In Japan, architects seem to be experimenting with a new breed of office, one that’s burgeoning on an as-yet niche scale.

Designed by the architecture firms themselves, these offices open directly onto the street.

“The user/designers have mentioned this conscious choice as a way of reconnecting with the environment they aim to shape,” writes Hana Abdel on architecture website Archdaily.

The Maru architecture studio has set up shop in an old building near the Tokyo University of the Arts.

The architects renovated the space while carefully maintaining the soul of this old building.

With their wide openings, these spaces could almost be mistaken for stores, inviting the outside world to cast its gaze on the activities within. But here, computers, files and employees can be found inside.

In Paris, for example, similar spaces are flourishing on a small scale.

Offices are installed at street level with no screen on shutters obscuring the view, leaving pedestrians free to view the company’s activities.

This approach is framed as a way to spur interest and foster links with the surrounding environment and the neighbourhood.

More than simply reorganising the work space, these initiatives could pave the way for a new era of customised office spaces.