Advantages of coworking offices. What should they offer to users?

Coworking offices are a cutting-edge solution that has become hugely popular around the world in recent years. Their key feature is renting office space to be shared with others, thus allowing different businesses greater flexibility and customisation. Coworking space provides individuals and small teams with access to a variety of workspace types, including individual workstations, modern office furniture, meeting rooms or relaxation areas. In this article, we will take a look at the key advantages of coworking offices and discuss what should their design accommodate for to meet the needs of users and make them comfortable.

An office to let or what is coworking?

The term of coworking refers to offices that are independent of the employer. It is a shared rented space for both self-employed professionals and employees or teams from different companies to do their jobs. Coworking is a modern alternative to traditional company spaces and working from cafés, business centres and from home. Originally, mainly freelancers, start-ups and small firms would use this type of solution, as they were seeking flexibility and a way to minimise costs. Today, coworking space is also increasingly sought by large organisations and even corporations. These types of offices are adapted to host varied activities, as they can also be rented for any length of time.

What our expert says

Today, coworking offices offer a variety of options, from individual workstations using comfortable armchairs and a high-speed internet connection to an open space fitted with a large number of desks. Access to additional facilities such as meeting rooms, kitchen, relaxation areas and acoustic booths is important as well. Providing opportunities for collaboration in a coworking space between users is critical. This is why the design should ensure facilitated interpersonal communication and relationships

– says Eliza Donek, Product Manager at Mikomax.

The coworking office market in the world and in Poland

The first coworking space opened in 2006 in San Francisco. Currently, the market for shared offices for rent is seeing rapid growth, while it redefines the traditional perspective on the workplace. The Covid-19 pandemic and the related remote working mode have further accelerated this trend. Statistics show that there are around 18,700 coworking spaces worldwide, and according to forecasts, there will be more than 41,000 by 2024.

The number of companies that choose to use this type of space in Poland is also on the rise every year. Today, you can find them in almost every major city (Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, etc.) where they bring together people who are keen on working outside the box.

The changing spectrum of working styles: factors driving the popularity of coworking offices

Covid-19 has turned traditional working models upside down, accelerating the trend towards more flexible and remote forms of doing your job. Furthermore, the dynamic development of technology not only affects various sectors of the economy, but also determines the ways people work and businesses operate. Coworking offices address the key needs of today’s employees and businesses: they provide rental flexibility, allow team scaling without long-term commitments and offer modern, well-designed spaces that encourage efficiency.

When does sharing become a benefit? Advantages of coworking offices

Shared offices are spaces that respond to trends in the way people work and the rapidly changing business needs of entrepreneurs and employees. They are places where different industries and professions can coexist, collaborate and inspire each other.

Optimisation of office running costs

Coworking offices are an ideal solution for businesses looking for cost optimisation strategies. Maintaining a traditional space involves a number of fixed charges such as rent, utilities, cleaning and IT maintenance. Coworking spaces offer flexible rental options. This allows the workspaces that one needs to be easily adapted to dynamic changes in team structure, without having to expand or relocate a currently occupied office.

Hot desking that inspires

Coworking offices come in two types of workspace: hot desks and dedicated desks. The latter case involves a workstation that is booked for a specific tenant who does not have to look for a new place every day. Hot desking allows you to use your office space on your own terms, taking work flexibility to a whole new level. It stimulates creativity and innovation by allowing interaction between different individuals and teams. Daily changes of environment and colleagues can bring new perspectives, ideas and opportunities for collaboration.

However, it is important that the height of  a desk top can be adjusted so that it suits the height of the person who will be sitting at it. Our Stand Up R manual height-adjustable desks are solutions that are perfect for coworking spaces. You can easily adjust your working setting between sitting and standing positions with almost no distraction from the task at hand. What is more, you can lift the tops of Stand Up R desks in a side-by-side arrangement to turn them into a multi-user project table. To be able to adapt the workplace to your physical and task-related needs improves concentration and job satisfaction.

Click to find out What is it like to work at a STAND UP R desk with adjustable top?

Improved efficiency and flexibility to choose a workplace

Coworking spaces offer the opportunity to work in a variety of spaces from quiet individual workstations, less formal areas with soft seating furniture, to spacious team meeting rooms with electric height-adjustable conference tables. This means that employees need not limit their working style to one fixed space. They are free to choose the environment instead to suit their current requirements and mood for greater efficiency and job satisfaction.

Healthy work-life balance

The home office mode can be a factor in blurring the boundaries between professional and personal lives. Coworking offices provide a clear separation of these two. With a dedicated workspace, it is easier to stay focused and efficient. In addition, many of these spaces offer additional facilities such as meditation rooms, gyms or rooftop terraces that encourage you to stay physically and mentally fit, which is invaluable in maintaining work-life balance.

Are there any disadvantages of coworking?

Coworking spaces may seem ideal places for businesses. They ensure a great deal of flexibility, access to new technologies, and valuable networking opportunities. There are also some downsides, though, that need to be mentioned.

For many, keeping focus solely on their work in an open shared space, frequented by fascinating personalities, can pose a challenge. It is more difficult to maintain focus in such an environment than in a traditional office. The privacy issues are a factor too, as sharing space with different businesses does not appear an ideal option for those who work on projects that require discretion. Furnishing your coworking office with our Soniq mobile acoustic partitions may provide a perfect solution. The rollers supplied in the stabilising feet and in the partition joints enable you to move the partitions close to the desk and create a space isolated from the rest of the room.

Find out more about the uses of mobile office partitions and read Space–within-a-space done flexibly with the SONIQ portable acoustic partitions.

Coworking office design: a single space for architects, copywriters, graphic designers and programmers

Designing coworking offices presents a real challenge because such a space is difficult to create with standard frameworks. It must fulfil many practical functions and meet the needs of a variety of professionals. Each of them has their own specific needs: an architect needs a desk with a larger working surface, a copywriter needs a quiet spot, a graphic designer needs a well-lit place to work, and a programmer needs two monitors and a fast internet connection.

A well-designed coworking office provides for these diverse requirements, offering a space that is flexible, adaptable and versatile, also by using our flexible office furniture.

Isolation or cooperation? The importance of functional zones in a coworking office

It is therefore important that the design of the coworking office takes into account the different needs of the employees and allows them to freely use the functional areas in line with their current requirements. Quiet, private pods facilitate concentration and offer almost complete isolation from background noise and traffic. The mobile partitions can be easily rearranged to create either private areas ideal to keep focused or open collaborative areas. Shared spaces, relaxation areas or roof terraces create informal meeting places where innovative ideas come to mind and business relationships can be started.

An interesting option for coworking offices, the free-standing tree-shaped acoustic partitions are available in many colour options. Placing them next to workstations will not only improve sound parameters and reduce noise levels, but will also stand out as a decoration.

Diverse and multifunctional spaces that build positive experiences

In order to attract the attention of businesses and professionals from a variety of industries, it is worth investing in original, interesting coworking office designs that include areas for individual work and spaces where employees can relax in the soft Packman chairs or sofas. Here, Ligo modular furniture is an equally excellent choice. You can use the multi-colour cubicle system to create open collaborative spaces, intimate corners for quiet individual work or even informal relaxation zones. This will result in making coworking more dynamic, diverse and tailored to the needs of today’s professionals.

Work comfort is core requirement – ergonomic workstations

Sitting in one position for several hours has a detrimental effect on our spine, so it is advisable to change positions several times a day. It is not only a matter of comfort, but also a way to stimulate creativity and increase efficiency through a change of environment and perspective. Whether an employee prefers to work standing up, sitting or changing position throughout the day, our electric or manual height-adjustable desks offer freedom of choice in coworking offices.

Biophilic design in coworking spaces

When designing a coworking office, mind the décor. In order to create a calm and amiable space, it is worth opting for biophilic design. The use of natural light, materials and plants will provide a healthier and more inspiring work environment. You can go for vertical gardens, moss walls or a large number of live potted plants.

Do you know what furniture will be best for your coworking office?

Check out our range of flexible furniture for shared offices >>