ABSTRACT
In his infl uential writing, Thomas Markus (1993) argued that buildings are usually treated as art, technical or investment objects, rarely as social objects. For him, whilst form and space are permanent, function as ‘the social practice of use’ is inscribed into the building and can change. The implication is that buildings are in this sense shaped by their users, by occupants and visitors in the past, and by us as soon as we arrive. A building is not so much a product as a process and a constantly unfolding narrative. We know of no evidence that Tom Peters read Markus but he likewise argued (1992, p. 413):
In fact, space management may well be the most ignored-and most powerful-tool for inducing culture change, speeding up innovation projects, and enhancing the learning process in far-fl ung organizations. While we fret ceaselessly about facilities issues such as offi ce square footage allotted to various ranks, we all but ignore the key strategic issue-the parameters of intermingling.
