LEARNING FROM OUR BUILDINGS

Research about social spaces

Since the COVID pandemic, more and more people are working from home and individualism is on the rise in society. As a result, informal encounters in the workplace are becoming less common, even though these moments are essential for well-being, job satisfaction, and collaboration.

At Broekbakema, we see this as an opportunity: architecture can actively stimulate social interaction. Lounges, meeting places, and coffee corners not only fulfill an aesthetic function, but also contribute to social well-being. The question is: do these spaces work as designed in reality?

To find out, our colleague Shannon Zwart spent the last few months conducting research. She researched how social spaces in existing office buildings are actually used and what this can teach us for future designs. To do this, she used a Post-Occupancy Evaluation tool, which compares design intention and actual daily use.

The research is not a onetime analysis, but a practical tool that can also be used in future projects. By combining design expectations, user experiences, and observations, we gain insight into how people experience spaces and where design and use do or do not align. These insights provide valuable starting points for better aligning future designs with everyday practice.

For us, design does not stop at delivery. By also taking a critical look at how spaces function during the use phase, we strengthen our vision of architecture and lay a solid foundation for continuous improvement in future projects. A building is only finished when it works for the people who use it.

Want to know more about this research? Please contact Shannon Zwart.