Coworking Facilities

Silicon Valley’s co-working boom is no cure for its crushing loneliness

Silicon Valley’s co-working boom is no cure for its crushing loneliness

Silicon Valley may be satire, but the HBO television show hits eerily close to home for many people in the technology and start-up worlds. Among the many things it gets right is the tech world’s obsession with co-working spaces.

On the show, the absurdly arrogant yet lazy Erlich Bachman runs his own incubator, inviting founders to live and work in his home. Eventually he gets some competition from Big Head, a similarly aimless character who turns his newly purchased mansion into another incubator.

Read the article on qz.com >

How to Craft a Top-Notch Shared Office

How to Craft a Top-Notch Shared Office

Coworking spaces are nothing new, but their designs have now entered uber-luxurious territory. Take the NeueHouse Hollywood off of Sunset Boulevard in LA. The six-story oasis for entrepreneurs and startups in the entertainment industry couldn’t sit in a more appropriate space: the former CBS Radio Building and Studio, where the first pilot of “I Love Lucy” was filmed. Designer Rockwell Group was on hand at the recent Dwell on Design conference in LA to paint the picture of the 70,000-square-foot shared workspace that opened doors last year.

Read the blog post on blog.hightower.com >

WeWork Cuts Earnings Prediction from $65 Million to $14 Million

WeWork Cuts Earnings Prediction from $65 Million to $14 Million

About a month ago, WeWork announced it would cut back about 7% of its workforce, claiming however that funds were not a motivator behind the decision. Recent leaked documents to Bloomberg prove the company is making cuts on its staff, its spendings, and its projections.

According to the leaked documents and videos, WeWork’s forecast for the year isn’t as bright as it was only a few months ago. Their internal financial review for the month of April showed that they slashed their 2016 profit forecast by 78%, their revenue estimate by 14%, and reported a 63% surge in negative cash flow.

Bloomberg cites that “the lower revenue projection was due to building openings that were delayed, some by more than six months.” And added that the review also showed “higher spending on construction and lower-than-expected remodeling subsidies from landlords, particularly outside the U.S.”

Read the article on officingtoday.com >

The Scientific Reason Why Coworking May Be The Future Of Work

The Scientific Reason Why Coworking May Be The Future Of Work

A team of researchers at the University of Michigan’s Steven M. Ross School of Business led by business professor Dr. Gretchen Spreitzer, who also directs the Center for Positive Organizations, has spent the last four years studying coworking. In the process, they've interviewed the founders of coworking companies around the U.S. and surveyed more than 200 workers from dozens of coworking spaces; one team member spent six months as a coworking member.

Their research uncovered two key benefits to the coworking experience, both of which have been linked to improved employee performance. Simplified somewhat, it comes down to flexibility and autonomy without dispensing with meaningful community.

Read the article on fastcompany.com >

How WeWork Experiments On Itself to Advance the Field of Office Design

How WeWork Experiments On Itself to Advance the Field of Office Design

In a nondescript building in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, the global headquarters of WeWork buzzes with creative energy. In just a little over six years, the start-up at the forefront of the coworking-space rental boom has created a $16 billion operation with 50,000 members in 28 cities, with 96 locations announced for this year.

Read the article on archdaily.com >

What Flexible Workspaces Have Taught Corporates About Fostering Community

What Flexible Workspaces Have Taught Corporates About Fostering Community

With companies and businesses adopting new workplace design and models, they’ve been able to replicate the interactions that are common in a flexible workspace, where open plan environments foster interaction and collaboration. Whereas in traditional offices, where employees were separated by department or speciality, implementing new design models has allowed staff from different areas to connect and collaborate with one another–fostering a stronger sense of community and opening up even more the available communication channels.

Read the article on officingtoday.com >

Substantial growth in 21st Century self employment in the UK

Substantial growth in 21st Century self employment in the UK

The 21st Century has seen an explosion of self employment in the UK, and most people who have become self employed have done so for positive reasons, claims a new report from the UK Government’s Office for National Statistics. According to the Trends in Self Employment Report, there are now more than 4.7 million people classified as self employed, around 15 percent of the workforce. There has been a marked upturn since the 2008 recession, an increase of 730,000 over that period. The trend to self employment has been evident since the turn of the Millennium when around 3.2 million people were classified as self employed. Between 2001 and 2015, part time self employment grew by 88 percent, compared to 25 percent for full time work, partly because of the growing number of workers choosing part time self employment before retirement. The report describes the changes as structural, which suggests that the growth will continue.

Read the article on workplaceinsight.net >

Coworking and the current French revolution in the workplace

Coworking and the current French revolution in the workplace

In France, we might have been the first to behead a King and hold a revolution, or to stand on barricades and die for ideals of justice and equality, but when it comes to change – especially in large organisations– we always seem to lag behind. You could blame it on a number of factors: a cultural bias towards tradition, the legacy of an interventionist and ever-present state, spawning bureaucratic models of large state-owned corporations, the everlasting grasp of the elites stifling innovation and the ability to “think outside the box”… Whatever this may be, the debate around remote working – a type of work organisation which allows employees to work regularly away from the office – in France has always been articulated around the preconception that France was behind. And that while its Anglo-Saxon or Nordic European neighbours displayed a boastful 30 percent of the working population as remote workers, France struggled to reach a meagre 9 to 10 percent in 2010.

Read the article on workplaceinsight.net >

Serendipity Labs Brings Co-Working To The Suburbs

Serendipity Labs Brings Co-Working To The Suburbs

CHICAGO—Serendipity Labs Coworking is ready to expand its services in the Chicago region, company officials tell GlobeSt.com. The New York-based firm opened a two-floor co-working and conference center at One South Wacker in Chicago’s CBD less than two years ago, and has just forged an exclusive franchise agreement to develop new sites throughout the suburbs.

Read the article on globest.com >

WeWork’s Biggest Competitor: Anyone and Everyone

WeWork’s Biggest Competitor: Anyone and Everyone

When shared-office-space firm WeWork Cos. opened its first location in Manhattan in 2010, it had the market largely to itself. Today, the co-working business is mushrooming. New locations pop up seemingly weekly in old warehouses and new skyscrapers alike as small and medium-size businesses eschew coffee shops and small offices for the incubator-like workspaces where members share common spaces. In New York City, there are at least 180 co-working locations, up from about 25 in 2009, according to Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, with WeWork controlling about half the market.

Read the story on wsj.com >

Corporate Coworking: How Flexible Workspaces Have Given Rise to Agile Offices

Corporate Coworking: How Flexible Workspaces Have Given Rise to Agile Offices

With the gig economy growing, businesses can no longer ignore their employees wants and needs. The high number of freelancers in the world is proof that workers can be successful without depending on one single company, and if employers want to keep their staff around, they’re going to have to provide what workers need, but also what they want — and professionals want a workspace that speaks to them and inspires them.

Read the article on officingtoday.com >

The Evolution of Coworking in Asia

The Evolution of Coworking in Asia

Although co-working is a relatively new trend it’s already evolving. As larger corporations get in on the game, co-working is adapting and changing to suit different needs. In the beginning co-working spaces were about young, entrepreneurial companies needing space. They were about accommodating really lean businesses while also creating a sense of community. A few people with a great idea but no funds to set up big infrastructure could use a co-working space to get that idea off the ground.

Read the article on officingtoday.com >

Shared Workspace Sector Growing Fast

Shared Workspace Sector Growing Fast

CHICAGO—In the past few years, the rise of the sharing economy has changed the way people work, and in response shared office providers have begun a remarkable expansion in many top markets. And although these providers now account for just 0.7% of the total US office space, they play a key role in the market, a role which will only grow in the future.

Read the article on globest.com >

CHICAGO: Inside Life Creative, a 20,000 Square Foot Coworking Space in Fulton Market

CHICAGO: Inside Life Creative, a 20,000 Square Foot Coworking Space in Fulton Market

Coworking spaces offer members shared resources, a sense of community, a place to collaborate, and cheap office space. That, along with plenty of coffee, is all most startups need out of their workspace.

But if you're getting started in the creative community, you might need a few other resources: say, a CNC router for carving designs, a carpentry department for building theater sets, yards of fabric for upholstering event furniture, a workspace to arrange flowers, to name a few.

And this week, a coworking space with all those resources (and more) is set to open to the creative community.

Life Creative, a new coworking space out housed in event management company Event Creative's 80,000 square foot Fulton Market headquarters in Chicago, will officially open doors to members this week. The goal is to create community and collaboration, as well as help fledgling artists, engineers, and founders get access to unique industrial and education resources. 

Read the article on chicagoinno.streetwise.co >

Are Empty High-End Restaurants The Next Coworking Trend?

Are Empty High-End Restaurants The Next Coworking Trend?

Turning empty offices into coworking spaces isn’t cheap: You need to pay rent and buy desks, chairs, perhaps a fancy coffeemaker for the kitchen. So while a coworking membership is often cheaper for entrepreneurs and freelancers than renting their own office, it can cost several hundred bucks a month depending on the city and how much access or privacy they want.

Read the article on fastcompany.com >

GET TO KNOW FUIGO, A COWORKING SPACE DEDICATED TO DESIGNERS

GET TO KNOW FUIGO, A COWORKING SPACE DEDICATED TO DESIGNERS

With $4 million in private funding, Fuigo launched its upscale coworking space for interior designers in New York City in May.

The company was founded by Maury Riad and Mickey Riad, also owners of Fortuny — yes, that Fortuny, the famous Venetian luxury textile manufacturer. I don’t know about you, but when I hear “Fortuny”, I don’t necessarily think coworking. And yet! It’s exactly what inspired Fuigo.

Read the article on workdesign.stfi.re >

Price Expert: Virtual Office Market Immature When It Comes to Pricing

Price Expert: Virtual Office Market Immature When It Comes to Pricing

Officing Today has often found that virtual office prices for the same center will vary widely across channels. We couldn’t find a clear intention behind the price variation, so we spoke with price consulting expert Fernando Ventureira from Pricing Solutions to better understand the value proposition of virtual offices. The European based company has been a virtual office user for several years now, which has provided them with an insider’s look on how their pricing strategies work.

Read the article on officingtoday.com >

2016: “The Year We’ll See Over 10,000 Coworking Spaces Open”

2016: “The Year We’ll See Over 10,000 Coworking Spaces Open”

Technology and a younger workforce are spurring a revolution in office design across Asia. Traditionally a region known for conservative and conventional workspace, companies are now drawing inspiration from flexible workspaces, co-working centres and incubators to attract talent and maximise the use of often limited space.

Read the story on officingtoday.com >

This Coworking Company Turns Restaurants Into Temporary Offices During The Day

This Coworking Company Turns Restaurants Into Temporary Offices During The Day

On a trip to Tokyo—jet-lagged and awake at 3 a.m.—Preston Pesek looked through the windows of a dark restaurant and wished he could go inside, sit down, and connect to Wi-Fi. That's when he had an epiphany: Throughout much of the day, restaurants sit empty and unused, even in overcrowded cities that desperately need more space.

"The light kind of went off," he says. "During the day, in New York City where I live, there are these amazing restaurants that are closed until 5 or 6 p.m."

Read the article on fastcoexist.com >

Co-working companies approaching 1M square feet of space in Seattle region

Co-working companies approaching 1M square feet of space in Seattle region

Co-working companies now take up close to 950,000 square feet of office space in Seattle and on the Eastside — the equivalent of the 44-story U.S. Bank Centre in downtown Seattle — and that number is expected to keep rising in a sign of the growing demand for flexible workspaces. According to information from real estate brokerage Colliers International, co-working spaces account for 648,000 square feet in Seattle and another 301,000 on the Eastside.

Read the article on geekwire.com >