Though seen as an exciting new trend in commercial real estate, these workplaces are missing the personal touch of corporate identity. What they offer instead is a generic workplace that sells the co-working space brand instead of your company’s culture and the opportunity to reinforce brand and mission with employees and clients.
While co-working spaces can be a great solution for many smaller or developing companies, it may not be the right fit for everyone. Co-working spaces are a business and have their own brand, they are not the answer to achieving innovation, collaboration, or supporting progressive thinking - That is where a strong office culture and a well designed workplace go unmatched.
Although a company’s corporate identity and brand represents a business, it is ultimately the employees who deliver on the business’s promise and who make the company engine run. Today and moving into the future, people want that engine to run differently. It wasn’t until technology advanced to allow for more mobility and access, that a large amount of opportunities arose and changed the way we work - improving productivity and employee happiness. As a result a lot of business is now being conducted away from an assigned desk setting.
In the 2020 office, management and employees sit side by side in open plan workspaces that are filled with light and have plenty of alternative work space options. Every square meter has its purpose and is utilised to its maximum potential allowing employees to engage in organic exchanges in collaborative, micro meeting spaces and break out areas. Providing employees with multiple options gives them control over their workspace environment and enables them to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
Although many co- working office spaces offer a variety of different options for businesses to choose from, they in no way compare to the productivity and employee happiness of a workplace that has been carefully analysed and designed to the company and workforce’s specific needs. For businesses that prioritise investing in their employees, corporate identity, productivity and client experience (as every company should), a bespoke designed workplace that supports their every need and reflects their mission is an unparalleled asset that pays off over time. As more businesses are trying to cut corners on office interior design, branded and uniquely well designed workplaces are quickly becoming an impressive differentiator.
The trendiness of co-working spaces in the commercial real estate industry is a necessity for small or new businesses. Trends of collaborative, open plan spaces with unique designs, plenty of natural light, and variety of options for employees are the preferred work space. Co-working spaces capture these trends well but the use of these design trends as a generic solution for every employee and every business can only limit so much return.
Good office interior design is problem solving tied to each business's unique challenges and goals, there is no one size fits all for workplace interior design, it is a hand-crafted product that simply cannot be bought off the shelf.
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