Space Re-Awakening

We have a big opportunity to create an epiphany through space.  Centuries ago the Renaissance gave rise to humanism in the design of buildings.  Thinking space together offers a dialogue to create spaces that give courage, comfort, and joy….human qualities that people seek.  

Some organizations are offering a choice of where you want to work.  Yes, the shelter-in-place had bumps and hiccups.  It was unplanned with no timeframe to plan, yet deliberate for your safety.  Recent surveys indicate many people are now more comfortable working from home, others miss the order and camaraderie of the office.  A large majority noted greater productivity, with family around and less commute time working from home.  

In Denmark, the surroundings of home are called hygge (pronounced hue-gah).  The term refers to "a form of everyday togetherness, a pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of safety, equality, personal wholeness and a spontaneous social flow."    It gives rise to feelings of well-being which translates to connectivity and productivity through color, light, sound, and shape of space.  

Anjan Chatterjee, professor of neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, talks about the “relationship between buildings, beauty and the brain as ‘place’ shapes our everyday experiences. From the colors of the walls to the amount of light in the room, how we design buildings affects how we think, feel, and behave.”  What better time to rethink what the office can be with positive impact.  How we change space can change us.