The requirements of a modern flexible workspace go beyond a simple office, focusing on privacy, security, flexibility, adaptability and design optimisation. A coworking space should maximise the use of space to generate profitability, prioritising private offices and large multifunctional common areas. Elements such as air conditioning, sound insulation and access control are essential for comfort and security. It is also important to choose a design style that stands the test of time and does not dominate the corporate image of the clients, as well as guaranteeing efficient operations that minimise maintenance and ensure the functionality of the space.
*Illustration: Raúl Benedito
English translation
Marc Navarro, expert consultant in coworking strategy, explains the requirements of a modern coworking space that looks to the future.
A flexible workspace is not a conventional office. Marc Navarro, an expert consultant in coworking strategy, says that aspects such as privacy, security, flexibility, adaptability and optimisation are as important as creating a good design that lasts over time and allows clients to feel it as their own.
Creating a flexible workspace is a very different brief to creating an office. In an office we are asked to create a space for the client’s team to work in the most comfortable and efficient way possible. In a coworking space we are being asked to create a space that maximises the benefit that can be extracted from every square metre.
Personally, I believe this means creating a space that is comfortable, inspiring and efficient. However, the efficiency we are looking for goes beyond the ability to get people to work optimally in this space. What we are looking for is the highest possible return for the operator, even if that sometimes means stretching the seams a little.
The layout
Today’s flexible workspace can have up to 90% of positions in private office format and give priority to high-capacity offices to minimise investment. Common areas are basically of three types: outdoor spaces – increasingly valued by users -, intermediate areas on the different floors and dining/event areas.
These spaces are fairly simple to deal with, except for the dining and events area. Here it is important to be especially careful to ensure that the space works for all the uses that the operator can give it: dining area, work flex area, event area. It should be borne in mind that events are attended by people from outside the company, so it is important to consider security issues and audience segmentation. The aim is to ensure that guests cannot access a sensitive area of the building without going through a control of some kind.
In this regard, it is important to emphasise that security should be considered from the very beginning of the design process. To do this, it is advisable to contact a security systems provider for advice from the outset. If we contact them with the project approved, we limit the options and we cannot implement alarm systems in an optimal way.
If we have any doubts or the client is not able to sufficiently define their requirements, the ideal is to leave the space as open as possible so that, when the time comes, the necessary intervention can be carried out.
Comfort according to Marc Navarro
Sometimes, for budgetary reasons, decisions are made that have an impact on the quality of the space and the client’s perception of it. Air conditioning systems that do not allow sufficient granularity to control the temperature are an example. Another similar case are those spaces in which acoustic insulation is not well thought out. A clear example is offices or meeting rooms with side panels that do not reach the ceiling.
Natural light, artificial light, acoustic insulation and air conditioning (even more so after the pandemic) are the essential elements to provide comfort for people.
The privacy that users tend to seek is acoustic rather than visual, at least when it comes to offices. Having an office with glass walls allows users to feel less boxed in and have a greater depth of field of vision, improving comfort levels. In addition, good acoustic insulation allows private conversations to be held in the space without adding pressure to meeting rooms. It also allows some teams to work with background music.
The style
When visiting flexible workspaces it is obvious that the passage of time has not been kind to some of them. Choosing a style that will stand the test of time is something the client will be grateful for in the medium to long term. In our country, designs with a Nordic feel mixed with Mediterranean touches (or any other convincing style) work very well. In this way, non-essential interventions in a functioning space are minimised.
It is also worth remembering that you are creating an office that will be shared by dozens or hundreds of companies, each with its own corporate image. Creating an excessively ‘branded’ or overloaded space may scare off some potential clients who may fear that their image will be swallowed up by that of the coworking space.
Two distribution approaches for the same space: on the left the scheme with a single central corridor for four workstations, visibly more spatially economical than the conventional approach on the right (Marc Navarro).
Revenue Streams
A flexible workspace is not a conventional office. Work, whether we like it or not, will be measured directly in terms of the space’s ability to attract customers and generate revenue streams. It is essential to know how the client intends to generate revenue, what services will be offered, what activities will be carried out and when, under what conditions, the configuration of these…
In the pre-pandemic years, the strategy consisted of minimising office space as much as possible, taking it to the bare minimum. In my opinion, the model was taken too far for the sake of profitability. Although the location of the desks against the wall – to minimise the distance between desks – and the sliding door are good space-saving options, the use of very small desks – especially in terms of depth – becomes incompatible with the use of modern monitors that require a greater distance from the user.
Operations
Not thinking about how a space works is a guaranteed recipe for failure. I have seen detachable tables (so that they can be picked up in case of an event) that do not pass through the aisle leading to the warehouse and are so heavy that the space’s staff are unable to lift them. I have seen non-stackable chairs used for a lounge area or the space for storing packages at the other end of the venue, rather than next to the reception.
Not thinking about space maintenance or creating a space that requires excessive maintenance is a recipe for disaster. Something as simple as thinking about how a user is going to close the lights when leaving the coworking space or how the air conditioning system is going to be controlled are very attractive savings and, if they are not solved, they are also a complex problem to correct in the long term.
In short, a flexible workspace requires a different approach to that of a conventional office. Aspects such as privacy, security, flexibility, adaptability and optimising the design to minimise the work of the team are as important as creating a good design that lasts over time and allows as many clients as possible to feel it as their own.
Marc Navarro is a coworking consultant specialising in strategy.
