“Third Spaces”

The “Third Space” Opportunity

posted by Bob Puccini on hotelsmag.com

http://www.hotelsmag.com/blog/160000416/post/630050863.html?nid=3457&rid=14152487

The “Third Place” Opportunity

I recently heard the term “third place” from a representative for Steelcase, an office furniture company looking to expand into new arenas.

What was interesting was the amount of research they were putting into a field in which they had limited experience. What fascinated me are some of the concepts they came up with that I think are real insightful. Although we are conscious of them, we don’t always design to them.

Insight number one is the concept of “the third place.” This “third place” is where:

“Work is occurring before and after meetings. 

The Meeting dynamics are: informative, evaluative, generative business

Travelers are looking for small meeting spaces business

Travelers need greater technology integration.”

In my firm we refer to these as social spaces, but in truth they are more than that and anyone who has been to a conference knows that finding places for quick meetings, checking email or to offer quick demonstrations via Power Point or with documents sends you to lobbies, bars, restaurants or small board rooms.

Hotel design has not fully come to grips with these “third” spaces where people need to meet for short periods and conduct business. Marriott has the Great Room concept, but I am not sure they use it the way it perhaps was intended. Third places are more than just seats; they also should have the technology easily and readily available for use for today’s modern business traveler.

One group that has started to innovate in that direction is Hyatt with a couple of their Residence and Campus concepts – one is for older business and social meetings the other younger. Recently while I was in Bangkok I had a chance to visit them. Their sign says it all:

Their meeting spaces are truly innovative:

Third place design takes into account rooms, public spaces and collaborative spaces — all work spaces for business travelers trying to stay current, communicate and demonstrate. What Steelcase has learned is something that both the design industry and hotel operators perhaps have not fully grasped: room and public space design has flat lined with sameness of function. Oh yes, we can make it beautiful, but it took someone from outside the hotel design industry to really draw my attention to the depth of opportunity to which we are not responding.

Architize

Architize is for the architects, architecture lovers, and people related to the field of architecture. Whether you are in real estate development, interior design, landscape architecture, or just like to admire beautiful pieces of architecture, this is the place to absorb architecture in its glory. 

Source: archidose.blogspot.com

http://archidose.blogspot.com/2009/11/architize-me.html

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Architize Me

 

Monday was the official beta launch* of Architizer, “a new way for architects to interact, show their work, and find clients…an open community created by architects for architects.” Developed by Marc Kushner, Matthias Hollwich (both of HWKN), Ben Prosky (Columbia University) and Alex Diehl (KREATIVEKONZEPTION*), the site is being referred to as “Facebook for architects” by many, what with its social networking framework, but it’s actually closer to LinkedIn’s focus on professional relationships. Comparisons aside, at first glance Architizer is a sharp-looking page that is almost guaranteed to be popular with its intended audience.

The three main categories on the page are Projects, People and Firms. Just about every architectural publication, blog, etc. is focused on projects, and architecture offices are listed on sites like world-architects.com, where I work, and others. But the inclusion of “people” between these two is where the novelty and potential of the site exists. Returning to LinkedIn, one could say that people already have a networking tool describing their positions in firms, but Architizer does this and combines pretty pictures with it, linking individuals to the projects they worked on.

But will Architizer be the exclusive domain of OMA, other well-known architects and their former employees? Or will it embrace the diversity of architecture all over the world, even projects produced by more lackluster firms? Too much of the latter runs counter to the high-quality projects and name-brand architects that stocked the site before its launch (guidelines for the direction of the site?), but the opposite condition would turn the site into just another page where architects can look at cool projects.

Most likely the site will evolve into something between these two extremes, full of all shades between the good and the bad, though the former will rise to the fore in the mix. This will happen via the filters for each of the three main categories, mainly “featured” and “most viewed.” The first is the default, which I’m guessing is controlled by the administrators, and it’s pretty much a sure bet that the most viewed projects, people and firms will be the best of the bunch; no painted concrete condos or suburban strip malls at the top of these lists.

Architizer also features Schools, Jobs, Competitions and a Blog. These are certainly secondary to the main bread and butter of the site, though the school feature has great potential, visually exhibiting the strengths of alumni, and therefore the school, more directly than anywhere else. It also looks like the $$ will come from “the window manufacturer [that] sponsors a page for their product used in [a] project” and advertising, though I think the latter will run the risk of cluttering the site, which has a nice legibility to it, rounded corners and all.

*Check out Guest of a Guest for photos from the beta launch party at Storefront for Art and Architecture on Monday.

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi, UAE

I was first introduced to the world of Dubai after seeing top professional tennis players dueling out at an exhibition on top of the seven-star hotel, Burj Al Arab. What’s interesting was the view from the top and the fact that each player were hitting against each other with each from different surfaces on the different ends of the court.

The next great memory I have of Dubai was from a book I picked up at the bookstore few years ago. I started reading the business thriller and finished it within 3 days. This is rare for someone who hasn’t been an avid reader of anything until the last year of college. (Now I read constantly…The Economist, WSJ, Foreign Policy, Malcom Gladwell, etc.) The book was Ben Mezrich’s  RIGGED – the true story of an Ivy League kid who changed the world of oil, from Wall Street to Dubai.

Since then, I have heard, seen, and read many aspects of this vastly emerging region. As a business student, there is no doubt that Dubai is part of the curriculum. With the way this world is spinning, every corner of the globe has to be covered.

Tonight I spent hours sitting as a member of the audience of several business & investment presentations/proposals in international finance. Dubai was one of the focused regions. It is predicted to be the next important financial and business center of the world, joining New York, London, and Tokyo. Its free zones and business or investment incentives are highly favorable for foreign investors. Although Abu Dhabi is a lesser known city in the UAE than Dubai, it is equally important and just as significant with strong growth opportunities. Just take a look at the grandeur and the scale of the Fairont Bab Al Bahr and its presence in the region. The designs are refreshing and the architecture is bold. The location is carefully selected, truly a desert oasis.

Source: hotelsmag.com

http://www.hotelsmag.com/article/CA6700338.html

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
– Hotels, 10/5/2009 1:49:00 PM
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, meaning “Gateway to the Sea,” is Fairmont’s first property to open in the capital of the UAE, on the Abu Dhabi Creek. Positioned at the mainland gateway of the city, the hotel sits directly on the beachfront, offering guests the best of both urban life and beach experience.

Located in ‘new’ Abu Dhabi, an area destined to become one of the most exciting mixed-use developments in the city, the hotel benefits from spectacular views of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, with easy access to Abu Dhabi City Centre and Corniche, and is in close proximity to Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr boasts 369 guestrooms, a variety of world-class restaurants, 27,000 sq. ft. of function space, a private sandy beachfront, a Willow Stream Spa and two outdoor pools. Fairmont Bab Al Bahr includes the first Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill outside of the UK, serving the choicest cuts of beef and one of the largest selections of wine in the city. Frankie’s Italian Restaurant and Bar has been created by renowned UK Chef White and famed jockey Frankie Dettori.

The new properties all offer Fairmont Gold, the brand’s exclusive lifestyle offering featuring warm and personalized service with amenities such as a private reception desk and a comfortable guest lounge, where guests may enjoy an honor bar and cocktail hour canapés, as well as a complimentary deluxe continental breakfast.

Fairmont will continue on its Silk Road journey in 2010 with new properties planned for Makkah, Jaipur and the Fairmont Peace Hotel, a Shanghai landmark for over a century. Fairmont currently has more than 20 new properties in development, including London’s The Savoy, which will re-open within the next year following an extensive restoration program.

Click here for the full slideshow of Fairmont Bab al Bahr