New Study | Where might building architecture trends be heading? Gensler Study
The architectural firm Gensler recently completed an important study, Experience Index, that highlights some of the factors influence what people want in the buildings and space they occupy for work and recreation.
Here’s a few of the key points:
· our smartphones have enabled us to do everything, everywhere–and our physical spaces are changing as a result
· technology has given rise to offices, stores, hotels, and transportation hubs that are fluid–not designed for a single purpose.
· we can shop, work, socialize, and entertain ourselves on our phones anywhere, rigid, single-function spaces are becoming obsolete.
· Gensler’s team identified five primary modes of experience in a space to understand:
o “Task mode” involves focused and direct attention, like having a meeting.
o “Social mode” is where the primary purpose is to engage with other people, like going out to eat with a group.
o “Discovery mode” is about exploration and finding new things, like wandering through a store without a specific purchase in mind.
o “Entertainment mode” is about seeking escape from daily life, like going to a performance.
o “Aspiration mode” is about fueling personal growth and inspiration, like visiting a landmark.
Gensler’s research showed that people become emotionally attached to spaces that offered satisfying experiences in multiple modes.
Gensler hopes the research and survey helps prove the connection between great design, excellent experiences, and success for business owners (happy customers usually mean good business).
Spaces designed for purely 20th-century conditions–the cookie-cutter shopping mall, the department store, the stuffy office–have outlived their usefulness. Architecture evolves with culture and now Gensler puts forth research to show how.
Bud Hackett comments based on an article about this topic written by Diana Budds, a New York–based writer covering design and the built environment.