empty and self-similar, is exactly against our brains. Nice to spot that in your video😊
This show drives me crazy, like this office space is giving such unsettling emotions that you are thinking that you will never come back
Wow, the ending of this video got scary. I was thinking "wait, does Dami really believe what's she's saying now!? Did "they" replace her with a robot?". I guess some days my brain is too slow for subtlety, you really had to lay it on thick for me to finally sigh relieved 😅Good video!
Severance is one of my favorite shows of the past few years. Haven't started season 2 though... I fear they will overexplain everything and ruin it!
Fantastic video, as always. I found out about this channel some weeks ago and it's really growing on me how you guys research everything so carefully and passionately. It also helps that I love to talk about architecture and it's in's and out's. Just keep up the good work, it's paying off.
As Always great video Lee ❤"I am a person, you are not" when i heard it the first time watching the show it shocked me as much as it chocked Haley R 😳 the show is really amazing !
My father was an Architect who worked on the 22 floor of Centerpoint Tower in Sydney, a circular building with all around glass and a magnificent view. I remember him coming home one evening, furious that on a day when there was a storm raging outside, on the other side of the glass shield, he couldn’t feel anything. He could see the wind and rain but couldn’t open a window to…….feel….. the outside. He designed banks and special projects for the Australian government, and marveled that the Bank would always pick the lowest tenderer, and every time the project ran overtime, and ran out of money, so the projects ultimately cost more in the end.