A coworking space is a shared work environment designed to support both spontaneous encounters and focused work. Its creative trick is not choosing openness or isolation, but arranging both so ideas can collide without constant disruption. section 7.5.1
A creativity-supporting coworking space can:
- Place corridors, shared destinations, or other movement paths where people can exchange ideas naturally. section 7.5.1
- Provide configurable compartments where teams can concentrate without abandoning opportunities for interdisciplinary contact. section 7.5.1
From Building 20 to the Salk Institute
MIT’s Building 20 placed mismatched departments and unusual tenants together in a rearrangeable building, enabling both unexpected discussions and solitary concentration. The Salk Institute adapted the same hybrid idea through free-flowing laboratories and strategically placed work areas. section 7.5.1
Figure 7.6 The Salk Institute courtyard showcasing a mirrored structure containing strategically placed laboratories, utilities, office spaces overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and study areas. Photo courtesy of Adam Bignell, Unsplash.
Use the Salk Institute courtyard as a visual prompt: notice how mirrored structures, laboratories, offices, utilities, and study areas are arranged to support connection without erasing private work. section 7.5.1
