“When I’m working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only of how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it’s wrong.” – Richard Buckminster Fuller

Be present

Presence should be at the core of your activities as a team. It is our prime tool for managing and reasserting a dynamic community where the residents feel appreciated and seen.

This is a valuable principle to keep in mind as you meet your community 1:1. Being available, approachable and present, not to mention visible, means your residents will be able to keep in touch for daily banter and voicing their concerns and ideas. As you amass this kind of daily input, you are able to make sense of the state of things and hence make better decisions. You will know where things are flowing well and which matters are pressing.

Keep your staff within arm’s reach of the residents. As we have already discussed, one way of doing this is by replacing the traditional reception with a more non-hierarchical front desk. Keep its design informal and atmosphere easy-going in order to invite conversation and interaction. Erasing the boundaries between organisation and resident emphasises the importance of and belief in dialogue and equality.

Always co-own

The word co-ownership implies sharing of both benefits and responsibilities. By asserting the notion of co-ownership in a coworking space, you can forge even stronger bonds between the residents and the community as a whole. As previously mentioned, you can encourage emotional investment in the community by including its future residents in the process of ideation and decision-making in the early stages of planning. But tapping into the pool of residents for insight should not stop there.

Coworking spaces are in constant transformation and as its residents come and go, the needs of the community change. Maintaining a meaningful emotional involvement from the residents, therefore, relies on a constant reevaluation of the status quo. Look for new co-creation opportunities to regularly replenish and reaffirm the sense of building the community together. It is a valuable tool in establishing trust between residents and the management.

A strong emotional investment among the residents enhances the commitment to maintaining a healthy community from both a relational and spatial perspective. The act of maintenance is one of care. When people form an emotional bond to a shared space and a community, it will implore them to better care for it and its people. To take responsibility for it. ¹

The same can be said for the caretakers. If they are not only on board with their employer but also the values and worldview of the larger community, the work might hold a higher purpose. In the caretaker’s case, maintenance will inevitably be a way of caring for both the people and the building.

Co-ownership also implies a democratic approach to community-building. We have already identified some ways in which this can affect the mindset of a society or organisation. One way of physically manifesting the idea is by flattening the visual hierarchy. Setting a standard for residents’ visual communication enforces an aesthetic and idealistic coherence while letting everyone know they are equally important. A ‘no-logo on the facade’ policy or a shared typography for signs on office doors are some ways to maintain this. The whole is more important than its parts.

In so many ways, a sense of co-ownership plays into pride of belonging to something good, perhaps even great. If this pride revolves around a specific place, residents are more likely to talk about it. It means they are also prone to inviting people in, supporting our greater goal of creating convergence within the community, and stimulating synergies between our residents and external parties.

Consider quality

When considering the architectural aspects and design of the coworking space, it’s wise to think of each room in the following way: Which surfaces and objects will be touched or used by many and which are merely seen? How do people move around spaces or between them? Where do they stay for long periods and where do they only pass by fleetingly?

The answers to these questions will indicate the different requirements you will need to consider when planning the space. A general rule is to invest in things that will have a lot of wear and cut costs for those less used. This goes for furniture and materials both.

With flex desks, where people come and go, one might emphasise flexibility in storage and workstations. A sober and practical atmosphere encourages the additional use of shared spaces to create a fulfilling service experience. This option allows for cheaper solutions, as it simply will not see the daily wear of surfaces and materials.

On the other hand, a fixed desk or office begs for more durable solutions. The question of quality arises. Where should one invest? Points that see a high frequency of contact are the ones you should allocate funds to. Here, one does well to invest in good design that has a timeless flair and proven ability to withstand the passing of time. These objects often lift the perceived quality of general space, creating a sense of pride in their users too, rightfully feeling they are worthy of good design. Additionally, quality materials and objects will require much less maintenance and service, as they are less likely to need replacement within a few years, making your job a lot easier. This is an issue inherently connected to the subject of time and longevity. As we have previously stated, coworking spaces are arenas of constant change. If your objective is to exist in years or decades, choose materials that allow you to maintain rather than dispose.

What is exciting and new at the moment surely will not be in a year or two, so choosing classic and robust designs allows for a more graceful passing of time and a more sustainable approach. Time is fleeting, but a mix of functional and fine furniture and objects usually last. That being said, a workplace is not a home, and keeping a balance between the two allows for people to not feel intimidated nor nonchalant or reckless towards the objects around them.

"Design is a verb, not a noun." – Ilse Crawford

Appreciate tactility

Think about tactility² in surfaces that people frequently interact with or touch. In other words, do not only consider these from a purely functional point of view. Imagine their potential to forge meaningful and stimulating relationships between object and user, hence taking the aesthetic experience beyond the superficial. A tactile approach to design allows residents to feel the subtle care and consideration behind each choice.
In current architectural discourse, we speak about tactility beyond the sense of touch. It is a term that includes daylight and artificial light, air quality, temperature and other seemingly practical aspects that have the potential to enhance and impact quality of life in our work environment. Not to mention its obvious poetic potential in a space.

Add transformative elements

At least part of a coworking space should aspire to be adaptable to the current users’ needs. This doesn’t mean abandoning a visual coherence, but rather including a few transformative elements that will enable the residents to customise their surroundings to their preference. By doing so, you endow them with a sense of ownership of the space. It is the extension of a gesture, one of consideration and generosity.

These tokens of transformation can come into play by adding customisable furniture and accessories to the office. An example could be including a shelving system where the resident can add shelves, cupboards or other units according to their preferences and needs. The addition of sit/stand desks or adjustable height chairs also contributes to a sense of adaptability.

Introduce adaptable elements to meeting rooms as every congregation has a unique character. Some thrive in performing and being seen, while others require the option of closing off from the rest of the world. A simple thing like curtains can accommodate this concern. Consider transformation in shared spaces too. An example could be the addition of modular ottomans in a common area that residents can arrange to accommodate their party. These solutions support a wide range of contexts and situations, enabling a high level of flexibility.

Set out table lamps or lights that people can take to their desk or office if needed. Allow residents to individualise their spaces, to hang visual elements or organise their belongings in storage. What people keep in their space says a lot about who they are and it is one of the many ways in which they connect in the workplace.

Favour sliding doors

A thought to consider on the issue of stimulating meetings across the community is to design for people to leave the office—to wander. The term implies “walking around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction” and, furthermore, a state of curiosity and openness. This open-endedness is favourable to serendipity and the occurrence of agenda-less meetings.

Address this in a spatial context by designing for open doors. An open door is more likely to both invite in and inspire venturing out. A practical application of this theory could be sliding doors in offices, as these are much more likely to stay open than a door that automatically shuts.

An open door, in turn, implies a lowered guard—it welcomes engagement. The imagined line between private and shared space becomes fuzzier, allowing for more casual exchange as well as a higher frequency of curiosity-driven interactions within the community.

Empower residents with a privacy switch

Continuing the train of thought, one has to consider the issue of boundaries—physical and mental. A way of embodying this subject is by thinking of thresholds and their many roles within the coworking space. An open door suggests a lower threshold for engaging in conversation with another resident. Similarly, curtains closed in a meeting room suggest a high threshold to interrupt without purpose.

These are some ways of designing for participation and privacy, as they are equally necessary to maintain a relatively functional and harmonious life at the office. The latter example speaks of visibility, a powerful tool when facilitating both privacy and openness.

Do not underestimate the importance of designing for a sense of being secure and comfortable while being open, when the privacy switch is off. By raising the floor of offices one step, you allow their inhabitants to meet passers-by at eye level. Not only does it eliminate intimidation between the two, it also plays into the perceived feeling of safety in your own space.

Design for variety and add sugar cubes

Building on the notion of curiosity, openness and lowered thresholds, it is natural to underline the importance of building for a variety of situations. In order for people to wander, they need something to wander to. We call these mechanisms “sugar cubes”, as they are social objects or places that draw people to them.

Designing for variation aligns with the mission of offering flexibility as part of an excellent service experience. Having the possibility of venturing between the work desk, phone booth, meeting room, amphitheatre or loveseats for private conversations and casual lounges is key, as it addresses a range of needs head-on. They facilitate a change of scenery ³ and thereby another kind of experience, another kind of meeting between minds. Design for a variety of situations so that people might see themselves and each other in more than one.

Creating compelling local revolving points allows one to harbour strong synergies. The kitchen or coffee maker is one of these mundane mechanisms that easily leads to convergence. These maintain the fundamental function of water-cooler conversations by enabling the frequent and casual meetings taking place here.

Utilise social objects

As we have already mentioned, people need a reason to leave the office and non-residents need reasons to come and visit. For that to happen, we need to be aware of what the sugar cubes are and how often they are needed. Think about them as social objects people flock to and have a conversation around. They can also be attractive in their own right and flair. They are places of attraction and aggregation.

By combining the sugar cubes with other essential functions in the building, you can elevate their impact. For example, a restaurant not only serves the purpose of providing tasty meals to the residents and visitors—it is a platform for convergence across the community. It enables a change of scenery and lowers the threshold for interaction significantly, perhaps making it the most relaxed space in the building.

Likewise, an amphitheatre or lecture hall can serve the basic function of assembly and sharing of information through talks and other events. But it also supports the convergence between residents and external parties, allowing outside perspectives a presence in the space. This encourages a sharing of information and ideas that exceed the community. It also relates to the issue of co-ownership, residents can organise their own events, attracting co-workers in the space.

In cognitive sociology, social objects are conceived as “objects that gain meaning through processes of reification, for example, a ritual”. On Twitter it is the tweet, on Tumblr it is the post, on Instagram it is the photo and on Spotify it is the playlist. In a coworking space, this could be the food we have for lunch, the cappuccino we sip in the morning or art that challenges our perspectives. In the design of social networks, there is a rule of thumb that the more frequently a social object appears, the more successful the platform is.

The purpose of the social object is the convergence of people, knowledge and ideas. For it is the fuel of innovation.

Orchestrate the square

Ultimately, the square is intrinsically linked to the concept of social objects. Yet, it holds a more complex function in the community. The square is often one of the first shared spaces you encounter—the beating heart of the building just as in the context of a city—or a crossroads between floors and functions. All roads should lead to the square to activate its full potential. In other words, you should have to pass the square to get anywhere.

This central location makes it an ideal point of access to and distribution of information relevant to the residents; events, invitations, practicalities, etc. There are, of course, many ways of going about this, both analogue and digital. Maintaining a strong physical and visual presence at the square allows the administration to deliver information directly to its residents in a hospitable and personal manner that sticks.

A square should never be constant nor passively existing, it is a place of happening and of rousing action. Its function is not only one of transfer from one place to another. Rather, it could be a place of waiting, welcoming visitors, casual meetings, events, parties, ping pong or other goings-on. It should be a place you want to spend time, a place of participation.

On the other hand, this participation should be considered from several points of view. Just as a successful square facilitates a myriad of functions, it should also enable a multitude of ways to participate. You should be able to be at the centre of what is going on as well as at the periphery of it. To both linger and to pass by. A considered use of shadow and corners allows one to be at the edge of things ⁴ of spaces where we feel safe and protected. Think in subsections, considering the square as a microcosmos accommodating a variety of situations within one space. This evokes the image of the square in Mediterranean countries, where it is essentially home to a wide range of activities and functions in daily life.

The square of a coworking space should speak to similarly complex layers of function and meaning. For example, a variation of seated and standing situations should appeal to both groups and individuals, so they can find what they identify with at the given time. Could certain pieces of furniture be mobile in order to transform into the constellations needed? Or stackable to be easily put away or into use?

Furthermore ⁵, the atmosphere is a powerful tool in the design of the square. Consider this question: What kind of atmosphere would provoke and support synergies we are trying to create best? Is it calm and collected? Is it bustling? Is it professional or relaxed? What music do we play? How many lumens do we beam from the lighting? Consciously working with ambience can support one’s identity as a community or organisation, drawing residents to the square or, worst case, driving them away from it.