Expertise

We are strategic thinkers: architects, urbanists, graphic designers, product designers and visual communicators, driven by the human experience of space. We combine urban analytics, destination strategy, communication design and spatial design to shape human-centric journeys through memorable places - an approach we are developing into a discipline of its own: experience masterplanning for the built environment.

People

Our work always starts with people. We help clients define the strategic positioning of their development through insight into the needs, drivers and behaviours of their target audiences - gathered through direct research and predictive tools that model how people move and behave in space.

Vision

We then set that insight against the client's own ambition for the development, resolving the two into a guiding Experience Vision: a north star the wider design team can plan and test against as the project develops.

Place

Memorable places have site-specific, defining characteristics - ones that can be unearthed through research into history, culture and geographical context, then translated by design into spatial form, use and story. Choreographed holistically and united by a common narrative, those characteristics turn a sequence of moments into a resonant, coherent sense of place.

Experience Masterplanning

Experience Masterplanning builds the user's perspective into complex masterplan and building projects. Where the masterplanning process designs the hardware of a place, Experience Masterplanning designs the software: the vision, principles and strategy that determine what visiting it will actually feel like.

It runs alongside the physical process rather than competing with it, spanning a connected set of human-centric services - from upfront destination positioning at the outset through to post-occupancy placemaking once a place is open and in use.

The value of that perspective is what it surfaces. Working from how people will actually use a development reveals opportunities and innovations a purely spatial process tends to miss, shifting the focus from transactions and functions to what visitors perceive, feel and remember. Better end-to-end experience drives repeat visits and raises the perceived value of the place itself

We are Led by Innovative Thinking

Our work always starts with people: Understanding the psychology of space, we connect knowledge of how people move, behave in and understand buildings and urban spaces with a narrative to curate their journey.
We connect the rigorous and technical disciplines of architecture and urban design with the human focus of communication design and user experience. By concentrating on the interface between the user and the built environment, we connect people to places in meaningful ways.

User-Centric Design

We work at the intersection of design disciplines that too often work in isolation, united by one vision: a compelling, holistic user experience.

Together with our clients and project partners, we build this through a deep understanding of the built environment, human behaviour and visual communication - keeping the user's perspective at the heart of every decision we make.

Chris Lepine, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)

‘Spaceagency were able to present numerous creative proposals which fulfilled the Design Team’s criteria in a way that also helped to enhance many of the spaces. Space Agency was always very professional especially in their ability to meet deadlines and to clearly present their work at Client meetings.’

We Apply a Strategic Approach, Supported by Cutting Edge Technology

Spaceagency employs a methodology developed at the Space Syntax Laboratory at University College London.

It has been tested in practice for over 30 years to forecast patterns of movement and use within cities and complex buildings, uncovering how the layout of an environment shapes people's behaviour before a single sign goes up.

We use this to map how people will actually experience a space — their movement, decision points and interactions — and translate it into design solutions grounded in real behaviour rather than assumption. Within the design of a building, we extend this same thinking into the digital realm, opening up new possibilities for how visitors use and interact with the spaces we create.

Tobias Wallisser
Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA)

‘Spaceagency formed an important part of the design team and provided valuable creative input into the development of the design language for the project.

We highly appreciate Spaceagency as a creative, productive and cooperative partner and will definitely extend our collaboration.’

We Deliver Excellence

We are known for exceeding expectations. Great design does not come about without passion, creativity and personal commitment.

Underpinned by meticulous attention to detail and artful execution, we ultimately seek to inspire: from those we work with to those who use the spaces we design.

Making complex processes intuitive and natural

We think strategically, led by innovative thinking and supported by cutting-edge technology, including the latest analytical tools and computational models to predict and interpret movement and behaviour, delivering excellence.

The "spatial framework" can be complex on large-scale projects. This is why we always seek to create a visual metaphor that synthesises our research into a comprehensive design concept. Creating topological maps - just as Harry Beck did for the London Underground in the 1930s - helps us simplify this complexity and create a solution that feels natural and intuitive.

Jamie Geller
Audrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Los Angeles

‘Sarah and her team are cutting edge designers with the ability to suggest the right look without overdoing it. They are so good, we didn’t need more than a few choices to select the proper tone and style we needed to complete a fund raising campaign ….’