As any creative entrepreneur or freelancer knows, coworking spaces are at the top of the trend charts at the moment. These office buildings, which provide a working space to rent on either a by-day or subscription basis, have transformed how previously isolated creative workers operate. As well as providing crucial office amenities for a fraction of the cost, coworking spaces promote community, networking, and generally pleasant working environments. And, they achieve many of these goals through intelligent designs that, in small ways, are impacting commercial interiors worldwide.
After all, you only have to say the word ‘coworking space’ to conjure trendy breakout areas, comfortable desks, and an airy industrial vibe to die for. It’s any Gen Zer’s commercial design dream and, if you’re lucky enough to own an office, it’s a design palette that you could benefit from borrowing. Don’t believe us? Keep on reading to find out about just four ways that shared offices are currently shaping quality commercial design.
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# 1 – Practicality Can Look Good
Historically, commercial design has been more about function than appearance and, in some ways, that still stands – you still need to seek commercial refurbishment services that see you with a fully functioning, productive space. But, you needn’t commission those builders to create a bland blocky office circa 2000.
As we’ve mentioned, many coworking spaces manage to look great thanks to simple inclusions like industrial bare bricks, sleek wooden floors, and appealing soft furnishings that finish the whole thing off. This more attractive approach can help to appeal to younger employees, enhance in-office comfort, and even make your hybrid workers want to spend more time in an office they’ll inevitably love.
# 2 – Community Areas Matter
Community is a huge pull of any coworking space, and it’s reflected in designs that make plenty of space for communal breakout areas, cafes, and even dedicated rooms for networking. Admittedly, the need for these areas is increased by the fact that many creatives come to these offices solely for the sake of making outside connections. But, there’s plenty of call for a more community-centric design in even a fixed office like yours.
This is especially true if you operate across different departments that don’t necessarily rub shoulders throughout the working day. Even something as simple as a shared office break/chill room could invite unexpected collaborations. That could see members of your marketing and sales teams coming together to produce the best project you’ve ever managed. And, none of that would happen if you didn’t just make room for a comfortable seating area or two.
# 3 – Variety is Key
The saying goes that variety is the spice of life, and anyone who’s lived and loved the coworking experience can attest to that. Long gone are the days of blanket working designs like office cubicles. A large part of the wide appeal that shared offices hold comes from the fact that they provide shared, private, and even mixed office areas, depending on personal working styles.
This adaptive approach to office design is an especially important part of appealing to younger employees, but it can also invite productivity increases across the board. As such, make sure that your design is plenty varied enough, with shared offices, private cubicles, breakout group working areas, and the glass partitions necessary to keep it all satisfyingly separate, no matter the overall size of your office.
# 4 – Make Room for Wellbeing
You might assume that you’ve done your bit for employee wellbeing by making room for community spaces in your design, but coworking areas reveal that this focus needs a more prominent design focus in itself to ensure true business success. The most popular shared offices particularly benefit from wellbeing-centric spaces that range from on-site gyms and showers to yoga and meditation areas.
Admittedly, this is probably one of the trickiest design focuses for many businesses to tackle. Most commercial offices simply don’t have space for an entire yoga studio. But bear in mind that even a small wellbeing design focus is better than nothing. For instance, extending that storage cupboard just enough to incorporate a treadmill and a set of weights can count for more than you’d think. Equally, it’s possible to put wellbeing at the design forefront with simple additions, like inspirational quotes on the walls, or plenty of plant life that barely takes us any space at all.
Co-working spaces are currently changing how we all work. Move with those tides by incorporating these coworking-inspired design musts into your office space.