Rob Harris is a consultant and analyst in the commercial real estate sector, where he has spent over three decades advising developers, investors, occupiers and public sector bodies. He established Ramidus Consulting Limited in 2003 as a specialist, independent built environment research and advisory business. Rob presents widely on a range of property market issues.

• AcknowledgementsList of figuresAbout the authorForeword by Jeremy MyersonAcknowledgementsChapter 1 Perspectives on offices Part I 1670–1770: building blocks of the office economyChapter 2 The basis of trading Chapter 3 A new economy of mercantilist capitalism Part II 1770–1870: bank house to office buildingChapter 4 Banking business Chapter 5 Clerking: laborious and monotonous Chapter 6 Offices take shape Part III 1870–1945: the white collar factoryChapter 7 A new organisation of society Chapter 8 Gentleman all-rounder to office worker Chapter 9 The machine age Chapter 10 Cultural and rational filing cases Part IV 1945–1990: the corporate officeChapter 11 Blitz to Big Bang Chapter 12 New environments for working Chapter 13 Three centuries of change: from clerk to nomad Part V 1990 onwards: the digital office and beyondChapter 14 The digital office Chapter 15 The office in the network era

"In taking us from ‘castle’ to ‘condominium’, Rob Harris takes us on a journey that might be seen as circular in nature. We start with private banks in grand residences and arrive in the era of home working assisted by Artificial Intelligence. In moving from ‘market’ to ‘factory’ to ‘corporate’ to ‘digital’ – the four office ages described in the book – we are given a rigorously researched expert view of not just how the office and office work has developed over time but how it might fare in the future." Jeremy Myerson, Professor Emeritus, Royal College of Art; Chairman, WORKTECH Academy

Rob Harris is a consultant and analyst in the commercial real estate sector, where he has spent over three decades advising developers, investors, occupiers and public sector bodies. He established Ramidus Consulting Limited in 2003 as a specialist, independent built environment research and advisory business. Rob presents widely on a range of property market issues.

• AcknowledgementsList of figuresAbout the authorForeword by Jeremy MyersonAcknowledgementsChapter 1 Perspectives on offices Part I 1670–1770: building blocks of the office economyChapter 2 The basis of trading Chapter 3 A new economy of mercantilist capitalism Part II 1770–1870: bank house to office buildingChapter 4 Banking business Chapter 5 Clerking: laborious and monotonous Chapter 6 Offices take shape Part III 1870–1945: the white collar factoryChapter 7 A new organisation of society Chapter 8 Gentleman all-rounder to office worker Chapter 9 The machine age Chapter 10 Cultural and rational filing cases Part IV 1945–1990: the corporate officeChapter 11 Blitz to Big Bang Chapter 12 New environments for working Chapter 13 Three centuries of change: from clerk to nomad Part V 1990 onwards: the digital office and beyondChapter 14 The digital office Chapter 15 The office in the network era

"In taking us from ‘castle’ to ‘condominium’, Rob Harris takes us on a journey that might be seen as circular in nature. We start with private banks in grand residences and arrive in the era of home working assisted by Artificial Intelligence. In moving from ‘market’ to ‘factory’ to ‘corporate’ to ‘digital’ – the four office ages described in the book – we are given a rigorously researched expert view of not just how the office and office work has developed over time but how it might fare in the future." Jeremy Myerson, Professor Emeritus, Royal College of Art; Chairman, WORKTECH Academy

Rob Harris is a consultant and analyst in the commercial real estate sector, where he has spent over three decades advising developers, investors, occupiers and public sector bodies. He established Ramidus Consulting Limited in 2003 as a specialist, independent built environment research and advisory business. Rob presents widely on a range of property market issues.

• AcknowledgementsList of figuresAbout the authorForeword by Jeremy MyersonAcknowledgementsChapter 1 Perspectives on offices Part I 1670–1770: building blocks of the office economyChapter 2 The basis of trading Chapter 3 A new economy of mercantilist capitalism Part II 1770–1870: bank house to office buildingChapter 4 Banking business Chapter 5 Clerking: laborious and monotonous Chapter 6 Offices take shape Part III 1870–1945: the white collar factoryChapter 7 A new organisation of society Chapter 8 Gentleman all-rounder to office worker Chapter 9 The machine age Chapter 10 Cultural and rational filing cases Part IV 1945–1990: the corporate officeChapter 11 Blitz to Big Bang Chapter 12 New environments for working Chapter 13 Three centuries of change: from clerk to nomad Part V 1990 onwards: the digital office and beyondChapter 14 The digital office Chapter 15 The office in the network era

"In taking us from ‘castle’ to ‘condominium’, Rob Harris takes us on a journey that might be seen as circular in nature. We start with private banks in grand residences and arrive in the era of home working assisted by Artificial Intelligence. In moving from ‘market’ to ‘factory’ to ‘corporate’ to ‘digital’ – the four office ages described in the book – we are given a rigorously researched expert view of not just how the office and office work has developed over time but how it might fare in the future." Jeremy Myerson, Professor Emeritus, Royal College of Art; Chairman, WORKTECH Academy