By Teresa Whitney - 23rd November, 2024

The first annual International RGCS Symposium brought together researchers, consultants, business leaders, and policymakers to discuss cutting edge research in the field of collaborative working and entrepreneurship. The highly interactive program combined keynote speakers, research paper presentations, collaborative workshops, and an art exhibition across Paris.

Our PLASTARC team particularly enjoyed hearing from Dr. Annie Camus, who presented her work on collaborative spaces and work innovation, and Dr. Tuukka Toivonen, who presented research on tracking creative clashes that lead to innovation in shared work spaces. Dr. Adèle Gruen's talk on collective practices in coworking spaces was also particularly interesting, as she discussed how space is appropriated and sense of place is created in coworking environments.

The late afternoon included a "collaborative spaces scavenger hunt" in which I joined an international team of researchers to explore coworking spaces across Paris and identify how these spaces facilitate learning, citizenship, and collaboration. The evening was capped off with a keynote on 'Pirate Organizations,' a panel discussion on collaborative communities, and a cocktail reception at the Paris City Hall, located in the fabulous Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

For a peek inside the event, check out the #RGCS2016 tweets here and view the morning's keynote address.

To learn more about PLASTARC’s research on coworking spaces, check out our recent investigation of the impact of open spaces and areas bordered by glass walls at the 2016 Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture Conference. Beyond simply thinking through the effects of the unique visual dimension of coworking spaces, our team is dedicated to researching the multisensory experience that is enabled by their design.