This chapter centres on the intricate interplay between knowledge creation and the environments researchers inhabit. It explores the concept of epistemic living spaces, which encapsulates researchers’ individual and collective narratives as they navigate the structures, contexts, rationales, actors, and values integral to academic work. This concept highlights the dual role of space in academic research, bridging its epistemological and lived dimensions. The chapter outlines the various facets of these spaces, with a particular focus on their temporal aspects, which are central to the book. It concludes by emphasizing the crucial role of frictions within these spaces as opportunities for uncovering and understanding the inner dynamics of academic research.