Archinect - News2024-05-06T15:03:38-04:00https://archinect.com/news/article/115745518/archinect-s-lexicon-serendipity-machine
Archinect's Lexicon: "Serendipity Machine" Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2014-12-12T12:43:00-05:00>2014-12-18T20:36:46-05:00
<img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/w9/w96tfm99um2resw7.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><strong>serendipity machine</strong>, noun: a space (often workplace) that has been designed to maximize chance encounters towards beneficial, ideally innovative, results. This definition is Archinect's own wording, culled from a variety of "serendipity" citations in design briefs – but most notably, from Sebastian Olma's book, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Serendipity-Machine-Disruptive-Business/dp/9081693573" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Serendipity Machine</a></em> (2013).</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/70/70j9w4y1j2je8i58.jpg"></p><p>Self-described "consultant on all things to do with the creative economy", Olma is likely to be the originator of the term. He describes the "serendipity machine" as it pertains to the workplace in his book:</p><p><em>The importance of unexpected conversations and knowledge exchange in innovation has been noted in the management literature for many years. What is new is actually building a business – a machine – that systematically facilitates serendipity. This book presents a disruptive business model that allows you to do exactly that. It is based on a study of Seats2meet.com, the Dutch network of physical coworking, office and meeting spaces. By reinven...</em></p>