Re-Place-ing Space: The Roles of Place and Space in Collaborative Systems

Critical Analysis

A physical space is an arrangement of elements structured for use and needs of interactions. Inside the physical space are objects, and we arrange and manipulate those objects based on preferences. But a physical space is not the same as a place. A place is not three-dimensional; it “derives from a tension between connectedness and distinction.” Place is how we understand reality, especially collaborative reality.

Space has a number of distinct qualities that extend beyond physical structures. Relationship orientation and reciprocity is a shared understanding of constructs like up and down, or the ability to reference things vaguely, but with spatial language. Proximity and action frame how people relate to one-another, and how we respond to that (such as seeing a group of people as compared to a single person.) In a space, we are aware of activities and people. These are all ideas that let us behave “appropriately,” and is considered an “appropriate behavioral framing.”

Place has different qualities than space; while “space is the opportunity, place is the understood reality.” Place is typically a space that has “something added,” and those added elements are related to cultural conventions, social norms, and an understanding of ourselves in relationship to other people. We can claim ownership over a space and turn it into a place by adapting it to our lives and making it a reflection of ourselves (as is “turning a house into a home.”) Place emerges over time; “space is the opportunity, and place is the understood reality.”

Because place is constructed and negotiated by those in it, entering a place comes with various expectations, often unspoken. These may relate to privacy (such as “convenience, turf, control of embarrassment, and control of information”) and these are established through social convention. This construction means that a space is not a place simply by existing, and providing a room or physical structure does not mean people will create a place within it (or at least not as it was intended.) Behavior comes with a place (and builds and reacts to it,) and there is social meaning embedded in the place. A “space can only be made a place by its occupants. The best that the designers can do is to put the tools into their hands.”

Research Value

The value of this work in informing my own research is that it:

• Shows that simply providing a studio space does not mean students will use it, and does not mean that a studio culture will emerge
• Expands the definition of privacy to include emotional sentiment and control
• Describes that place is a sensemaking element that helps students understand the reality around them, particularly in relationship to other students