With almost ubiquitous connectivity, individuals’ choice of location has never held more sway. ZZA’s international study on hub space researched this question: Where do people who can choose, choose to work? Our report ‘Why Place Still Matters in the Digital Age’, describes the locational, motivational, economic and social factors that steer their decisions. It highlights the forceful preference to work alongside other people who’re also working. This drives the huge growth in co-work, now offering users great variety in location, design, servicing, price and cultural feel. It also opens strategies for owners to commodify surplus space. ZZA’s work with San Francisco based LiquidSpace evaluated the elements of user choice offered on this online marketplace.

There is a growing impetus to activate community in buildings and on campuses. Based on ZZA’s incremental knowledge from user research at Stockley Park, Chiswick Park, the BBC, and input to Kings Place. ZZA’s strategic role on the development of Kings Place in London’s Kings Cross helped shape this game-changing building that combines commercial workspace with culture, leisure, and an open access hub, meeting contemporary aspirations for community, buzz and mixed use. Ziona’s book ‘Energy People Place: Sustainable Urban Paradigm’ presents the distinctive scope and outcomes.

ZZA were commissioned to research uses for the publically accessible space at the base of the Cheesegrater, and evaluate UX:SPACE in the non-office settings and space between the buildings at Regent’s Place.