Category: Non classé

The coffee break has been a staple of the workday since the early days of modern industry. Office spaces soon became ornamented with automatic coffee machines and afternoon coffee orders became a daily ritual.

Yet, these breaks were often limited, to ensure that workers weren’t spending too much time away for their desks.

Today the tables have turned. More traditional companies now realize that social concepts, like the communal workspace, actually boost employee productivity and coffee culture is a major part of this. Grabbing a latte is no longer just something workers do on their break, but rather a vital part of a productive workday.

Offices around the world are now jumping on this trend, rapidly moving away from placing emphasis on hours worked and focusing more on socializing in order to promote communication and collaboration.

Have a Cup of Corporate Coffee

International office design experts, Steelcase, recently published an article titled “Real Work”, where they explored companies that are currently integrating alternative spaces into their official workspaces. They highlighted the fact that being productive is no longer limited to the desk, but can also take place while grabbing a coffee with colleagues.

It is important to remember that these office cafés are not like the ones around the corner from your house, but actually considered to be another type of office. The creation of the workplace coffee shop is a result of blending “first place” and “third places” to create a “second place” that gives “employees access to environments that offer employees the relaxed amenities of home”.

The “Real Work” article made reference to several examples of alternative workspaces, including Google’s latest endeavor the Coffee Lab. The author paid a visit to Google’s latest addition to the London campus, describing it as a “neutral territory, perfect for meeting outside vendors or partners”.

Creating added value through First, Second and Third Spaces 

Betahaus, Berlin

Betahaus, which first opened in Berlin in 2009, and has since expanded to Barcelona, and Sofia, is a prime example of a contemporary collective office that has created added value through various qualities derived from alternative spaces.

By combining the “best aspects of a Vienna-style coffee house, the library, home office and university campus”, Betahaus offers their members a workspace that encourages both social interaction and productivity through architectural diversity and alternative workspace.

In fact, when you enter Betahaus Berlin, your first impression is their café. The multifaceted space that leads to the upper floors, where the official “coworking” is happening, is always buzzing with people talking, working on laptops and enjoying a freshly cooked meal. One gets the impression that just as much work is being done over a cup of coffee as it is over a computer in the quiet meeting rooms.

As the workplace changes, things that once seemed counter-intuitive, like working in a noisy coffee shop, are now being reconsidered in the professional landscape. Now more than ever we realize the importance of employee wellbeing as well as the benefit of developing alternative workspaces.

Amanda Gray

Flywheel Coworking is a space based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They define themselves as an innovation space, where entrepreneurs and other professionals can come together to work, meet and collaborate. In addition to building a dynamic community for their members, Flywheel is also currently exploring ways in which social workspaces can connect with more conventional corporations.

We spoke with Flywheel’s community manager, Jennifer Berg, to find out more about why traditional companies are gravitating to more open workspaces.

Hi, Jennifer. How do you view an open office and does it represent a new model of work?

An open office is a workspace that while designed to be a productive atmosphere, also encourages communication and socialization. It is easy for people to assume that an open office comes with plenty of distractions, but what we’ve noticed is that the variety of spaces and people within our space help to keep people motivated. When the majority of people in the space are working and focused, you really don’t want to be the only one who isn’t!

What would we see if we walked into Flywheel?

Our space is about 11,000 square feet, with plenty of work space options. In addition to open desk space, we also have enclosed offices, meeting rooms, and soft seating throughout the area. There’s also a pool hall, which includes a pool table, dart board, coffee and beer bars, which is adjacent to our quarter-scale basketball court.

Why is space design important for productivity?

The design of the space is so important because of the options it provides to our members. It’s essential that people realize that our coworking space does not tie you down to one specific location. Instead, it gives you the opportunity to move around throughout the day, and try out new and creative workspaces.

What kinds of members typically join Flywheel and what services do you offer them?

We have a variety of members, ranging from entrepreneurs/solopreneurs/startups, to consultants and freelancers, to professionals who work for established companies but have the opportunity to work outside the office. All memberships include Wi-Fi, free coffee and water, free beer on tap. We also offer an allotment of free meeting room hours each month, as well as a discount on the hourly rate for anyone who exceeds their allotment in addition to free (or heavily discounted) admittance to our events, classes and other programming

In your opinion, how has the development of social workplaces influenced contemporary work culture?

I believe that it helps to foster a new type of creative atmosphere, where regardless of your background or experience, you want to jump and help where you can. I’ve watched people meet here at Flywheel, and within two or three days, they are collaborating or even just helping out with thoughtful advice or ideas. It’s rewarding to see how much people want to help other people, even if they’re just new acquaintances!

What does a social work environment offer that a traditional one does not?

It definitely offers a creative atmosphere. It also gives an opportunity to network and learn more about other professional areas. It’s wonderful to watch new members interact and learn about professions that they never even knew existed!

Today we see larger companies/corporations gravitating towards social workplaces, why do you think that is?

I believe that it’s due to the fact that it gives their employees more variety, whether it’s in their physical desk location, or with the people they interact with throughout the day. In my opinion, variety keeps people focused and motivated, and helps reduce the risk of boredom/lack of focus.

Does Flywheel have any corporate members?

We do. We have corporate partners (similar to sponsors), as well as members who have chosen to come and work out of Flywheel. With the members, most of them have the opportunity to work from home/remotely, and have found that they aren’t as productive in their home offices, or prefer being around people.

Why do you think that they chose Flywheel and do they feel a more social work environment has contributed to their success?

With the corporate partners, they see this as an opportunity to not only be supportive of the professional and entrepreneurial community in Winston-Salem, but also as a way to show how their services can beneficial to a variety of professions.

Since 2008, Blankspaces has been cultivating the shared workspace scene in Los Angeles. The brand has several locations, with two in L.A and one in Santa Monica, each offering freelancers and entrepreneurs shared office space, which can be rented out long-term or on a flexible basis. We spoke with Blankspace’s founder, Jerome Chang, about the development of the social workplace and how today’s office is encouraging frequent employee interactions.

Hi Jerome. How would you define the social workplace today? And how is it representative of the new model of work? 

The current open office environment includes workspaces without full-height walls, rather than offices with cubicles, which are more traditional, albeit often poor, examples. The social workplace is designed to encourage frequent interactions. Hotel lobbies with work-like areas are good examples of this.

Please describe the design of Blankspaces, and tell us a bit about why the look and feel of a workspace is so important.

At Blankspaces, I include a variety of workspaces, from small intimate areas, to large open areas, and everything in between. This helps develop physical spatial relationships that shape cultural interactions. For coworking, it’s also important to remember that our physical space is what generates revenue, so efficiency is vital.

Blankspaces, Santa Monica

 How did you realize what type of space design nurtured productivity?

All types of spaces can nurture productivity. Once you use all of your design tools, including details like the way someone sits, away or toward others, you can make any space productive.

What kinds of members usually join Blankspaces (more freelance or corporate) and what services do you offer them?

Any and all. We tend to attract and retain members who value a “real office” and one that has a productive vibe. This does not necessarily mean it’s quiet, or noisy.

In your opinion, how has the development of these open spaces influenced the culture of work?

Privacy can be segmented into many levels and perceived differently by everyone. Questioning how much privacy someone needs to work productively, is critical.

What does a social work environment offer that a traditional one does not?

A social workplace develops and expands the definition of work, including networking.

Blankspace’s founder, Jerome Chang

It seems that many larger companies/corporations are steadily gravitating towards social workplaces, why do you think that is?

They are starting to see that interactions amongst others have been undervalued in the past.

How are the expectations of the modern workforce different from previous models?

Technology can finally untether workers allowing them to be productive anywhere, so they now work all the time. Oops.

What has changed in the last 5 years? What are the current expectations? How do you address these modern needs?

A workspace doesn’t necessarily need to provide space for a keyboard, a CPU, or even file storage. So workspaces can be much smaller. Dedicated workspaces may not even be required because people change workspaces throughout the day. Therefore, workspaces have to be designed with a variety of areas in mind.

The rapid growth of coworking spaces around the world has redefined how we work. But there is one glaring question: is this workplace model sustainable?

Today there are around close to 6,000 spaces worldwide. Yet the coworking movement is still in a stage of maturation, making financial independence a lingering issue for many spaces. That being said, the line between old and new economic practices is growing thinner as high net worth companies are starting to see coworking as more than just open space, filled with secondhand furniture and individuals who can’t seem to get a job, but rather as a worthwhile investment.

The last 12 months have been proof, as coworking space operators have raised almost 1 billion USD, with a big part of that money going to coworking champions, WeWork.

Coworking Starts to See Big Money

Funds Raised by Coworking Spaces in Recent Months:

Read the rest of the article Coworking Europe…