120 seconds with: Pavel

We sat down with Pavel, an architect and urban planner with a passion for exploring the intersection of people and space. spaciv’s Customer Success Lead is at the forefront of transforming the workplace industry, helping companies linking technology and data to create human-centric and sustainable spaces.

Tell us about yourself and your background.

The multidimensional relationship between space and people fascinates me and is an integral part of my doing – starting back from my time in design studios and building design, to my work in strategic consultancy for large companies and cities. You can say that I’ve worked at all stages of physical space creation, always deeply intrigued by the complexity of space and its intricacy. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of this connection, I pursued an executive MBA in innovation and business creation. This provided me with a broader perspective and enabled me to view the relationship between space and people from a more holistic standpoint. And while job titles changed over the years, shaping the way people and their built environment intersect and influence each other, is and always will be the core of my doing.

What made you join spaciv?

The built environment is an important part of our everyday experience and has a significant impact on people and the planet. Changing the way it’s created and used is nothing less than the pursuit of improving everyone’s daily life. And I believe that a technology and data-based approach is the next evolutionary step in this field. As part of spaciv, I can contribute to shape this process and create the technology that enables the creation of meaningful, human-centric and sustainable spaces. And of course it is absolutely exciting to support such a variety of clients with unique challenges and use cases, from their first data insights to a continual workplace evolution model.

What would it be if you could change one thing about the industry?

It’s essential for the workplace industry to keep pace with change. To truly evolve as an industry, we must be proactive in learning about emerging trends, understanding what motivates people, and utilising technology to gain insights and make informed decisions. We cannot rely on outdated assumptions or past successes. Unfortunately, I feel like: “it worked before the pandemic, it will work now” is the way to move forward for many – with exceptions of course. I would love to see bold approaches, a diversion from the safest way, radical user-centricity and really converting the chances provided by this transformational shift.

From your perspective, what do you think is the most exciting development in the workplace industry right now?

Of course, you can’t ignore how the pandemic changed the way many people work. You still feel the organisational fallout on both ends of the discussion. Uncertainty looming over many organisations if their way forward will be successful. It definitely became clear that relying on established processes is no longer enough. We now need to rethink and redesign these processes to adapt to change. What makes this transformation so fascinating is that, while there are major advances on the horizon, no one really knows what the future of work will look like – and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! But this means that we all must approach the myriad of challenges with an open mind, a willingness to learn, experiment and share.