The spaces around us and why they matter | Dr Sarah Green | TEDxWinchester

Key Concepts

• Space and its impact: Spaces influence moods, behaviors, and relationships.
• Design Thinking: Empathy-driven approach to understanding and improving spaces.
• Third Space (Lefebvre): Physical, imagined, and lived dimensions of space.
• Workspace Design: Impact of office environments on culture and productivity.
• Holiday Spaces: Escape from routine and exploration of different versions of self.
• Healthcare Spaces: Impact of hospital waiting rooms on patient well-being.

Workspace Design and its Evolution

• Neutral Workspaces: Gray or beige spaces can be uninspiring and undesirable.
• Sony Case Study (1990s):
  • Objective: Shift from analog to digital required cultural change.
  • Action: Removal of cubicles and introduction of a large beachwood table, curved glass wall, and wheeled drawer units.
  • Initial Reaction: Chaos, panic over seating, and "trinket withdrawal."
  • Outcome: Improved conversation, relaxation, and a positive shift in culture. Other departments requested similar changes.
• Post-COVID Workspace Rethinking:
  • Rise of co-working spaces offering flexibility.
  • Challenge of "always on" culture and digital burnout.
  • "Background shame" in virtual meetings.
  • Rebellion against mandatory on-site work policies (e.g., WPP).
• Key Question: Does your workspace provide balance, inspiration, and privacy?

Holiday Spaces and Emotional Spatial Strategy

• Attraction to Hotel Rooms: Fascination with freestanding baths and tiny soaps.
• Alan Deboton's Perspective: Travel spaces offer an escape from habits of mind.
• Beach Seating Strategy: Balancing proximity to amenities and distance from strangers, considering tide.
• Selfies and Sculptural Letters: Popularity of large sculptural letters in tourist locations.
• Amsterdam Example: Removal of sculptural letters due to overtourism and relocation to transportation hubs.
• Holiday Spaces and Self-Expression: Allowing for a more daring, creative, and bold version of oneself.

Healthcare Spaces and Patient Well-being

• Focus: Impact of hospital waiting spaces on patient well-being, particularly in cancer screening and gynecology centers.
• Research Methodology: Observation, sketching, and listening to patient stories.
• Key Findings:
  • Patients mentioned lighting, decor, and noise.
  • Significant factors: Lack of privacy, loss of agency, and threat to identity.
  • Examples: Overhearing diagnoses, close seating arrangements, and alarming clinical posters.
• Impact: These factors cause distress and vulnerability.
• Ideal Space: Calming, providing clear and compassionate information, and offering choice in seating.
• Potential: Space can heal or at least help.

Design Thinking and the Third Space

• Design Thinking: Empathy-driven approach to understanding and improving spaces.
  • Action: Walking through a space in someone else's shoes.
  • Action: Asking people how they really feel about the spaces they use.
• Henry Lefebvre's "Third Space":
  • First Space: Physical space (tangible and visible).
  • Second Space: Imagined space (plans, ideas, and designs).
  • Third Space: Lived space (real social and emotional experience).
• Emphasis: The lived space is what stays with us and what we carry.

Conclusion

Space is not neutral; it actively shapes our experiences. By applying design thinking principles, understanding the physical, imagined, and lived dimensions of space (Lefebvre's "Third Space"), and prioritizing empathy, we can create spaces that enhance well-being and improve lives. Space is a co-author in our daily story, and shaping it with intention leads to better spaces and better lives.