INT. CONFERENCE CAFE – A PAVILION ON THE COAST. LATE MORNING.

A group sit outside taking in the air at Conference Café, under a pavilion awning that keeps the temperature at 27 degrees celsius though localized SkyFans which measure skin temperature and regulate the incoming sea breeze for optimum comfort.

RACHEL

Let’s talk a little more about Bleisure Island…

ETG

(In a proud and dignified voice)

This is a tourist destination where history and modernism harmonise, and where tradition and fashion blend as a highlighted glamour of [Bleisure Island]* This is a platform through which the new god-favoured land communicates with the world. This is a fruitful success representative of our effort devoted to transforming [Bleisure Island] into a world class modern city of idyllic beauty. [Bleisure Island], a landmark which commands the world, and is looked upon by the world with respect…

GAVIN

(outburst of laughter)

…Try to fit that on a business card… **

ETG

(carries on in as undeterred and unoffended)

…the inheritor of 3 milleniums [sic] of the ancient civilisation… has now become a natural palace with both time honoured historical legacy and modern vigour… its first step towards internationalization in the course of becoming a world class modern city of idyllic beauty. [China’s] new center of politics, economy, and culture, [Bleisure Island] is surrounded by numerous favourable resources including the most unique regional mega environment.

EXT. HILLTOP HELIPAD OVERLOOKING THE ISLAND. DAY.

The entire group have been exploring and gather organically by the Helipad and RACHEL is here with ETG to show the party the extensive ways in which the traffic and infrastructure are being coordinated. Latecomers MORRIS and GARETH arrive in a smooth lift which connects the seafront. DESKMAG take notes to be used later to create editorial content for the launch. GAVIN is currently up in the air, as are MR WEST and DR LEETE.

MD

Our open access fleet of GreenView Helicopters are available for business and leisure trips offering much needed perspective.

RACHEL

(to the group)

These are chartered only when there is demand, to save on energy consumption

ETG

This is a platform through which the new god-favoured land communicates with the world. It is about 10 minutes drive from International Airport, the omnipresent transportation infrastructure…. seamlessly connected.

RACHEL

(for the benefit of DESKMAG)

This service will continue to be possible if the Island proves to be viable. To learn more about Membership, ask Jelly.

RACHEL looks up expectantly at an incoming helicopter, which GAVIN lands smoothly, and gets out grinning. He clearly has previous experience, and is enjoying himself immensely. LAO TZU and BELLAMY exchange glances, suddenly interested.

RACHEL

(glowing with the excitement of the forthcoming review)

So- How was it?

GAVIN

It didn’t matter how high I was flying, nothing needed adjusting, there were no high altitude fuel mixture problems; it was very simple and straightforward… I had a USB key fob in my top pocket with my entire project on it… the world opened up beneath me, suddenly in incredible detail. Bathed in sunlight, a wide-open landscape of green, an ocean…. I glanced back at the iPad – I seemed to recall it had said 93 percent… the battery indicator at the top of the screen also showed green, fully charged!

ETG

(cuts in)

….The well developed metropolitan bus system*** provides the most budget and convenient means of outbound and inbound transportation for the public.There are also 8 bus stops surrounding the complex… and underground parking

RACHEL

(she gives ETG a look and we get can see she’s uncomfortable talking about low end facilities)

…yes…arrivals via the underground superhighway ensure entry level members can still have excellent transport facilities. But I am glad Gavin has managed to enjoy our premium services- Let’s hear more about it…

GAVIN takes off an excited huddle to look at the engine. The last helicopter arrives with MR WEST and DR LEETE in it, and as they descend equally as excited, EDITH rushes over excitedly.


INT. A PALATIAL MALL, FILLED WITH BOTH WORKSPACE, PRODUCE AND DOMESTIC COMFORTS. DAY.

Everyone is present. The space is a large public construction clearly managed by a new division of retail giant Arcadia**** if the brands present are anything to go by. For every branded store, though, there is a wholefoods type display of unbranded Bleisure Island own produce, which is appealingly unfamiliar and exotic.

ETG

…a stately exterior and interior design…the whole fashion mall fashioned after a Mediterranean architectural style is in fact a replica of a seaside town in a gigantic glass structure.

MORRIS

…another market and town hall as we shall call it

GARETH

…a planned office development blurs the distinction between leisure and commerce…

DESKMAG

it needs coffee, around 20-60 people for an active co-working environment, a power supply, good seating and a toilet nearby. *****

MORRIS

It must be beautiful- there is nothing wrong with the decorative. ******

HAMMOND

We like everything trim and clean, and orderly and bright; as people always do when they have any sense of architectural power; because then they know that they can have what they want, and they won’t have to stand any nonsense from Nature in their dealings with her.

RACHEL

That’s a good point, because we have created a lot of the natural habitat here, we can control it and use it to shape public space. What about property?

We see JESSICA and NEIL now off on independent Breakout Islands with reclining ergonomic chairs, listening to music.

DR LEETE

Under the present organization of society, accumulations of personal property are merely burdensome the moment they exceed what adds to the real comfort.

HAMMOND

…and the ‘rights of property’, which mean the clenching of the fist on a piece of goods and crying out to the neighbours, You shan’t have this!- now that all this has disappeared so utterly that it is no longer possible even to jest upon its absurdity.

RACHEL

Well, you have to admit, though, a physical separation is necessary to get work done, and while desgin firms like Vitra, Boss and Knoll may all be developing accoustic solutions for indoors, our technology allows us to use what we call breakout islands in place of personal space, or temporary private property, if you like. Our composition is not a grid, not a honeycomb, not even a rhizome, but a bio structure purely combined of need. A true design solution.

Effectively, we have to think of the island as an iceberg- there is more going on underneath it than you would think, and this allows us to constantly re-shape its perimeters. Some of you are clearly already enjoying them instinctively. They are not for everyone, but some really enjoy the privacy and peace.

RACHEL suggests they all test the breakout Islands in their own time and give feedback on the experience later

RACHEL

For those of you who want to retire at any point, night or day, you’ll have seen our facilities all around you. Sleep is encouraged at any time in Tempur MemoryMesh hammocks in and around the many pavilions. Adjustable custom parabolic sound fields allow each contributor to select the volume in order to follow the group discussion or tune out in order to focus on independent work time.

MR WEST takes himself off to the hammock and plays some music, and feels as if it is being piped directly into his ears. He looks totally at ease.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
*

originally read: Chengdu (location of the New Century Global Center).

**

Try to fit that on a business card, TV Tropes- coining terms for thousand of fiction plot devices.

***

Bellamy’s leading analogy for the working classes and middle classes is that of a coach- there are seats on the top deck that can only be reached by being inherited. the working classes forever try and scramble on until there is for some reason a free seat, at which point they then spend the rest of the journey fearing they will lose it.

****

Arcadia: a synonym for any rural area that serves as a pastoral setting.

*****

Tip for workspace design from DeskMag forum.

******

Paraphrased from Hello World, Alice Rawsthorn.