The Sharing Economy as a Driver of Change and New Business Models
Open-plan offices divided by partitions or a floor-by-floor approach are a thing of the past. Open spaces and the freedom to choose one’s workspace are the norm today. Major companies like Facebook and Google, as well as long-established firms such as Philips, are leading the way with their corporate headquarters. They draw inspiration from coworking spaces, which are driving the transformation of the workplace on an international scale. While there were approximately 2,500 coworking spaces globally in 2013, that number had nearly sextupled by 2017. There are currently about 14,600 collaborative workspaces worldwide, and the trend continues to rise.
As such, coworking spaces also reflect increasing mobility and changing work-time models. The shift away from the rigid “nine-to-five” schedule is reshaping society. The boundaries of familiar structures are currently being broken down. Flexible usage concepts with seamless digital infrastructure and opportunities for interaction and collaboration are increasingly in demand. The fact is: The old-style individual and open-plan office is losing its significance. The importance of team and communication zones, on the other hand, is on the rise. In this context, the aspect of reversibility is gaining relevance. This means that today’s office spaces must be multifunctional and able to serve multiple purposes with minimal effort.
Coworking Spaces: Flexibility vs. Space Availability
The assumption that this general trend will inevitably lead to corresponding new construction projects—or even to futuristic locations like Apple Park in California’s Silicon Valley—is misleading. On the contrary: the motto “less is more” applies. For example, existing industrial buildings are often repurposed. Certain parameters for coworking spaces are consistent worldwide. Location, name, and price are often decisive criteria for successful models. The spaces are typically located in areas close to downtown and well-connected to public transportation. The name is usually derived from the concept’s origins. Depending on the target clientele, the price for a workspace must be significantly lower than what an office in a privately leased building would cost. At Mindspace in Hamburg, for example, a fixed workspace is available starting at 250 euros per month. Providing “coworkers” with the opportunity to customize their workspaces and offering extras such as group lunches or dinners and networking events fulfills additional key criteria for a successful office.
However, the very act of personalizing workspaces leads to a problem common to all coworking spaces: there is generally no additional space available for filing. While some providers do offer separate rooms for storing materials, this space is limited. So for those who cannot do without paper and files entirely and do not want to constantly transport them from A to B, a crucial resource is often missing in a coworking space: storage space.
