Text by Stefania Boschetti, CEO by EY Italy

A reflection on workspace is not simply a matter of architecture or design, although these are important aspects. It also entails defining the vision of what now represents the meaning of enterprise and the relation­ship between an enterprise and the people.

Space is the final external layer of our skin: it breathes through people, governing communication with the rest of the world. It is an element that informs us, an element from which we should learn: its beauty can be a source of inspiration, facilitating the achieving of common goals.

In other words, space underscores the sense of belonging felt by those who share time and energy for a common goal. This is why it deserves care and attention, ensur­ing that it maintains its adaptability and distinctive strength.

It is now clear that space is not simply an assigned desk, but rather the place in which human and professional relation­ships intertwine. The planning of space needs to respond to the overall corporate vi­sion: the present, the future and the values it represents. The process that we have un­dertaken within EY Italia – the redesign of our branches – is the result of a global reflec­tion on the expectations and viewpoints of our more than 10 thousand professionals. Our aim is to create offices that allow people to best express their individual potential, transforming it into a shared asset. 

Work itself is a construction: it should be thought of in the same way that a building is designed nowadays, not like yesterday.

People need to be accompanied towards gaining better awareness of the space in which they work, and of its beauty in terms of psychological comfort and balance. A space that is well-organised, stimulating, clean and integrated with the surrounding territory transmits energy to those who in­habit it. Individuals are the origin of this beauty. Nothing but individuals, who form a community and, through the space, relate with each other. In a world of silicon net­works and artificial intelligence, there is an ever-growing need to celebrate ‘carbon net­works., made up of people and the connec­tions between them. If we want to govern the digital transformation that AI is radi­calising, we need to enhance and ensure the strength of these networks, caring for them as the shared heritage of evolved enterpris­es, beginning with the spaces that shape hu­man action and interaction.

Carbon networks feed on physical en­counters, on welcoming and functional spaces in which to communicate, concen­trate and share. This is the only way to al­low the human element to express and op­timise itself. It is this evolution that allows us to face up to the transformations taking place, rather than to succumb to them, but by governing them.

Opening image: Photo Express / Getty Images