A new mindset– the streaming model and adaptability of space
The on-demand economy which has changed consumer expectations and has disrupted so many industries – as seen with examples such as Netflix, Uber and Deliveroo - is now also being applied to the use of physical space. Users have new expectations about speed and ease of change; they are looking for spaces that are flexible, adaptable and which can morph over time to accommodate different requirements. Now, thanks to data, interconnectivity & smart design coupled to advances in modular building technology, we are seeing how the ‘streaming’ model can work in environmentally led design solutions to meet these changes in consumer lifestyle, retail trends and onward to the wider community in terms of shared use and communal space applications.
Basic examples of multi-use space already exist; from coffee shops that function as an espresso bar and restaurant by day that then shift to cocktail bar at night, to office meeting rooms that covert to yoga studios. All demonstrate the potential for single space adaptability. There is now, however, so much more potential for adaptable spaces, in order to meet this streaming paradigm. State-of-the-art technology is revolutionising space and making it possible to experiment with pop-ups and other one-off events with the greatest of ease. Heta has been thinking about how a sophisticated and complex use of ‘streaming spaces’ might work with integrated technology at its heart. We have considered where they could be part of a development; the benefits from being adaptable; what kind of system would make it easy to reconfigure a space for multiple functions; and a system that caters to all the possible use options during the lifecycle of any given new plot or existing building enclosure.
There is recent precedence showing the potential of easily configuring and reconfiguring different housing plans, retail offers and public space. Success requires careful planning and a focus on creating an easily re-configurable system. Not everything will be mobile – there will usually be services that are fixed. Other considerations are preventing dead space and keeping the space from becoming generic and bland.
What we are proposing evolves from moving the furniture around the box – what has been the usual multi-use space so far. Our approach introduces a modular and dimensionally coordinated system that will allow a space at its core to be re-made – both in terms of its bounding enclosure and internal fit out.
