In his book, The Great Good Place, the urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg wrote about the importance of third places—the informal “public places on neutral ground where people can gather and interact.”
While overtly, we may not think of our workspaces and offices as communities, Oldenburg’s ideas are applicable. The first place is our home, the second place is our work, and the third place is an integral part of our day to day patterns, neutral shared spaces that serve a variety of purposes. Third spaces occur, whether curated or not in every office setting. As our work styles change, these spaces should be considered and planned for, and Herman Miller, a leader in office research, has come up with some interesting findings.