What is coworking , why is it so important for place?
The rise and potential fall of wework has made coworking something of a real estate buzz word. Now real estate sees coworking as the next fix replacing business hubs and maker spaces. Large organisations like to associate themselves with the fluid creativity of the freelance entrepreneurs who skirt around the established businesses. Cities and places want to build a reputation of forward thinking. So they collaborate with large organisations and universities to build new hubs around the coworking tribes. Coworking done right, is potentially a large part of the future of work in a place. Because it is based on the happiness of the workers not the profitability of the real estate.
Changing face of work
The speed of change in the future of the type of work we do is staggering. McKinsey (2017) estimate that 49 percent of the activities that people are paid to do in the global economy have the potential to be automated by adapting currently demonstrated technology. Antony Slumbers predicts the fall of white collar workers will be as dramatic as the fall of agricultural labourers in the industrial revolution. This could make modern office blocks as redundant as water mills, steam engines and giant retail sheds. The reason for this is that the workers who find a place in the new world order will be more valuable than the real estate left from the old world.
The GCUC 2019 conference highlighted that office space of the future will have to be designed to accommodate the businesses that are thriving rather than to benefit the landlords of a real estate of a different era.
Instants 4 pillars of workplace happiness
The Instant Group highlights the four pillars of workplace happiness as people, collaboration, flexible working and wellbeing. All offices catering for businesses should be looking to meet these pillars.
The future face of coworking and place
The four pillars will be part of any design brief for coworking space. The trick will be to balance these with the changing needs of the businesses within that space. Dan Jackson at the Guild is doing just that. Working with the wonderful guilders who inhabit this space he is co-designing a space for the future. The Guild is all about people who are willing to collaborate with each other as and when the opportunity arises. Flexible working is part of the guilders life and we all have each others wellbeing at heart.
Coworking is not a new hippy trend for free lancers it is a state of being for the future of work. If you want to know more give the Guild a shout.
