Shared Spaces: Reflections on Archtober and the City We Build Together
October in New York is more than fall leaves and pumpkin spice, it is Archtober, a month dedicated to architecture, design, public space, and the city’s built environment. The festival celebrated its 15th year with a focus on shared spaces, which appears to be a perfect match for our current way of life and urban development and design needs.
The concept of shared space holds significant meaning for Irving Yee Architecture. We consider human interaction with environments and between people during all our small-scale work activities. Design represents to us the creation of connections between people rather than physical objects or architectural surfaces. The design of physical space determines how areas will function as meeting points or separation zones while making particular areas available to all users but restricting access to specific groups.
The practice of sharing space in New York serves as an essential element of urban existence.
The people of New York City have no option to share their living space. It is the nature of the city itself. The public areas of sidewalks and stoops and corner cafés and parks require us to establish methods for living together. The physical structure of a building establishes the boundaries through which people interact with their environment.
Our organization defines shared space as a concept that goes beyond open floor plans because it enables people to connect through mutual understanding. The concept includes the natural light which reaches all areas of a room and materials that develop beauty with time and the tiny details which create a sense of hospitality. A solution that is well designed should never dominate others because it listens to others and adjusts to meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Observations from Archtober 2025
This year’s Archtober showed how diverse the idea of shared space can be. The majority of tours and exhibitions concentrated on reuse and public accessibility and environmental equilibrium because these subjects interest us more than visual appeal.
The waterfront design walks studied how industrial areas could be transformed into sustainable areas that promote walking activities. The galleries presented small installations and discussions which showed that shared areas do not need to be extensive or enduring to function as shared spaces. A single corner becomes transformed through the power of an idea or a meaningful conversation or an act of kindness.
These instances which exist for brief periods or were created to endure serve the same essential function. They make the city more open and humane.
Our Take on “Shared Spaces”
Looking at this year’s theme, three ideas stood out that continue to guide how we think about design:
People experience a sense of group membership through their participation in activities.
Spaces that encourage people to stay and share and gather and contribute will develop natural resistance to challenges.
Sustainability needs all members of society to actively join the effort.
The buildings in the city exchange their resources with the surrounding urban environment through shared air and water and energy systems. Our ability to understand connection enables us to create urban designs which improve environments without creating overwhelming conditions.
Flexibility serves as the essential element which supports long life.
Buildings that can adjust to changing needs at any level will continue to exist in the future. The areas maintain their original function as communities and requirements change.
These are not abstract principles for us. The acquired knowledge from this process enables designers to create both small interior areas and extensive urban development schemes.
Looking Ahead
The theme of Archtober creates an opportunity for people to join an extensive dialogue about architecture. Our organization will expand its activities to work with designers and communities and the urban environment in the future. The methods of writing research and collaborative work let us exchange our thoughts while avoiding physical contact with construction sites.
Our main goal is to prevent ourselves from becoming too spread out. The primary goal needs to direct resources toward specific projects and discussions which enable strategic design approaches to produce major improvements.
A Shared Commitment
The city of New York presents itself as both an obstacle and an educational experience to us. Design achieves its greatest impact through serving the needs of community life in every building block. The truth becomes evident through events like Archtober because architecture exists as a collective duty rather than an individual activity.
At Irving Yee Architecture, we believe that good design does not just shape a building, it shapes the way people experience the city, together.
Our Take on “Shared Spaces”
The theme of Archtober creates an opportunity for people to join an extensive dialogue about architecture. Our organization will expand its activities to work with designers and communities and the urban environment in the future. The methods of writing research and collaborative work let us exchange our thoughts while avoiding physical contact with construction sites.