What are Enabling Spaces?

Latest scientific research shows that the space around us is not just a passive environment we can choose to ignore. In fact, spaces are extensions of our minds. Because of that, they significantly affect our thinking, feeling and behavior. Spaces can help us to be more productive and creative, they can improve our quality of life and create positive emotions. They will also support the emergence of new ideas and innovations. We refer to spaces designed consciously for these purposes as Enabling Spaces.

We implement Enabling Spaces in many fields:

• Offices and coworking spaces
• Innovation labs
• Research and design centers
• Special spaces, such as temporary project spaces, maker spaces, transformative spaces
• Universities, schools and learning campuses
• Hospitals and nursing homes
• Manufacturing sites
• Neighborhoods, city quarters and large-scale real estate developments

Enabling Spaces are not just physical spaces, but comprise several dimensions: the person, the social context, knowledge and the physical space. The challenge is to view these dimensions not in isolation, but to integrate them into a functioning whole. This is made possible by a tested design process that ensures this integration up to the point of concrete implementation. As our various projects show, Enabling Spaces can significantly boost people’s and organization’s performance, promote creativity and even enable radical innovations.

Why choose Enabling Spaces?

The Enabling Spaces process is based on cutting-edge research and has been applied successfully across various industries at the international level. It is rooted in a research methodology using both quantitative and qualitative methods, which leads to a deep understanding of the core of an organization and its future potentials. This inside-out understanding is then transformed into core processes and design qualities.

The design patterns are translated into multiple Enabling Spaces dimensions – among others architecture, technology, culture and organizational processes. For architecture, this means, for example: concept design, space typologies, adjacency mapping, high level planning principles, building mapping, work settings menu and a final space plan, often created together with a partnering architecture studio. Implemented projects range from office design, through design of innovation centers to the development of creative urban structures