The concept of a ‘Third Space’ – a non-traditional space that offers an alternative to working at home or in an office – is currently challenging the way we think about workplace.
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The perfect blend of agile and activity-based collaboration for a multitude of tasks, it’s an idea gaining traction in today’s workplaces, as an influx of younger workers demand more flexible environments that facilitate how they like to work.
In an age of business disruption, Third Space floorplates are uniquely able to pivot if organisations need to quickly expand and contract to meet market demands. They deliver functional places to schedule impromptu meetings, collaborate and relax with colleagues, and undertake independent focus work in an unconventional setting.
They’re also providing new opportunities to attract and retain great talent and, when integrated into an organisation’s culture, can increase productivity, engagement, wellbeing and workplace satisfaction.
Third Spaces come in many shapes and forms, depending on user needs. At Haworth, we’re aligning the concept into our organic spaces methodology to help future-proof our clients’ workplaces.
As part of our interactive engagement theme at Neocon this year, we framed effective Third Spaces as the perfect mix of soft and hard elements curated into a holistic brand experience.
We believe the soft factors helping to build successful Third Spaces include community engagement, brand alignment, technology, food and beverage, furniture curation and concierge services.
When combined with physical qualities (hard factors) like acoustics, technology, biophilia and a well-developed organisational culture, you have the perfect recipe for creating engaging interactions for all stakeholders.
BoPo – Developed in conjunction with Sydney hospitality company, Bowery Lane, this design utilises and activated leftover empty space at the front of the restaurant.
The concept allows for seasonal furniture changes for visual appeal and an opportunity to hold small workshops, meetings and functions beyond the building’s traditional workspaces.
The Porter – Haworth designed a space activation strategy to breathe life into building suffering high vacancy with an unused, darkened retail precinct in rear of the hotel lobby. Together with Lend Lease, Haworth developed this Third Space as a full-featured business lounge for members and building tenants, delivering a variety of collaborative and focus work areas that function wonderfully an attraction and retention tool for the whole community.
The Porter brings together concierge services, food & beverage and technology into an highly adaptable space for individual members and business workshops. The Porter demonstrates the value of Third Space strategies for building owners wanting to improve tenancy or building ROI and leverage the potential of wider community engagement.
The Aurecon Lounge – This Third Space platform is embedded solely within an organisational structure, designed to provide an appealing and ‘sticky’ destination for Aurecon employees and clients incorporating concierge, food & beverage as well as end-of-trip facilities.
The highly flexible client and employee lounge features only one piece of fixed joinery – a central coffee machine – allowing space expansion and contraction as required. Analytics sensors measure furniture and space usage, including meeting sizes and collaborative areas. Insights received give Aurecon vital data on how the space functions in an organic way, allowing it to plan, change and adapt to organisational needs.