Are Third Place the Answer?

What’s the Question?

​Third places, separate from home and work, now shape workplace design. They promise community, relaxation, and belonging by fostering collaboration. But can a place actually deliver on this promise?

Headlines now suggest third places may solve our loneliness epidemic. But can a place make us lonelier if we don’t know how to connect with others?

It’s never about the place or the structure. But what happens inside from creating dialogue, trust, to connection, and relationships. Instead, we focus on leading with structure and talk about places.

We often get lost designing perfect buildings, offices, or spaces. Even websites. The assumption is that if the place looks right, everything else will follow.

But what truly matters is what happens within those spaces. The interactions, conversations, bonds formed, and trust built are the ingredients of a thriving environment.

Instead of examining the future of work and its true meaning, we now focus on the places. Third places, like coworking spaces, lounges, and cafes, are social environments separate from home and work.