Working styles that have arisen from the pandemic require new work, retail and hospitality opportunities designed around a compatible mix of uses and schedules that honour diverse lives and needs. This underscores the need to think of space as a social construction, reimagine urban venues and curate a range of day-and night-time services, Cristina Mateo, vice dean of Madrid’s IE School of Architecture and Design, writes in this op-ed.
During the pandemic, many corporations – like Google – announced that teleworking was the only practice with lasting power. There was a point when it was seriously considered if anyone would go back to the office. This greatly impacted the traditionally positive perception of major cities as dynamic, competitive hubs. There was an improvement in urban air quality as commuting decreased, and the virtues of the countryside, medium-sized cities, and of the suburbs many commuters had moved to were extolled. People were enticed by the availability of larger houses, giving members of the same family more personal space at affordable prices.
After the COVID-19 impasse, new working routines brought back TWaTs, a term coined pre-pandemic in reference to employees who only show up at the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. We are indeed continuing to see a trend towards three or four days a week on-site; Mondays and Fridays are left for remote work and concentrated tasks that are not location-dependent, like video calls and emails.
What has become clear is that interaction and physical encounters remain fundamental, and there’s great need to adapt to an increasingly diverse workforce in terms of lifestyles and age (for the first time, five generations are coexisting). It makes the combination of remote and face-to-face work an interesting option for companies, with the worker choosing the formula that best suits them.
The social workspace
Naturally, we must rethink workspaces and how to repurpose them to cater to these new needs. It’s equally critical to consider how we activate and use our cities – not only for those who are in the office three days a week, but for others too, with different requirements and timetables. It’s likely that the office will re-emerge as a social hub moving forward, instead of a space where employees come in five days each week to get any and all work done.
Formerly The Student Hotel, The Social Hub offers dynamic spaces to its guests. Pictured is the brand's Madrid location.
In fact, workplaces are already being designed to focus on collaboration and community. The Social Hub is an initiative spreading in different urban settings – 15 cities so far. It’s literally a social hub, a space which serves as an environment dedicated to collaboration and community, available for events, co-working, study, entertainment and short-and long-stay accommodation.
Embracing third spaces
This year is also seeing the rise of more functionally diverse neighbourhoods, designed around a compatible mix of uses and schedules, not only catered to the needs of limited audiences. Madrid Nuevo Norte, for example, is a key urban regeneration project in Europe that seeks to bring together office, residential, retail, commercial and cultural areas more holistically. As a result, there’s also a a wave of new business openings, focusing on generating third-space dynamics. Neutral ground, conversation as a main activity, playfulness, accessibility and a mix of regulars and newcomers are all defining characteristics of third spaces, according to sociologist Ray Oldenburg.
Some of these characteristics are found in new businesses including local LGBTQ+ bars, pet grooming salons and specialty coffee bars, for instance. Repurposed and curated sites, like schools or markets, can also fit under the banner. Just look to the Municipal Market of Kypseli (cover), an abandoned building in a multicultural neighbourhood of Athens that has been transformed a social innovation hub, following a participatory management model kickstarting the revival of the urban landscape. Also applicable are evolving sites like 3rd Space, a downtown Boston location that recently opened as a destination space for visitors, workers, students, shoppers and residents. It has a programme of cultural exhibitions and live performances, as well as places for meeting, eating and public amenities.
Boston's 3rd Space hosts a programme of cultural exhibitions and live performances.
Moreover, festivals and live events have had a strong return, thanks to support from municipalities. A Stockholm initiative under the leadership of mayor Anna Jerlmyr brought people out by promoting socializing, active lifestyles and more engagement. This was done through the creation of art exhibitions, pedestrianization of certain streets and building of pop-up parks, so streets near the quayside would be full of people, instead of parking lots.
Events and driven measures produce space in which social interaction takes place, striking a balance between work and life. These designed moments of interaction champion the importance of public areas for diverse citizens and foster outdoor living and togetherness, encouraging healthier cityscapes.
IE School of Architecture and Design is launching its inaugural Diploma in Strategic Interior Design in April. Learn more here.
