Microplaces
Planners, architects and developers look to placemaking in creating more sustainable, urban environments in which to live, work, learn and play.
Lately, I have been starting to look at the nuances of creating community and sense of place at a much smaller scale. At OfficeLAB, where we are building a networked, replicable model of a community-based workspace that is at the same time casual and professional, funky and sophisticated, affordable and packed with added value – the evolution of a community is an interesting thing to witness.
In these early stages of growth, every new member has an influence on the day-to-day vibe. Everyone still has the “NORM!” feel when they come in and bump into their newly found “co-workers”. I hope we don’t lose that. I see it as an important piece of our sense of place. Something that differentiates us from every other business center or shared office space or coffee shop. Everyone should be so lucky to get that “NORM!”-like feeling when coming into work.
