We talk a lot about sense of place. To us, sense of place is a space, city or brand that is said to carry a strong identity and character that is deeply felt by locals and visitors alike. It is our purpose to create meaning and a sense of place through our products. The ASID blog by Susan Chung, Ph.D. discusses environmental psychology and how design impacts the human experience. Chung states that the central point for environmental psychology is place, and the concepts that branch out of it – for example, place identity, sense of place, and place attachment.
Meaning is the key piece that transforms space into place. The search for meaning in physical settings form our experiences within the space and can further impact future experiences in other environments. We tend to be most impacted by environments that we spend more time in, such as our home and workplace, or environments that relate to intense and memorable experiences. Both consciously and unconsciously we are interacting with our surroundings, and from those exchanges, our psyche continues to shape.
What does this mean in our everyday life? The findings from the Capital One 2017 Work Environment survey* shed light on how employees find meaning in their workplaces.
- Alignment: Employees look for congruence between work and workplace design, especially when it comes to innovative work. 82 percent of respondents (86 percent of Millennials) agree to some extent that companies cannot encourage innovation unless their workplace design and environment is innovative.
- Agility: Employees look for support in the ever-changing nature of work. 85 percent of respondents (89 percent of Millennials) feel that it is important for their company’s workplace design to be flexible, and 82 percent (88 percent of Millennials) agree that they have their best ideas when they are able to use flexible workspace options.
- Amenity: Employees look for additional programs and options that reflect their values. Benefits related to healthy behaviors and flexible work were high on respondents’ wish lists.
We can help you create sense of place in your workplace, take a look at our office collection here.
*The Capital One 2017 Work Environment Survey asked 2,500 full-time office professionals (500 each from five primary markets: Chicago, Dallas, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.) in a wide range of industries (including accounting, consulting, education, entertainment, healthcare, IT, media, law, manufacturing, marketing, restaurant/service, sales, engineering, etc.) to share their preferences and priorities in workplace design, environment, and benefits.
Content originally published by Susan Chung, Ph.D. on ASID.
The post DESIGNING A SENSE OF PLACE FOR THE WORKSPACE appeared first on Crow Works.
