A key trend in the world of modern office design and one that featured heavily at this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week was the move towards coworking spaces. SEC Interiors Design and Proposals Manager, Hannah Woodward says: “This trend explores the potential opportunities gained by considering the transitional activity of the working environment.”
“Creating a variety of collaborative and flexible working environments that consider the different working styles of the modern day workplace results in a move away from solely static desk based environments.” Innovative space planning is of course essential to creating these types of inspiring work environments, and can be key to maximising employee productivity, well-being and staff retention.
However, it is important to recognise that every worker is different in their needs and requirements. Some individuals can be more extroverted in nature whilst others are more introverted. Some may need a quieter space to get their head down to work on projects, whilst others may want to raise the volume in a group setting. So remember, a one environment fits all scenario won’t work for every member of your team!
Office environments should offer a mixture of spaces for various personality types and
working scenarios, including open areas and private spaces
What is a Coworking Space?
A co-working space is simply a specified area where various employees can come together to collaborate on projects and ideas, and they can be created in just about any area of the office. Shared spaces such as break-out areas, staff kitchens and hot desk clusters are perfect for providing staff with ample opportunities for random encounters, leading to the sharing of information amongst colleagues throughout the workday. “Productive collaboration is not about endless meetings, but opportunities for people to come together to work on something: creating, progressing, building” says enviableworkplace.com. That statement couldn’t be truer.
A coworking space is therefore, any place that encourages dynamic exchanges.
A survey from Knoll, Inc an American office design firm found that they “find more and more that the work patterns of our employees are unpredictable. Thus, we are building more types of meeting spaces to give people choice over where to work. In those spaces, we are specifying technology and furnishings to provide as much flexibility as possible in how employees use the space.” So, it’s not just about the space itself, but the furniture and the technology within it too.
Coworking spaces encourage dynamic exchanges amongst staff and are easily installed
– Image from our recent project for REWIND
Suitable Office Furniture for Coworking Spaces
A co-working space is only as effective as the furniture within it. Standard office desks and office chairs won’t cut it here. Oh no! Instead, look to incorporate a mixture of formal and informal furnishings which will help to bring out the best of your employees – enhancing the space. Think: comfortable sofas, lounge chairs, booths and flexible office desks as opposed to static office furniture.
You can also look to inject a variety of colours into your furnishings to enhance productivity amongst staff members, but just be careful as to what hues you choose. Some colours can enhance moods whilst some can overload them. You definitely don’t want that! Consult our guide on office colour psychology to get the balance right.
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Breakout areas allow employees to collaborate and interact with one another. - Image source: Calibre Office Furniture
Benefits of a Coworking Space
So, we know what a co-working space is, but how exactly can it help your employees? Well, it works by providing your employees with a space in which to engage with others in the workplace. It creates an environment in which various generations who normally wouldn’t cross paths come together with the hope of facilitating the exchange of knowledge, in turn, promoting creativity and productivity. “A workplace where younger workers collaborate easily and effectively with mature workers is the perfect setting for organic knowledge transfer.” – Kelly Services.
Technology has of course freed us from the constraints of the desk, but it is important to remember that a truly collaborative workforce should also allow employees who work externally to collaborate through virtual means too. Something to keep in mind when considering all aspects of your team.
Bring generations together and enhance their creative output with a coworking space
- Image source: PEXELS
Drawbacks of a Coworking Space
As mentioned in our intro, co-working spaces don’t suit everyone, and they can quite easily be expanded upon to evolve into their larger counterparts: the dreaded open plan office. In this type of office environment, it can be difficult for workers to escape the various interruptions and loud noises that occur on a frequent basis, impacting the effectiveness of your overall team.
Collin Ellard Ph.D. writing for Psychology Today says “it’s very easy to organize a space in such a way that it draws a crowd, but sometimes a crowded space is the last thing you need to complete the task at hand. Sometimes we need sole occupation of our space.” If you need to focus on a particular task such as writing a press release, or crunching heavy numbers then a collaborative space simply won’t work for you. You’ve got to keep every individuals needs in mind if you are to build a cutting edge office that works for all.
Our recommendation, is to build a variety of spaces throughout your office environment that allow all of your employees to work effectively and comfortably. Isolation pods, quite rooms and independent desks can be combined with co-working areas to create the best possible environment for your employees. Making sure your office is working at its best, and for everyone.
Coffee break?
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About Author:
SEC Interiors is a commercial interior fit-out and office design company based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Our award winning team has many years of combined experience and will work with you every step of the way to ensure we build an office that works in every way for you and your team.
Want to see how we’ve transformed our client’s workspaces? Take a look at our project case studies, and find out more at: www.sec-interiors.co.uk.
Many thanks to Calibre Office Furniture for allowing us the chance to feature on their excellent blog.
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