Before exercises.
Before slides.
Before facilitation techniques.
There is the room.
And the room already sends signals.
Most facilitators focus on content and timing.
Very few think about how the physical setup shapes what participants feel allowed to do.
Consider a typical conference room.
Chairs are fixed.
A long rectangular table dominates the center.
One end naturally feels like the “head.”
Without saying anything, the room suggests hierarchy.
People look forward. They wait their turn.
They speak toward the center or toward the person leading.
Now compare that with a room where tables can move.
Chairs can rotate.
Groups can form and dissolve easily.
The signal changes.
Movement feels normal.
Side conversations feel acceptable.
Energy circulates differently.
The room influences:
- Who speaks first
- Who speaks most
- How much disagreement feels safe
- Whether ideas are explored or evaluated
This happens before the facilitator says a word.
That doesn’t mean one room is good and another is bad.
It means space is not neutral.
If you design for participation,
the room has to support participation.
Otherwise, you are designing against your own environment.
Thank you.
And Free Palestine.