The concept of the workplace is evolving. Historically, the quest was to design the perfect workplace focused on the infrastructure and physical design, taking into account technological transformations, with business cost efficiency being a major driver. This approach, however, often neglected the human aspects and how the talent interacted in and around the space and how productivity was maximised.

This "single serving" mentality - buildings to house workers and workstations for employees - ignores the potential to transform urban spaces in cities worldwide into more holistic and human-centric precincts. As a result, commercial areas, especially central business districts (CBDs) around the world, turn into dead areas after dark and on the weekends. But it need not be this way.

Via businesstimes.com.sg >

Displaying art in the workplace can elevate employee performance, mood, and physical well-being, as well as bolster interpersonal bonds between employees and clients. Dozens of research studies conducted in the United States and Europe throughout the past 10 years have identified myriad ways — from the practical to the unconscious — that installing thoughtfully-chosen art in the workplace can improve employee experience and achievement, and help to communicate the right message to guests. In this brief guide, experts from PLASTARC summarize the many positive effects certain kinds of art can bring to employees and visitors, and share ideas about how to choose the best art for the workplace.

Via workdesign.com > [paywall]

WeWork has become more than a coworking space. With 121 locations in 38 cities—and a $16 billion valuation—it’s a company as valuable as Snapchat with the global reach of Airbnb. Now, for those who want to take their communal lifestyle home, there’s WeLive, the company’s new coliving spaces. And there is at least one millennial who has made the startup a way of WeLife—he both WeWorks and WeLives.

On Vice News Tonight, correspondent Nellie Bowles interviews 25-year-old Nicolas Lulli, who houses his social media company in a WeWork, and lives in a WeLive on Wall Street with his fiancée.

Via curbed.com >

Are companies today blindly following the open office trend, when it comes to restructuring their offices, or are they systematically investigating into what best suits their employees? Is it possible that in an effort to efficiently use office space, companies are disregarding the needs of the majority of their employees.

Via inc42.com >

User experience design (UX), grounded in human-computer interaction, has moved beyond the palm of the hand and to change our expectations of physical space. In a digital world analogy communicates through familiarity, teases ontology, and provides access.

When it works well, UX design breaks down resistance to new technologies by drawing on intuition and using the familiar to lighten the cognitive load. For example, you don’t need to think when you see that camera icon on your iPhone; the recognition is instinctive. In this far-from-dehumanizing context, technology becomes friendlier as the phone’s capabilities are easily recognized and accessed.

Via interiorarchitects.com >