McCann Worldgroup, London
A person sitting at a table.

Will Third Places Be the Future of Workplaces?

Les bureaux de demain seront-ils tous des Tiers-Lieux?

We no longer need to define third places. Indeed, since the early 2000s, urban spaces — built or unbuilt — that are dedicated to multiple activities and purposes, such as art and social events, have emerged under this name. They were quickly institutionalised as symbols of acceptance, kindness, freedom, and social interaction, and often play a role in animating urban or suburban areas and developing new forms of transitional urbanism. This institutionalisation has marginalised the controversial character of the old, early-day squats.

Third places have gradually become physical (face-to-face) workspaces that encourage people to "produce" together: coworking, shared workshops, fab labs, shared common areas, etc., to foster collective intelligence and a wellbeing framework that is no longer imposed.

Meanwhile, the changes in traditional workplaces are pushing companies towards a greater awareness of employee wellbeing and work/life balance. In aid of this is the evolution of technology that has been making remote work and flexibility more and more achievable and sustainable.

Then came the COVID-19 health crisis at the start of 2020, with the first government regulation to require isolation. Remote work, which was once seen as a bargaining chip, is now the norm in the tertiary sector and is becoming more established in people's minds. Videoconference applications and remote access to company servers make this possible. We are therefore witnessing a small revolution that has an impact on the organisation of firms and their governance, and on the trend toward hybrid offices. Specialised property developers and business leaders alike are concerned about the future of physical office space, and this situation is causing them to reflect and react.

A man and woman sitting on a couch in a room with a large window.
Equinix, Paris

The health crisis has accelerated social changes already in place. The implementation of remote work has strengthened the idea that the physical office should be a place that makes people feel comfortable. Those involved in the construction or refurbishment of offices are taking inspiration from third places as they design the next generation of workplaces to make them smarter, cooler, more home-like, and more environmentally friendly. The primary objective is to create spaces that users feel good in, are proud of, and identify with.

Gardens should complement the designed spaces and reinforce the idea that offices can be a destination with a change of scenery into a haven of nature. The common areas of offices are based on the design codes found at home (decoration, objects, furniture, atmosphere, functionality, etc). They also incorporate the notion of versatility, with the ability to transform or reconfigure themselves. It is now important to promote unexpected interaction through more inviting workflow and features for exchange (bleachers, corridors, staircases, etc.). Some firms do not hesitate to support "domestic" rituals in these spaces, such as naps and games (tennis tables, video games, etc).

Just like third places, the time has come for the office to open up to the city, the neighbourhood, and the public space, rather than withdrawing into itself: corporate catering spaces are becoming accessible to the public, which gives them a more social purpose while at the same time making them a profitable business model. It's also time for the experience! In the era of social media and “Instagrammable” places or events, the office must also inspire the user with a sense of belonging within an aesthetically pleasing environment and provoke a “wow” or “cool” effect, which can even encourage the company's identity to be communicated to the public, at minimal cost, by its users.

A rooftop view of a city.
Confidential Global Financial Services Client, Paris

New real estate professions are being developed around the creation of innovative services and unique features. Programming experts and operators such as Soffa in Lyon, Darwin in Bordeaux, and Cult Place in Paris are emerging. All these changes lead to an aesthetic, social, and environmental rethinking of the design of one of the most important elements of the city: the workplace.

From a social and urban alternative phenomenon born in France from 1945 to 1975, through to its official modern-day recognition, third places have influenced workplaces and contributed to the transformation of regions in different aspects: they are experimental life catalysts, in abandoned, unused places, which are begging to be revived. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to workplace design and we do not wish to create standardised models that ignore all context in favour of what is likely to work in the eyes of users (aesthetic appearance, fashion effect, etc).

Over the years, the term and the concepts of third places have become overused. If we are to reclaim codes of alternative models, such as the previously mentioned squats, we must ensure that we add another layer to innovate for the next generation of workplaces, rather than risk rejection for appearing repetitive. We are beginning to think of offices as “quarter-places” – not just a third place, but a space built to accommodate a combination of remote work, traditional office space, and the social aspects of third places. So, if this is becoming the office of today, and the ‘future of work’ is already here, what will it be like tomorrow?

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Jean-Pierre Bouanha
Jean-Pierre is Technical Director of Gensler Paris. With more than 30 years of experience among the best architecture firms in France and Spain, he has built an outstanding reputation thanks to the design of both the Agbar tower in Barcelona and the Palais de Justice in Nantes. Jean-Pierre is a meticulous and assiduous architect who examines every detail with particular attention. Contact him at Jean-Pierre_Bouanha@gensler.com.