Collaborative Spaces in the Material World: Towards a Typology of Space-time Regulation Artifacts

Collaborative spaces (CSs) have emerged as settings conceivable as spatial and temporal re-organization devices. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the relationship between the space-time dimension and the material assemblages unfolding within collaborative spaces. Through direct observations and semi-structured interviews conducted in three CSs in Northern Italy, we explore how material artifacts allow CSs’ users to organize their working space and time. Indeed, CS’s users process, shape and use material artifacts according to their space-time needs. Specifically, we draw a typology of space-time regulation artifacts that comprises three different categories of material artifacts that contribute to the enactment of space-time coordination practices by those who attend CSs.