Building Better Spaces for Work, Play, and Life

With many tall high-density developments on the rise from sleek modern offices to sky high apartments saturating the market, residents and tenants are starting to expect and demand more from the spaces they occupy. These days, places that have the power to bring communities together to foster connection and healthy interactions are seen as adding more value to the way that we live.

As a response, more designers are starting to examine what it really means to design for humans, to learn how we can build better spaces that cultivate relationships through work, play, and day-to-day life. Many turns to human-centered design principles to enhance the human experience.

There’s an increasing awareness of the important role that built environments play in our well-being, whether psychological or physiological, and how the spaces we occupy ultimately affect our relationships as well as our productivity. This is the power of design, and why it’s so important that people’s well-being is placed at the forefront of space and development planning.

So how do we build better spaces for humans?

Biophilic Design

Biophilic design is an interior and exterior design approach that incorporates natural elements, such as greenery, natural lighting, ventilation, and water in a deliberate and more integrated way. One of the biophilic design pillars is the belief that nature elevates our quality of life through healing the body, mind, and soul, which in turn leads to greater productivity and creativity. A good example is the community garden located on the 3rd floor of TK Central which gives tenants and residents a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in nature to take a much-needed break without ever leaving the convenience of their office building.

Well-Designed Amenities and Facilities

Designing a space that caters to the community’s needs and desires in terms of facilities promotes activities that promote healthy and positive interaction. Some examples are creating outdoor communal areas, common dining areas, recreation rooms, swimming pools, BBQ decks, playgrounds, or reading rooms that could boost and support social, physical, and mental health.

Although the world continues to move toward technology and digital platforms, as social beings, humans cannot help but seek genuine in-person connections. Through the study of human-centered practices and principles, developers can create better and well-thought-out spaces that help people live balanced lives.

How about you, what comes to mind when you picture the perfect space you want to live, work, and play in?

With a sense of community in mind, TK Central, developed by Parbury Investments, is a mixed-use development consisting of a retail podium, commercial office, and serviced apartment that is filled and surrounded by greenery as well as many amenities and facilities to improve your wellbeing and sense of balance in your everyday life, right at the Heart of TK.

For more information or to arrange a site visit, please contact our team via 023 883 716 or 015 631 168.