Shared Living Spaces

At this time last year, we introduced you to our Think Tank Partner, SPX Agency; the experience-driven real estate agency with a mission to create and develop brands which connect to the hearts of their customers.

Now a year later, this mission has progressed into reality and SPX is evolving into Spatial Experience. While the former focused on branding and digital marketing, Spatial Experience drives the agency even further to an experience-driven hub shaping future living.

To learn more about this new chapter, we caught up with the Spatial Experience team to learn more about their evolution, their Think Tank Partnership with SALTO KS and upcoming plans for the future.

Read ahead to learn more.

Before we begin, could you please briefly introduce Spatial Experience to our readers?

Spatial Experience is an innovation hub working in the intersection of design, technology and research to shape the future of living. Spatial Experience brings creativity and innovation to emerging real estate sectors with one goal in mind: designing purposeful spaces that enable human-to-human interactions, both online and offline.

We have gone through an extensive rebranding process, leaving SPX Agency (SPX) behind to evolve into Spatial Experience. We are expanding our offer and reach, creating more opportunities for our clients and partners, enabling connections and strengthening current partnerships, such as our Think Tank Partner SALTO KS.

When did the rebranding process take place and when was it finalized?

In general, we had this in mind for a very long time. We first evolved into a creative agency and later became an ecosystem with three pillars: SPX Agency, SPX Lab and SPX Studio.

Years of research and development finally turned into concrete planning at the beginning of 2019, and in March 2020 the first activities behind the scenes took place. The message we wanted to send to the world is our enhanced positioning into an innovation hub.

“We work in the intersection of design, technology and research, and each of these aspects is very important to our business as we cannot do what we do without these three pillars.”

We have been strong in design as well as branding & marketing since the beginning and we are strengthening our expertise in technology and research continuously.

While working on SPX Lab we realised that there is a pressing need to bring product and business development into perspective, so we realised this needed to be externalised with a refreshment of the brand, that is where Spatial Experience comes from. Spatial Experience in general stands for experiencing the space, driven by different factors such as interior design, sensorial elements, interactions, among others.

“Our role is to help emerging real estate concepts in the creation of inclusive, memorable, experience-driven spaces, supporting them in digital transformation and bridging the real & digital world.”

For the last half a year we have been focused on discussions and planning of the new brand positioning, what is our role in the industry, how can we drive greater impact, connect to partners and other stakeholders in the industry to influence the way shared living is shaped. We made the decision to rebrand because we know that the real estate industry will face a need to evolve and we want our business to be capable of supporting all challenges of future living. In order to be empowered to do that, we have created an ecosystem where research & development, agency solutions and support to emerging real estate startups can coexist and fuel each other. We evolved to become a strong partner that business can turn to for great ideas, to help them materialise their goals.

“It should be noted that our approach to rebrand Spatial Experience follows a growth-driven design and design thinking methodology: we believe a brand is a living entity, it is a journey, not a destination.”

What is the significance of the Think Tank Partnership between Spatial Experience and SALTO?

Our Think Tank Partnership with SALTO resulted from a number of genuine discussions between Bart Sasim, CEO & Founder of Spatial Experience, and Christian Schmitz, Coliving Business Development & Sales Manager at SALTO Systems, during different industry events. For years we have been advancing ideas, trying to be inspiring partners for each other, and at some point, we realised our organisations would mutually benefit from a partnership. We do not foster only our intercompany relationship, we also get involved in other organisations. We are both members and partners of Co-Liv and of The Class of 2020, we are working together on Coliving Insights and we are hoping to keep working together in the future, aligning our vision for the industry.

Think tanks share ideas, concepts, perspectives and assumptions on how things will move forward, how we can answer today’s problems with future-proof solutions. As we are both stakeholders of the same industries and segments, intersections of technology, design and marketing can provide a greater value. For us, this partnership is a great chance to understand SALTO’s perspective and share ours.

You mentioned that there was an “extensive rebranding process” involved in the transition to Spatial Experience. Could you describe what this transition involved and how it took place?

This transition required strategic thinking, planning and a seamless promotion of the new identity and brand. On an internal level, it involved an alignment of our vision and mission and of our long term involvement in the industry, as well as the reinforcement of the belief that we can drive more impact through other tools. Bound to the success of this major transition was also an alignment of our team culture. To accomplish the rebranding in the terms of what we envisioned, it was crucial that every member of our team understood the implications of the expansion of our horizon. A number of novel ideas, technological advancement, digital solutions and a whole new ecosystem would be now embedded into their DNA as well. In that sense, regarding team culture, we feel we have matured a great deal during the transition process. Certainly, one of the biggest milestones of Spatial Experience was to have built a culture that enables our team to support the industry on multiple fronts.

On an external level, this transition required us to better communicate in a more holistic yet simple way what we do and what we stand for, as well as what our work, services and products can bring to our stakeholders eg. clients and partners, among others. A well-defined message from Spatial Experience had to be translated into our offering as well.

What is in store for Spatial Experience and SALTO’s partnership and the upcoming future?

One of the main reasons we started a Think Tank Partnership with SALTO is that we are aware of how important smart technology is and how it helps drive sustainability, efficiency and value creation. With this in mind, we are developing a new venture named Digital Estate, that will connect multiple PropTech solutions among other Tech Tools in one single platform, linking real estate businesses with products and services in an easy, integrated, seamless experience.

Digital Estate will be an enterprise dedicated to help real estate businesses in sustainable digital transformation and to reach their highest potential, allowing users to browse, select, combine and book services & products.

Thank you very much for sharing your experience, plans and perspectives with us. If you would like to find out more about Spatial Experience, visit their website, blog, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Stay tuned for a special second part to this interview, where we dive further into experience design and the future of living with Spatial Experience.

If you want to learn more about our Think Tank Partners, explore our coliving page. To read more about SALTO KS, click here or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest product features, team updates and news from the industry.

SALTO KS provides a flexible access control management system that requires no software installation or the added expense of a fully-wired electronic product. Modern cloud-based, wireless access control systems are easy and simple to use for businesses including Coworking Spaces, Coliving Buildings, Purpose Built Student Accommodation, Retail, Multi-Tenant Housing, Gyms and many more. Our best in class wireless access control solution and smart locks guarantee the efficiency for your business. Integrate smart locks, start easily managing wireless access control now!

Over the past year, many industries have seen changes in their infrastructure and practices, finding new inventive ways of keeping up with the times. One of the largest and often overlooked sectors is that of student housing.

In 2020, student housing facilities have had to change their operations and conditions to suit the worldwide pandemic climate. Moreover, housing a certain age demographic makes for an even trickier situation wherein the lack of control and supervision can lead to an even more challenging strategy.

Student housing facilities around the world have adopted new measures. They have implemented new technologies which can enable them to provide their students with as much ‘normal’ a student experience as possible. Student housing is, after all, an integral part of student life.

In this blog post, we look at how student housing units can optimise their spaces for the year ahead, to ensure as much normalcy as possible.

Quarantine-friendly dorms

The most prominent hurdle in running student housing units safely is arguably the struggle to ensure quarantine spaces. For students who live together and share communal facilities, this is especially hard and sometimes impossible. Rather than eliminating common areas and shared kitchens or bathrooms, a simple redesign or roster system could be highly effective. These spaces are proven to be a core value for higher education and contributing to student life. According to BDC, even well-executed socially distancing signage can go a long way and be adjusted depending on the regular updating of regulations.

“The furniture itself may adjust with high partitions that give an added layer of virus protection, social separation, and acoustic privacy.” - BDC.

Flexible and safe access

In keeping with changing regulations, students often opt to go back home or even alternate between living in their previous homes and dorms. Granting students flexible access is a vital step in giving students the freedom and allowing them to feel comfortable and in control of their own living space. Implementing the right access control system will enable students to use a Tag or their smartphone to access their rooms or apartments. This was the case in The Student Housing Company, which uses SALTO KS to manage all their properties in real-time centrally. For instance, students at University Square in Melbourne can remotely open doors that also support after-hours services. Since COVID-19, this has been used for opening the main doors for parcel deliveries and housing doors for when students are locked out. It has kept the students and staff safe by limiting human contact while still providing the same level of service and ease of access.

Touchless and hygienic environments

The key to gaining students’ confidence and allowing them to be comfortable is to create an environment of minimal contamination. While the transmission of COVID-19 through surfaces is yet to be confirmed, the virus can also spread through droplets released from sneezing or coughing. If other people inhale this or come in to contact with the droplets in their mouth, nose or eyes, or hands, they could become infected with the virus. This is why minimising contact and preventing the need to open door handles can go a long way in protecting students. Tags, automatic front door openers during certain times of the day, elevator cards, and touchless access can make all the difference. The cost of installation might deter people from implementing these systems. However, their impact lasts long enough to reap the benefits of the investment.

Lastly, cutting edge technologies such as BioCote antimicrobial coated technology effectively reduce a broad spectrum of microbes by up to 99.9%. Since 2011, SALTO Systems has incorporated the antimicrobial silver ion technology in its smart electronic lock range, electronic cylinders, locker locks, and supporting devices like wall readers. This provides integrated and lasting hygienic protection that helps regular cleaning regimes and hand hygiene.

Other ways to optimise student housing for 2021 include single-occupancy housing, air filters, and room dividers, among other new tools and innovations. At-risk students can be extended even further support, offering them prior access to single rooms and contact with support and well-being services. CNBC even recommended local governments to consider initiatives similar to the Duet Program in Boston that gives students who are earning their college degrees online, the physical space to work, a computer, internet access and local mentors, to make sure that lower-income students are given all the tools they need to ensure academic success.

To find more about SALTO KS, click here or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest product features, team updates and news from the industry.

SALTO KS provides a flexible access control management system that requires no software installation or the added expense of a fully-wired electronic product. Modern cloud-based, wireless access control systems are easy and straightforward to use for businesses including Coworking Spaces, Coliving Buildings, Purpose Built Student Accommodation, Retail, Multi-Tenant Housing, Gyms and many more. Our best in class wireless access control solution and smart locks guarantee the efficiency for your business. Integrate smart locks, start easily managing wireless access control now!

A few weeks ago, we reintroduced you to our Think Tank Partner Spatial Experience, formerly known as SPX Agency. The team behind Spatial Experience collectively form an innovation hub working in the intersection of design, technology and research to shape the future of living. They strive to bring creativity and innovation to emerging real estate sectors with one goal in mind: designing purposeful spaces that enable human-to-human interactions, both online and offline. The first part of our conversation with the team focused on their extensive rebranding process and their upcoming future.

Now, we dive into the topics of their expertise which we have been waiting patiently to discuss with them, and the KS Blog provides the perfect platform to do so.

Read ahead to learn more about the team’s views on experience design and its implications on the technology, solutions and strategies behind experience design.

How is experience design used in the real estate industry?

At Spatial Experience, we go beyond the B2C (business-to-customer) experience. Most often, we are involved in the early stages of the project and we start with designing an experience for Investors. We believe Investor Experience (IX), Partner Experience (PX) as well as Employee Experience (EX) is crucial at the pre-launch stage when you need to get the full alignment of a cross-disciplinary team to understand the vision, mission as well as objectives of the project. Only after that, we may fully focus on Customer Experience (CX).

Experience design works on different levels. When looking at, for example, the journey of a typical hotel guest, there is the pre-booking phase, the arrival, the whole experience of the hotel stay and the post-visit memory-driven phase as well by experience. Experience design is really about understanding the user journey and the different elements that influence it on a service, design, marketing, operational level and beyond. Essentially, it is about how guests are being treated when they come to a specific location. The experience happens on multiple dimensions divided between a physical and an intangible aspect. For example, one may have an experience when you physically enter a space and also an experience when using an application or digital platform. Space intersects both in the real and digital world. So when designing experiences, we are continuously broadening the perception of space, a topic very close to our hearts.

You previously said on behalf of Spatial Experience, “By enhancing the spatial experience and providing solutions for urban spaces, we want to make people feel more connected, included and noticed.” What is the importance of human-to-human interactions for Spatial Experience?

The reason why we work at the intersection of the shared economy and real estate is because we want to stimulate human interactions. We work with shared living concepts, such as student housing and Coliving, where the actual human to human interaction is at the core.

“Real Estate is not necessarily only about the space itself, it is about how you utilise it, what kind of value can you bring, how can you commercialise it in a way to be perceived as a good product or service for the end customer.”

In times of social distancing, we are invested in finding solutions for sustaining human connection. When a new building opens its doors to a thousand residents, but people are not allowed to interact in the common areas, what do you do? You create an interactive and stimulating environment online. We have been introducing strategies and tools to communicate, encourage conversations, and strengthen the community. Moreover, we are continuously optimising processes for operations and the community management team so they can focus on what really matters: fostering human connections.

Do you think collaborations within different stakeholders in the industry is important? How do collaborative events and publications, such as Coliving Insights, affect the industry?

In answering this question, we encourage everybody to read more on our new venture, that places collaborations at its core: SPX Studio. Through the startup studio, we are opening doors to partners and clients to drive more impact in the industry through joint ventures. Coliving Ventures, our first venture, has successfully launched Coliving Insights and will be launching its first awards ceremony next year: Coliving Awards.

Regarding the Coliving Insights publications, we received very positive feedback from all of our stakeholders. We understand how valuable this feedback is and use it as a primary stimulus to keep going. We noticed that from the first edition of Coliving Insights to the latest, we have been able to involve higher stakeholders from the industry. By expanding stakeholder involvement, we help with the consolidation and professionalisation of the industry in general, also in establishing Coliving as a promising asset class that can drive more investment and impact on a global scale. This aligns with our mission & vision of pushing industry growth and fostering innovative solutions for future living. Our most recent edition of Coliving Insights is available for download now. Coliving Insights No.4: ‘Invest, Develop, Operate & Scale’, explores the coliving lifecycle through 160+ pages of original content from more than 25 expert contributors.

The next joint venture to be launched by SPX Studio will be Digital Estate. Through this enterprise we will be enabling innovation in real estate by gathering multiple vetted PropTech solutions and Tech Tools in one integrated environment, connecting businesses with products and services that suit their tailored needs.

Your rebranding press release coined the acronym VUCA, to describe recent events in the world and an environment that is ‘Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous.’ Could you expand on how you see the VUCA world and how it is relevant for experience design?

The acronym reflects the reality we live in: nothing is certain, the world is complex and ambiguous, change is constant and we need to adapt faster than initially anticipated. A profound understanding of this allows us to take a strategic approach as an organisation to provide services and products that answer to the market's needs and are flexible enough to stay relevant in “VUCA” times.

“When designing experiences while working together with our clients and partners we take into consideration that the world is a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment.”

This way we are able to see challenges from a broader and long-term perspective - not as one-time problems that need to be solved but as an action-reaction chain that leads to specific consequences in the future. That is why we take time at the beginning of every project to get a better grasp of the target audience and the environment they operate in.

By understanding the context (the VUCA world), we are able to design solutions that truly make people's lives better, reducing uncertainty, helping them quickly adapt to change and thus, add value to their future living.

What role does smart technology play in the “cities of tomorrow” and Spatial Experiences’ next steps?

SALTO, as one of the leaders in smart technology in its field, is a great sparring partner that helps us understand the perspective of technology enablers and juxtapose it with the end customer needs. We are humbled about our achievements in technology as these were, a majority of the time, tailor-made for our clients & partners, and we are looking for a way forward to scale some of our concepts to drive more impact.

We have a genuine desire to democratise access to technologies that can push the industry forward. However, this requires a broad understanding in regards to the current state of PropTech, what it actually does and how it can be used in the most sustainable way to drive impact within our industry.

To read the first part to this interview, where we explore the innovative rebranding process of SPX Agency into Spatial Experience, click here.

We’d like to extend our gratitude to the entire Spatial Experience team for sharing their knowledge, plans and perspectives with us; not once but twice! If you would like to find out more about Spatial Experience, visit their website, blog, Instagram and LinkedIn.

If you want to learn more about our Think Tank Partners, explore our Coliving page. To read more about SALTO KS, click here or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest product features, team updates and news from the industry.

SALTO KS provides a flexible access control management system that requires no software installation or the added expense of a fully-wired electronic product. Modern cloud-based, wireless access control systems are easy and simple to use for businesses including Coworking Spaces, Coliving Buildings, Purpose Built Student Accommodation, Retail, Multi-Tenant Housing, Gyms and many more. Our best in class wireless access control solution and smart locks guarantee the efficiency for your business. Integrate smart locks, start easily managing wireless access control now!

Spaceflow: making smarter buildings

Seamless access and movement between buildings where you may live or work are key in curating the best possible tenant experience. Spaceflow, is the integral puzzle piece who can make this happen, delivering software and community engagement services to landlords and building operators across the globe.

How do they achieve this? By combining the physical and digital in order to elevate the experience for occupants; connecting local services, smart building features, and community life in offices and residential buildings, all in a single app. This includes offerings from any local service, like restaurants or wellness providers, booking meeting rooms, receiving news about the building and local events, and of course using the right access control system. This is where SALTO KS steps in.

We spoke with Head of Marketing at Spaceflow, Petr Boruta who has been with the company for more than 3 years. He says, “It has truly been great to see the progress from the very beginning and our first implementation to where we are now with 100+ buildings launched. Our product, the team and the company as a whole have since developed tremendously.” In this blog post, Petr discusses all things Spaceflow and gives us insight into the integration with SALTO KS.

The team behind Spaceflow

Spaceflow app: how it works

Read on to find out everything you need to know about Spaceflow:

Could you please introduce your company to our readers?

Spaceflow’s mission is to empower landlords to create the best tenant experience possible across their portfolios on a global scale.

Spaceflow was created to make buildings smarter and more community-oriented. Through our mobile app and community engagement program, we offer a single link connecting building services, amenities, smart building features, and community, all in one place.

Today, landlords‘ top priority is to minimize vacant space whilst increasing asset value. We solve this problem by boosting tenant loyalty with customized programming and enhanced tenant experiences, effectively increasing tenant satisfaction and retention.

Spaceflow can be summed up as “Your building in one app”. How does the app achieve this?

Spaceflow connects local services, smart building features, and community life in offices and residential buildings which improves integration, collaboration and simplifies daily life.

The app itself has four core modules: smart technology, such as touchless access systems that we integrate from partners like SALTO KS, communication from the landlord and building management via the newsfeed, ticketing and messaging, access to services, amenities and bookings, and finally the possibility to get to know your community better– via events (even virtual!), news from other occupants and neighbours and community sharing.

Simply put, Spaceflow fills that missing gap between you and the building you work or live in.

The Spaceflow engagement program

Community engagement seems to be a vital component of Spaceflow’s offering. Could you share more about the Spaceflow Engagement Program and efforts to drive tenant experience?

We always strive to build communities in which tenants can thrive, by integrating an effective engagement program with the help of our experienced community team. In order for landlords to meet the surging demand for smart solutions and community, we craft experiences for tenants in various shapes and sizes, both on and offline. This means working side by side with clients during the adoption process, organizing regular success meetings, and in-depth training, followed by a tailored marketing strategy and campaign to raise awareness, engagement, and adoption prior to launch.

Once Spaceflow is live, our community team can help with anything from organizing launch events, pop/ups, finding local offers and perks, and tailoring timely, relevant, and engaging content for your community.

The Spaceflow mobile and web app

“We recognize that in a time of increased disconnectedness and loneliness in society at large, it is now more important than ever before to utilize technology as a way to build bridges between people, emphasizing the great need for a community-oriented approach to life in order to motivate optimal tenant health and well-being.” - Petr Boruta, Head of Marketing at Spaceflow

Buildings' digital layer

What is the role of Spaceflow with respect to building management and tenants respectively?

Spaceflow is here to help the building operator or owner with managing the whole building-tenant and building-occupier relation. Today, buildings need to have a digital layer as well as a community engagement strategy in place in order to differentiate from the competition and appeal to tenants.

We also help our clients manage the value of their space by providing data for more precise decision making and enable additional revenue from all transactions by providing their building as-a-service for tenants to enjoy.

Integration of Spaceflow and Salto KS

How does the integration of Spaceflow with SALTO KS benefit the end-users?

Seamless building-access and movement are one of the key cornerstones in creating the best possible tenant experience. The integration of SALTO KS as a provider of digital access control, and Spaceflow as a tenant experience platform, enables just that. Building occupiers can now use the tenant experience app in their mobile phones to unlock doors throughout the building they live or work in.

What would you like to see for the future of this integration with Salto KS?

The next step for our integration is to allow administrators to manage Salto KS users through the Spaceflow admin console and thus reduce the number of apps they have to use on a daily basis.

Thank you, Petr and the rest of the team at Spaceflow, for giving our readers an in-depth understanding of your solutions, products, and services, as well as your view on the future of technology in optimizing tenant experience. We look forward to seeing this unfold, and are equally excited for the future of our partnership.

For more on Spaceflow, you can visit their website here, request a demo, or have a look at their official blog.

If you want to learn more about our KS Connect partners, explore our integration page. To read more about SALTO KS, click here or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest product features, team updates and news from the industry.

SALTO KS provides a flexible access control management system that requires no software installation or the added expense of a fully-wired electronic product. Modern cloud-based, wireless access control systems are easy and simple to use for businesses including Coworking Spaces, Coliving Buildings, Purpose Built Student Accommodation, Retail, Multi-Tenant Housing, Gyms and many more. Our best in class wireless access control solution and smart locks guarantee the efficiency for your business. Integrate smart locks, start easily managing wireless access control now!