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ACTIU Berbegal y Formas, S.A.
The future of coworking and flexible spaces

The future of coworking and flexible spaces

NOVEMBER 2019 | 4 minutes

Is coworking just a temporary fad?  Will traditional offices become big coworking spaces? Without a doubt, these spaces for shared working have transformed the market and will continue to evolve. But how? Up to now, it has been a revolution that has even led to a rethink of traditional work structures.

All of this was discussed in the last edition of WorkSpacesDay, three days of conferences with experts who cleared up the unknowns of coworking and tackled the new ways of working. Actiu was present at this forum through its advisor and director of Corporate Reputation, Soledat Berbegal.

The design of space: the key to well-being

One thing that all the speakers agreed on was the importance of coworking creating community. It is crucial to go back to the original idea of this concept: workspaces between like-minded people, who can share, as well as a workspace, some values, a way of seeing life and projects that unite them beyond their individual tasks. This is the key to the coworking spaces that work, and design is the key to creating this atmosphere of well-being.

At the start of her speech the Actiu director stated: "Design and spaces must be the catalyst for change, as the design of space influences people's well-being and the feeling of belonging to a group".

Home, work and fun in the office

Currently, trends are pointing towards the breakdown of boundaries between work, life and leisure spaces. New technologies allow us to work from anywhere and the shift towards creating hybrid environments, combining pleasure and work, is becoming even more popular every day. In this sense, we will soon be able to find offices combined with homes or shops. Mixed-use buildings where the focus is on people.

Cooperation and not competition

In this sense, coworking spaces are the first step. They promote cooperation and not competition, creating shared workspaces that encourage collaboration by projects, connecting people from different disciplines to work together. What's more, the choice between one space and another is often made by taking into account factors such as its design, colleagues and the extra-work activities it may offer.

In this sense, these spaces will need to succeed in creating connections among their occupants. That is, that a loyalty is generated among its users from experiences linked to the diversification of their leisure and networking activities adapting to their user's profile. This philosophy and brand identity of coworking can then be replicated in other associated centres and serve as an attraction for the same or for different users.

Furniture to attract coworkers

"The design of a space provides countless variables but that are hugely important for the coworker's final decision. It is an excellent introduction, facilitates comfort, use, ergonomics and light, generates a feeling of belonging and benefits the professional growth of people with collaboration and concentration areas," explained Soledat Berbegal during her speech.

Technology: a key ally

It is partly thanks to technology that the use of spaces is manageable and affordable. In fact, another trend in the sector is the increase in "consumption per use". In other words, a work area is no longer owned or even throughout the day. It is adaptable to the needs of each person and each day. Technology, then, becomes an essential ally.

Knowing the level of occupation of an office, its use and availability thanks to shared tools allows coworkers to get the most out of a space. Tools such as Actiu Next allow a continuous analysis and continuous improvement of the space to promote the best user experience in the use and enjoyment of it.

Productivity and flexibility

Because if there's one thing these spaces understand, it's performance and flexibility. We are talking about environments custom-made for people, where the loyalty of coworkers is based on excellence in service and in use. Where design fosters strategies to attract and entice coworkers. Where the options of use in the same day are varied, and the furniture the best ally to find the perfect space for each task. Spaces where there are values, comfort and conditions that allow everyone to carry out their work in the best possible environment and with the best colleagues.

From Coworking to the traditional office

The need to find a workspace for all types of organisations has evolved and this transformation has ended up influencing traditional offices. Traditional offices see coworking spaces as laboratories of creativity, productivity and efficiency that many want to recreate in their own facilities. Changing the fixed space for a flexible space. Generating jobs that can attract third parties to the offices, who are not part of the company, in order to improve collaboration. And even apply technology to make centres livelier, where people work by objectives and develop their own daily routine freely choosing in which space they wish to do so.