But is mimicking the local coffee shop at work enough? Is it giving workers what they really need? Is it possible that a third place in the office could provide an even better experience than the places employees find outside of work and create a place where real work can happen?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Third places\u2014essentially, public places that help people get through the day or allow them to gather\u2014have been inspiring innovation and stirring conversations throughout Western civilization. In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation started at a tavern called the White Horse Inn in Cambridge, England. In the 17th and 18th centuries, news and gossip would fly from coffee shop to coffee shop in Europe, so much so that a journalist for The Economist dubbed them \u201cthe internet of the Enlightenment era.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, we can thank Starbucks and other coffee shops for the modern-era third place, which has disrupted the work experience and caused its own revolution in the workplace. As Oldenburg noted in his seminal \u201cThe Great Good Place,\u201d most third places revolve around beverages. While fast-food chains grow at a rate of only 2 percent per year, coffee shop chains grow more than 10 percent annually, one study found. There is something about a coffee shop that brings people in and keeps them there.<\/p>\n According to workplace consultants Flex + Strategy, 31 percent of full-time employees in the United States do most of their work away from their employers\u2019 locations. The draw to third places and the addition of third-place attributes to the office is strong and getting stronger in places such as North America and The Netherlands, though it\u2019s not as prevalent in other locations around the globe. But that doesn\u2019t mean that employees worldwide don\u2019t desire similar things.<\/p>\n In Asia Pacific, limited real estate often doesn\u2019t allow for full-size Coffee Lab\u2013type office additions. Yet companies everywhere realize the benefits of the third place and are looking for ways to add elements of that experience in smaller footprints. In many European countries, workers don\u2019t usually go off-site to work, but they highly value social connections and benefit from environments that support them in the office.<\/p>\n “When workers leave the workplace to work, it separates them from their coworkers, organizational resources and culture.”<\/p>\n \u201cFor organizations there\u2019s an opportunity to provide something so much better than the local coffee shop. There\u2019s a rich opportunity to provide destinations on campus that, yes, have a cool vibe, great coffee and nourishing food, but are also highly functional places to do one\u2019s best work.\u201d<\/p>\n He suggests that workers who tried going off-campus to coffee shops met challenges beyond their control and are now seeing the advantages that only a workplace can provide.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re bringing the comforts of home and community of third place to the workplace to make the office the best place to work,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen you do that, it changes the physical character and social experience of the workplace. It fosters a shift in work culture.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Even in countries where work and personal life have been distinctly separate, workers are either choosing or acquiescing to have more of their work life and non-work life better integrated. These changing attitudes, coupled with the intensity of work today, are causing organizations to radically rethink their workplaces, and merge the best of the first and the third place to foster higher levels of employee engagement.<\/p>\n People may seek out a third place because of its inherent good qualities\u2014the ability to work without colleagues stopping by, lounge furniture with a home-like feel, the energizing buzz of people, access to good food, an attractive ambience. But there are also inherent downsides. Comfy furniture might not be so comfortable when you have to sit in it all day. It doesn\u2019t always properly support technology devices or allow workers to spread out reference materials.<\/p>\n That energetic buzz means a certain level of distraction and a lack of privacy. Phone conversations are almost impossible to conduct and meetings for more than two people are not very productive because it\u2019s difficult to share or visually display content. Plus, everyone knows the feeling of struggling to connect to Wi-Fi in a public place, not to mention the lack of power outlets. Many devices run out of power before work is completed, interrupting workflow. And there\u2019s the very practical issue: What do you do with your stuff if you just need to use the bathroom or walk around a bit? Are your personal belongings secure?<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing that all this mobility is hitting a wall and that people will want to return to the office as firms get smarter and have amenities that coffee shops don\u2019t have. Creating a highly effective corporate third place involves more than access to good coffee and Wi-Fi\u2014it\u2019s about integrating work and life. It\u2019s about creating an environment that supports the wellbeing of people physically, cognitively and emotionally.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cFor organizations there\u2019s an opportunity to provide something so much better than the local coffee shop. There\u2019s a rich opportunity to provide destinations on campus that, yes, have a cool vibe, great coffee and nourishing food, but are also highly functional places to do one\u2019s best work.\u201d<\/p>\n What is it about that third place, anyway? What gives it its mojo? Lisa Waxman, a professor of interior design in Florida, found that people desire cleanliness, aroma, adequate lighting, comfortable furniture and a view outside in their coffee shop. These characteristics build emotional attachment and describe that nebulous concept, \u201cambiance.\u201d Steelcase has found that 49 percent of employees say that they don\u2019t have a place with ambiance where they can recharge, reenergize, as well as work\u2014something essential for employees who work longer and longer days and fight burnout. While ambiance is needed, it\u2019s useless without additional functionality for workers.<\/p>\n In addition to ambiance, employees want the ability and the decision-making power to match their work activity with the right work environment. \u201cThe idea of having some sort of opportunity to move during the day is important,\u201d says Julie Barnhart-Hoffman, a design principal with Steelcase\u2019s WorkSpace Futures Group. \u201cIt\u2019s important to offer employees a place where they can take a break from their usual workspace, choose from spaces ranging from individual to large group settings, and maintain close connections with colleagues and the organization. It resets your mind and gets you reengaged. Having spaces that are appropriately designed for the activity that\u2019s going on makes that activity much more productive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe third place on campus is really beneficial because you have those affordances of more casual work and being in the buzz and feeling connected to others. But because it\u2019s on campus, you also feel that there\u2019s an inherent level of privacy that you don\u2019t have in a public domain. You can have important conversations and not worry about people seeing your screen or overhearing you,\u201d says Barnhart-Hoffman.<\/p>\n Source: Lisa Waxman, Professor, Faculty of Interior Design, Florida State University <\/em><\/p>\n In 2009 Steelcase identified that its 20,000 square-foot cafeteria at headquarters in Grand Rapids, Mich., was an untapped opportunity to optimize its real estate and change its culture at the same time. The cafeteria was only being used during lunch or break hours\u2014and sat empty the rest of the day. Read more about Steelcase’s real estate transformation in the Space Odyssey story<\/a>. It was on the lowest floor and only accessible down a long hallway. And the subdued lighting and circa 1983 burgundy color scheme were hardly inspirational.<\/p>\n A team renovated the space into what is now known as the WorkCaf\u00e9 and transformed the underutilized real estate by creating an on-site third place where people can meet, work, network, socialize and reenergize.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unlike a typical corporate cafeteria, a WorkCaf\u00e9 provides a combination of working and dining environments. In addition to creative, healthy food and beverage options, it offers workers a variety of work environments that accommodate individual work, as well as small and large group work where people can engage in a wide variety of activities.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the WorkCaf\u00e9 or other corporate third places, people can be more productive and efficient because they have the tools they need,\u201d says Barnhart-Hoffman. \u201cThere\u2019s no uncomfortable seating, there\u2019s the right technology. But it\u2019s the vibe that\u2019s the pull. It connects people with colleagues, their work and the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Creating a corporate third place is not only the domain of office furniture companies or design firms. And it\u2019s not an option only for organizations with lots of extra space. The concept can be implemented in companies of all types, and it’s scalable for large and small footprints. The key is to approach a third-place project with a tested, successful strategy.<\/p>\n The Steelcase Advanced Applications team identifies three key elements:<\/p>\n More than anything, highly effective corporate third places that accommodate real work must provide great technology solutions. Users come to the corporate third place for refreshment and with the expectation that the place will provide what they need for effective performance, so technology needs to be immediately available and convenient. Every mobile worker is familiar with the frustration of unreliable Wi-Fi or limited outlets. Technology must be seamlessly integrated to support effective use of the third place, which in turn facilitates high performance for every user.<\/p>\n Spaces should include technology that supports information sharing, content creation and effective collaboration for local and distributed workers. All spaces should have access to power\u2014even outdoor spaces. Scheduling technology that\u2019s integrated into shared spaces assists workers, both on-site and remote, in selecting the best place for their work processes and work styles.<\/p>\n Design elements create the ambience of a corporate third place and, to a great extent, influence worker reaction. Finishes, lighting, music, scent, inspiring artifacts, artwork\u2014these all work together to attract users by creating a sense of welcome. They also tell users how to behave in a space. \u201cIf you go into Starbucks, their brand and the design of that experience communicates to customers what is allowed,\u201d says Johnson. \u201cIt\u2019s OK to talk in a Starbucks versus if you go into a traditional library, where the space tells you that silence rules.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at the WorkCaf\u00e9, there\u2019s a caf\u00e9 and nourishment bar where you can access food all day long,\u201d Johnson says, explaining how Steelcase encourages workers to use the space throughout the workday. If companies want to provide places of refreshment but don\u2019t want employees to linger, they can provide fewer seating options.<\/p>\n Just as coffee shops offer newspapers, magazines and community bulletin boards, in corporate third places a media wall that presents company news can help employees feel connected to the organization and their colleagues.<\/p>\n Hosting is ultimately about making employees feel connected to the organization and to each other. The way employees are welcomed and supported lets them know they are valued and demonstrates that the organization recognizes the challenges of work\/life integration in a 24\/7 global environment. The space should offer services, both self-serve and facilitated, supporting both the individual and work.<\/p>\n Like any environment where people come and go, a corporate third place requires upkeep. \u201cWhen everybody is using the space, who is taking care of it?\u201d Johnson asks. \u201cWho makes sure the markers and Post-Its are stocked?\u201d At corporate third places, a work concierge can support people while they\u2019re working, just as a hotel concierge supports guests.<\/p>\n The corporate cafeteria is an obvious place where a company can create a corporate third place and better leverage under-utilized real estate. It isn\u2019t the only answer, though. A company might need more locations to hold meetings, for example. Johnson notes that some project groups often go off-site to hotels for meetings: \u201cA floor of meeting spaces creates a destination where people can go for longer meetings, but that doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice time for travel,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Johnson also advises companies to \u201clook at where the social exchanges are already happening.\u201d<\/p>\n “The third place on campus doesn\u2019t have to be a large space. Each department could have a kitchen table, for example, or a big cafeteria could be designed on a more human scale to make people feel at home. \u201cIt just has to be a space about nurturing social interactions on-site.”<\/p>Cherie JohnsonDirector of Global Design, Steelcase<\/span><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n Exterior spaces can be designed for rejuvenation, and also for serious work. Courtyards, patios, and roof decks that are adjacent to the inside workspace can provide power, Wi-Fi and furnishings to support both individual and team work. \u201cPeople naturally seek nearby outdoor spaces that afford more choices and control for working,\u201d Epstein says. Such outdoor areas become social magnets and restful places to thrive, but also can be highly productive. \u201cWhen you walk outdoors to have a meeting, you can see a look of refreshment come over people\u2019s faces, even when they have a lot of work to accomplish,\u201d Epstein says.<\/p>\n A third place doesn’t have to be just one company-wide space. Businesses should be thinking about corporate third places at the \u201cbusiness level, neighborhood level and project level,\u201d adds Graziano. It can be designed to support the entire company or campus, but at a smaller scale companies can offer a departmental getaway or zones where teams can shift between intense collaboration and relaxation.<\/p>\n To keep an organization\u2019s investment in real estate resilient, it\u2019s important that it be flexible. Also needed is a consistent feedback loop to make sure the company can learn from and adapt the space over time. Steelcase routinely does utilization studies to see how employees are using the campus real estate to understand what\u2019s working and what could be better. Steelcase found that enclosed, individual spaces in the WorkCaf\u00e9 were so heavily used that they needed to add more, distributing them through other work areas and buildings. The company initially had the coffee bar open into the evening to support longer work hours, but found that people were either staying in their work neighborhoods or going home to handle evening conference calls. So the coffee bar hours were adjusted to fit the use pattern. An office build-out that truly supports employee engagement and productivity is never really done\u2014lessons are learned and adjustments can be made over time.<\/p>\n Another critical piece to corporate third places is to make sure that leaders show by example that employees can use the spaces with impunity. As Barnhart-Hoffman says, \u201cOnce you build these kind of spaces, if the leadership can be seen in them, then it gives everybody permission to use them, too.\u201d<\/p>\n When real estate and finances are limited, organizations might ask if adding a corporate third space to the office is really worth it. Yes, worker productivity, collaboration and worker health are good reasons, but the biggest reason for companies to seriously consider corporate third places is worker engagement.<\/p>\n As Epstein asks: \u201cAs the demand for performance continually ratchets up in a competitive marketplace, what do 21st-century workers need and deserve? Something has to give way to create a more humane environment that can sustain the 21st-century workforce. We see physical space as an essential element and our inherent tie to it remains the foundation for where work gets done.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_limit,dpr_auto,q_70,h_1024,w_1024\/v1421249688\/www.steelcase.com\/15-0006200.jpg\")
The History of Third Places<\/h3>\n
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General Manager, Coalesse<\/strong>
Coalesse is bringing the comforts of home and community of third places to the workplace to make the office the best place to work.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_limit,dpr_auto,q_70,h_1024,w_1024\/v1421250023\/www.steelcase.com\/15-0006196.jpg\")
Espresso Is Not Enough<\/h3>\n
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Director, Global Design, Steelcase<\/strong>
In leading the interior design effort for Steelcase’s global headquarters reinvention, Cherie planned the new spaces to help unify a global enterprise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.steelcase.com\/image\/upload\/c_limit,dpr_auto,q_70,h_1024,w_1024\/v1421250421\/www.steelcase.com\/15-0006232.jpg\")
Benefits of The Third Place<\/h3>\n
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\nAmbiance of a Third Place<\/h3>\n
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Testing Theories<\/h3>\n
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\nElements of A Successful Corporate Third Place<\/h3>\n
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Technology Integration<\/h3>\n
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Design Attributes<\/h3>\n
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Hosting Characteristics<\/h3>\n
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Where Should You Locate a Third Place?<\/h3>\n
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Resilient Real Estate<\/h3>\n
Employee Engagement: The Biggest Advantage?<\/h3>\n