From space to place

Designing the workplace with experience at its heart

There is a question that Walter Benjamin posed in 1936, as he reflected on the meaning of the work of art in the age of its technical reproducibility. Almost a century later, we ask ourselves the same question about something just as fundamental: what is the meaning of space if, with the advent of digital technology, our presence can be multiplied everywhere, unbound by our physical bodies?

It is a question that concerns all areas of life, but one that is particularly pressing in the world of work.

Hybrid working and the paradox of empty spaces

In the new landscape of hybrid working, many organisations find themselves caught between two extremes: leaving offices underused or enforcing a return to the office through strict policies. But both approaches miss the point. The real question is not how many people are in the office, but why anyone would choose to be there.

Why would someone spend an average of one or two hours a day travelling to a location if they can do what they need to do from home or somewhere else nearby?

The answer, the data tells us, does not lie in functionality. The key around which the meaning of space is being redefined is no longer access to a functional environment, but the search for a meaningful experience that enriches and ‘enhances’ our state of mind.

Physical and digital space: not a dichotomy, but a continuum

There is a widespread tendency to pit the physical against the digital, as if they were two competing worlds. But this is a misinterpretation. There is no dichotomy between physical and digital space: it is a matter of understanding the ways in which these two dimensions can integrate and converge, creating a sense of balance for people in relation to their needs.

Physical space is increasingly taking the form of a hub, a programme of experiences, a mosaic of opportunities where the defining feature is the character of the place, the type of community that inhabits it, and its ability to respond to the changing needs of each of our journeys. The digital does not replace it: it is its continuation, a system of touchpoints that anchors itself to physical space and amplifies it.

The eFM approach: Experience as a Service

It is within this context that eFM’s vision and the philosophy of Engaging Places come into play: rethinking the workplace not as a space to be occupied, but as a service dedicated to people.

This means transforming spaces into dynamic ecosystems capable of facilitating a variety of experiences — individual work, collaboration, socialising, learning, and team meetings. Not static environments, but living spaces, capable of adapting to the real needs of those who inhabit them.

The key to achieving this is Experience as a Service: through digital platforms, usage monitoring and advanced governance models, spaces become active resources. Less waste, more collaboration, and a higher quality of the overall experience.

The future: spaces that surprise

Space and emotions are inextricably linked: it is the emotions of those who will inhabit a place that must guide its design; it is these emotions that will determine how and whether that place should change.

And perhaps this is precisely the formula for the spaces of tomorrow: the ability to come as close as possible to the experience people desire, whilst always leaving room for the unexpected — that variable which, alongside our ability to shape things, allows life to flourish in its authenticity.