Do you have a place where you feel like you belong—outside of your house and office? We spend the majority of our lives at work or at home—or for some, maybe your car! Where do you go when you need something else? A place you feel happy and comfortable, with no judgment?

Third places are defined as places where people spend time between home (first place) and work (second place). They are locations meant to break down social silos and are spaces where we exchange ideas, have a good time, and build relationships. 

The term was coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg and examples include bars, country clubs, coffee houses, and churches. 

Third places have a deep-rooted space within history—from the Paris coffee shops where the French Revolution stirred to the barbershops where Americans planned the Civil Rights Movement.

And while he specifically defined third places as separate from work, Oldenburg notes with surprise that the business world has picked up on them. 

“Corporations used to believe that the longer they could keep each employee at the desk, the more productive they’d be. That’s just been shot to pieces,” Oldenburg said. “Managers found out that if they let people work where they want and when they want, productivity goes up. The marketplace is highly competitive and it’s important to be first with new innovations. If you get people sitting together, talking together, innovation comes quicker.”

At SPACE, Inc., we believe companies would do well to encourage staff to find third places in their neighborhoods.

Why do workers desire third places?

Third places are attractive to workers for a number of reasons:

• They’re a space free from work-related distractions.
• When done right, they’re accessible and comfortable.
• They allow individuals to connect with like-minded peers.
• They provide space to tackle a specific problem.

Generationally, younger workers are already naturally navigating toward third places—especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

They’re seeking mixed-use environments with the opportunity to collaborate, socialize, and enjoy the comfort of a beverage or snack while working hard.

Why does SPACE use the concept of third places to guide workplace design?

It’s our job to implement functional and innovative workplace design. But we consider it our added responsibility to coach organizations on how their spaces can attract and retain good talent and productivity levels.

And we believe we have a lot we can learn from third places, in terms of:

• Worker health and satisfaction: Many third places are appealing because they feel less stuffy than the office and more creative than the home. We can adapt principles like window placement, light exposure, and natural vegetation to mimic this environment.
• Productivity: It might sound counteractive to say that people are more productive in a social space, but happy, connected people really do produce more—and better—results.
• Talent attraction and retention: An organizational focus on third places can differentiate you from the competition, creating an environment where staff want to be.

Ray Oldenburg, the creator of third places, agrees: “I would think that that [third places] would have some part in holding on to good people. And I think it should make a difference for the company, that people have that opportunity. It’s a step toward increasing diversity and interaction within that diverse world.”

How does SPACE use context and proximity to guide workplace design?

Another key component of third places is that they’re accessible, highly local, and comfortable. When cities do third places well, patrons can easily transport to them—and receive (perhaps unnoticeable) health benefits from them. 

At SPACE, we use these aspects to guide our workplace design by considering factors like light and vegetation. 

• We’re intentional around window placement for optimal light exposure.
• We emphasize plants and vegetation to reduce the impact of the built environment.
• And we use locally-sourced materials whenever possible—which is advantageous both for the environment and the economic perspective.

Here’s an example of what this might look like:

You have an insurance office in a downtown environment, located just off Main Street. The design incorporates features that speak to the surrounding context. A single detail hasn’t been missed, from flooring that can handle any weather element to the light that is welcoming and energizing. There’s even an umbrella holder by the door for anyone to use.  

The furnishings are made of naturally-derived materials that are easily seen and found in nature (such as woods, some leathers, and naturally colored metals). The aesthetic is a modern version of the original interiors found across the country hundreds of years ago. The floorplate is a mixture of open and enclosed office space, allowing for natural light to flood in while maintaining some privacy for closed door conversations.

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What do you think? Is your company willing to explore the concept of third places? We’d love to help you explore what this looks like in your context—and begin to improve worker satisfaction, productivity, and retention!

When you hire an employee, you create a job description that includes key responsibilities, as well as soft skills and desired personality traits. 

What if you thought about your office space the same way? 

What would be its core responsibilities and skills? 

SPACE’s job description

Let’s look at the SPACE, Inc. office as an example. 

If we were writing a job description for it, some core responsibilities might include:

• Efficiently convene people, while fostering collaboration and creativity
• Constantly innovate through research and development
• Help employees meet business and personal goals, to operate more efficiently
• Serve as salesperson and director of first impressions for the SPACE brand

And a few desired personality traits would be:

• Attractive to team members, encouraging them to want to come into the office
• Optimistic and energetic, through daylight and views
• Flexible and adaptable, providing varying spaces for any type of work
• Efficient and productive, through appropriate technology

Do you see how our office building—a physical space—starts to come alive? 

By personifying our workspace, we’re able to adapt, customize, and perfect it—so it best serves our employees. 

But, just as managers review employees’ performance on a regular basis, you should do the same for your office spaces. Is it continuing to meet the deliverables of its job? Does its job description need to change to fit your evolving team?

How does this approach help SPACE create workspaces that achieve client goals?

By taking the time to imagine your workspace’s job description, you’re narrowing your focus on the end user’s experience in a positive way. 

In today’s world, you can expect a more frequent reconfiguration of your physical space. Even if you are completing a redesign that suits your team’s needs now, those needs may change in a year or two.

Thinking of your office as an employee is one way to ensure it doesn’t get stale. 

To prepare for an unknown future, our best advice is to design in a sustainable and flexible way—through SPACE anew.

Through our SPACE anew sustainability exchange, our designers find creative ways to reimagine the furniture you already have, while adding stylish and functional elements to brighten up your workplace. 

You’ll receive our high quality redesign with dramatically lower material costs, minimal disruption to your work, and zero percent waste. And your workspaces will be easier to deconstruct and reconstruct over time.

Let’s envision your office as an employee

A successful office space should unite individuals with different talents but a common goal. It must be specific enough for your business goals, but adaptable enough for your team to experiment and practice. 

Our designers are experts at helping you identify the smartest office space configuration for today—while helping you prepare your resources for an unknown future.

Give us a call to begin exploring your new office space!

Our design team had a great time attending NeoCon 2021 in Chicago. We discovered all kinds of innovative design trends and made new connections. Now, we’re happy to share our 2022 design trends. Take a look, then give us a call. Our workplace design team would love to help!

1: Micro Spaces

The infamous open office floor plan was conceived in an effort to foster creativity and collaboration among team members. But the result is that they’re usually quiet, as employees try to avoid bothering each other with startling noise. 

Micro spaces—such as pods, dens, or booths—create a comfortable, quiet, and less exposed environment for hard work. They can reduce distraction and the spread of illnesses. And they counter poor work-life balance by not pressuring staff to work long hours simply because they’re visible in an open office.

2: Flexible furniture

As teams return to work, don’t think about needing X desks for Y people. 

Instead, consider how your space can be used to encourage different ways of working. Selecting furniture with multiple functions and mobility will give your team more control over their work experiences. It will also increase their productivity and boost their engagement.

3: Vertical real estate

We saw a heavy emphasis toward using vertical spaces—such as separation panels—to offer both beauty and function. 

In addition to health safety protections, these panels can add pops of color or texture. And they’re much easier to install and re-adjust than a physical wall.

4: Resimercial inspiration

Resimercial is a furnishing style that brings the relaxed, homey feel of residential furniture into the workplace. 

In order to draw your employees back into the office, you’ll need to take inspiration from the homes they’ve long been working in. Comfortable seating, soft ambient lighting, durable upholstery, and accessories like rugs and lamps are a must. 

You can also consider dressing up furniture with stitching, adding conversation nooks, or even playing with gold accents.

5: Bold colors

Is gray’s moment really over? It appears designers are leaning toward beautiful pops of color.

How organizations combine colors can set the tone for a company’s culture. They can enhance whatever vision you’re after: calm, edgy, stately, innovative, or cheerful.

You may not want to spring for a bright, bold wall color just yet, but accessories are a flexible way to bring joyful comfort into your space.

6: Retro, 70’s style influence

The 70’s design style has long been reviled as an ugly mistake. But it represented an era of play and optimism—arguably something we could use a bit of today. 

After years of minimalism and Scandinavian chic, a return to 70’s inspired design can be a great way to make your space more resimercial. 

Try rattan furniture, retro lighting, macrame and crochet, and earthly, warm color schemes.

7: Acoustic materials

Offices have historically been designed for functionality, with desks increasing in size to accommodate our various technology.

But hard surfaces cause sounds to echo and magnify. And acoustics matter: unwanted noise is a common complaint in modern offices. 

Desks and countertops account for much of the flat surfaces in offices. Use this space to your advantage by treating the unused space underneath them with ridged or pyramid foam. Add plants to absorb sound.

However, it turns out that creativity is dependent on the right level of noise; 70 decibels is the sweet spot. Consider white noise machines so your staff don’t hear every small sound or conversation.

8: Perch areas or touch down spaces

Employees are also looking for individual or small group touch down spaces. These are typically informal and laptop-centric—a place to quickly respond to an email between projects or meetings. 

Try 4’ or 5’ worksurfaces with plug-ins for access to power. A rolling pedestal can hold a few files for storage or a wardrobe can hang a coat. Lounge furniture and social spaces foster community and belonging.

9: Rounded corners

Research has found that rounded shapes make spaces more inviting. In an experiment, rounded edges beat rectilinear ones by every measure; researchers state this stems from the threat of sharp edges or knives.

You can make your office more inviting through organic shapes and smooth, soft edges. This doesn’t just mean round tables. Try a sofa with a curved design!

10: Outdoor spaces

Fresh air enhances concentration, reduces stress, improves short-term memory, and boosts creativity. 

As you re-design your office, factor in flexibility for indoor/outdoor settings. These can be used for board meetings, networking events, lunchtime getaways, and more. 

Durable finishings, umbrellas and canopies, wifi and outlets, and ceiling fans or heat lamps should be incorporated.

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There you have it! Our 2022 design trends for office spaces. Which one or two will you try first? 

We’d love to help. Give us a call today to start brainstorming how we can collaboratively bring your vision to life!