Marie Bourget-Mauger

The integration of connected objects into increasingly diffuse office environments is opening up a new field of research for architecture. Beyond the question of connecting technical objects within managerial organizations, this research studies the socio-economic processes that drive, reinforce, and promote this technical ubiquity in work environments. These processes include the interplay of actors, underlying economic models, and the imaginary surrounding the concept of connected objects. These networked technical objects thus reflect the quest for increased, generalized, and global optimization of environments and people. This is why connected objects are a relevant entry point for studying the evolution of office spaces.

The hypothesis is that the integration of connected objects is shaping a new architectural typology. This typology, focused on the profitability of people and machines, subjects architecture to the principle of optimization. Furthermore, this integration raises questions about the underlying managerial and ideological doctrines that construct the experiences, models, and materiality of the office environment. A survey of players in the “Smart Building” ecosystem will help define: the contours of representations of the concept of the connected environment, the imaginaries based on contemporary architectural references, and the marketing arguments deployed. Finally, analysis of architectural references, their production context, dissemination tools, and a study of the actual conditions of use of spaces will highlight the criteria of this new architectural typology generated by connected objects.