OUT:haus a gay coworking space

Abstract

This practicum project explores the intersection of sexual identity and contemporary workplace by means of a proposed gay coworking office in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a result of increased closures of gay bars and other gay-identified places for developing community, there is a void in the gay community. Drawing from Edward Soja’s theory of thirdspace, this practicum proposes the creation of a new gay community by reimagining workspaces through the lens of gay identity and safe space. The intention of this proposal is to challenge traditional ways of thinking about the office as a predominantly heterosexual domain and to create safe work spaces that celebrate difference. The space focuses on supporting the social and collaborative aspects of coworking while interrogating space that is both work and home, between work and home and neither work or home with the objective of creating a new gay typology.