Webinar: co-working & the future of office design

However, as competition has increased over the last five years, there’s been a steady change in how co-working looks, feels and behaves. It’s this evolved definition of co-working which has affected traditional office design as we know it. In some ways, co-working has re-defined millennial's expectations of the style and facilities that they expect in an office space. Communal areas? Trendy cafe space? Free beer? The list goes on...

Traditional single-occupier offices now want designs focused on collaboration, social interaction, and flexibility. Co-working spaces have typically been more relaxed, homely and open with high ceilings and less 'barriers' between occupiers. Comfy-style drop ins and lounges, loads of natural light and clear sightlines are all typical design traits of co-working offices. We’ve found today’s modern offices want to incorporate these elements to encourage social behaviours associated with co-working. This style of space is increasingly being incorporated into traditional offices, with more communal spaces and larger shared breakout spaces taking up a larger footprint than ever before. Some offices have even fully embraced the 'co-working' model, with an emphasis on open plan and casual working - just take Anomaly for example, where 75% of space is dedicated to activity-based working. It's all about finding a space that suits your current task at hand.

Although as always, design should be approached with caution. Designers need to give each organisation an in-depth evaluation of their specific needs. We must create environments specifically designed to meet the needs of individual businesses, not just carbon copies of other successful spaces.