What does your (ideal) co-working office look like?

The look and feel of a co-working space is going to make or break it. Does it have a clean, sterile aesthetic? Or does it feel like you’re in a house, natty carpet, curtains, sofas with patterned throws? Or does it look like a busy office with multiple low level cubicles? What I may see … Continue reading “What does your (ideal) co-working office look like?”

The look and feel of a co-working space is going to make or break it. Does it have a clean, sterile aesthetic? Or does it feel like you’re in a house, natty carpet, curtains, sofas with patterned throws? Or does it look like a busy office with multiple low level cubicles? What I may see as my perfect co-working space may not be ideal for others. Some people need space, others enjoy being crowded, some prefer the noise of a coffee shop, others want something more private.

This is a nice co-working space – copied from the NotAnMBA blog – showing a cool concept for Co-Working. Of course, this is absolutely form over function, style over utility. The office layout is originally designed by Adam Kalkin, pictured at http://www.thecoolhunter.net/design/ (site very slow):

It’s clinical, it’s striking, it would cost a fortune. The costs of desks and office chairs has to be considered (never mind the lorry crates used to make offices in the picture above.

What do people expect from a Co-Working site?

This? An image taken from Wired of the Jelly Co-Working:


It just seems untidy and maybe not the best work environment – not to mention what it would do for your posture.

Personally I want something in the middle. I would prefer a sofa there for conversations but there need to be several workstations, places for people to work. Would there need to be a ‘do not disturb’ sign so that if you’re in the zone the guy next to you doesn’t keep talking about his weekend. I think a blog posts covering ‘co-working manners’ would be pencilled in for next week!

Something like this interests me.

The reality we have to remember is that in any new co-working space, unless there’s some external funding, you’re going to want to pack them in. You’re not going to have the luxury of large rooms and extravagant space between desks.

Related posts:

  1. Workplaces
  2. Co-Working guidelines.
  3. Co-Working 2008
  4. Co-Working Office Design considerations.

4 thoughts on “What does your (ideal) co-working office look like?”

  1. I’ve lightheartedly investigated coworking since October last year, looking at London and Brighton in particular. One worry is that photographs tend to show people all getting along just fine, whereas I can’t imagine myself getting a day’s work done like that. 🙂

    So I guess, the ideal space I’d want is something, anything in the way of a desk, chair, and power socket, perhaps with more of the facility dedicated to an enclosed kitchen area, where gibbering could take place without interrupting those knee deep in code.

    I’d be keen to keep on top of developments regarding this in Belfast, as I very much want to be working for myself in Belfast by the end of next year.

    Congrats on >80 posts in 30 days! 🙂

  2. I definitely think that there need to be the potential for segregation in a co-working space.

    • Like it or not, I want my phone calls to be private. And, to be honest, I’d like it if others had the same courtesy. Which means having ‘phone booths’ which have a seat, a table, a charging point and most importantly, a door. Job done.
    • have several degrees of segregation – public, co-work, workgroup, glass room, walled room. First come, first served
    • The receptionist/office manager will also need to be a Black Belt in something so he/she can lay a smackdown on any unruly geeks
    • TV? No TV. TV bad
    • Ambient music. Here I’m divided. You know, whether to have Alanis Morrissette or Shania Twain….kidding. Music will have to be a private affair. Avec headphones.

    Most of this boils down to not being a jerk I think.

  3. I went to see a potential client yesterday (A digital design agency) and they had the most amazing office.. Upstairs looking like any normal office, but downstairs (Where the clients come in) had a wall mounted LCD TV, a BAR! with beers on tap, a fuseball table and a private GARDEN! Somewhere like that would be amazing..

  4. One of my clients has the LCD TV in the reception, the Wii, XBox 360 and PS3 upstairs all with wireless controllers,a theatre/presentation/screening room, a pool table (hm, have they ditched the pool table?) and a quality coffee bar.

    I think this is the exception rather than the rule – especially here in Northern Ireland. And again, you’d need to be in a high margin industry to be able to afford such luxuries.

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