Course Preview
Remote work has permanently altered the boundary between the professional and the personal. The home is now a nexus of production, rest, and community.
This masterclass investigates architectural tactics for re-negotiating space within residential environments in the remote-work era. How do we design dual-purpose environments without sacrificing the psychological sanctity of "home"? We review contemporary zoning theory, analyze dynamic furniture systems, and look to historical models of domesticity to inform a new kind of modern living.
What You Will Learn:
- The Psychology of Separation: Strategies to delineate 'work mode' and 'home mode' in open spaces.
- Acoustic and Visual Privacy: Small-scale interventions to manage domestic interruptions.
- The Erosion of the Commute: How design can simulate boundaries lost in transit.
Module 1: Re-zoning the Domestic Landscape
Welcome to the full masterclass. Let's begin by examining how the typical single-family home floorplan evolved prior to 2020, and why it failed the dual-income remote family. We discuss strategies for carving out distinct zones for work, rest, and play without resorting to major renovations. [Video Embed Would Go Here]
Reading List & Resources
- Gorman, C. (2022). The New Domesticity. Architectural Review.
- Smith, L. (2019). Zoning the Micro-Environment.
Module 2: Sensory Boundaries
In our second module, we explore how lighting color temperature, acoustic damping, and tactile materials can rapidly signal a shift from an office state to a living state within the same room.
Learn how to use "acoustic curtains" and dynamic lighting to mimic the sensory shifts you would traditionally experience during a physical commute. [Video Embed Would Go Here]
Module 3: The Ergonomics of the Living Room
Transitioning from a corporate office to a home environment often leads to poor ergonomic setups. This module covers how to integrate ergonomic principles into domestic spaces seamlessly.
We will review modular furniture that hides away, standing desk converters that fit into bookshelves, and other "stealth health" design tactics.
Module 4: Sustainable Domesticity
Just as commercial buildings must consider environmental impact, the hybrid home should be designed with sustainability in mind. We will discuss passive heating and cooling, indoor plants for air quality (biophilic design), and energy-efficient office equipment choices.
Capstone Project
Audit your own home workspace. Create a "Zoning Map" measuring current sensory and structural boundaries, and propose three low-cost interventions to improve privacy and ergonomics.
Download Capstone Prompt
About the Instructor
Sara Bensalem is a researcher and architectural designer specializing in workplace sustainability and environmental psychology. Through her PhD research on Placemaking at Work, she dissects the profound impact spatial autonomy, biophilic design, and collaborative ecosystems have on employee well-being. She teaches this course to empower professionals and organizations to reclaim their environments from outdated industrial models, creating meaningful, flexible spaces that thrive in the age of hybrid and remote work.