Co-Work Hard, Play Hard

Co-working is here to stay. Whether you were an advocate for it pre-pandemic or have only recently started to warm up the idea of flexible working, the co-working trend is not slowing down. To be clear, co-working cannot compete at the same level of functionality and aesthetics as most corporate HQs, but they do offer something most don’t – flexibility. 

Designing a co-working space can be more challenging than it looks. The most common demographic that co-working spaces attract are remote workers and freelancers. These are workers who need an office space but want to be as mobile as possible. The thought of a co-working space generally conjures images of colourful interiors, bean bags, and lots of open desks. The challenge here is balance – we vs me spaces. While having a desk to yourself is important, there’s a need for community as well. It can be hard to balance the proportion of desks vs private booths and focus rooms. Because not everyone belongs to one organization, there’s a need for privacy yet just enough room to socialize and feel connected. It’s reasonable to expect a wide variety of professionals – from sales reps to software developers, all with their own expectations. As we said before, flexibility is key. 

We love and recognize the need for a good co-working just like any other creative professional. Which is why we’ve put together a list of six products we think would work great when designing and building your next co-working space.

Featured Image credits: Cloud Spaces Office, Abu Dhabi

It’s probably a coincidence, but we believe Routes was built for a co-working space. And if not, it still works just fine. Routes is an incredibly light and agile collection with an inviting aesthetic that is fresh and fun. A departure from traditional contract workstation setups, allows a complete workstation to be built in a pop-up manner, perfect for a co-working space. They can be easily assembled and moved around, perfect for setting-up your open office whenever and wherever you feel like.

Co-working spaces seem like they’re just large open offices. But the most well-planned ones offer privacy and boundaries without losing out on a sense of flexibility. MD2 Slim fit acoustic partitions are your ideal products for an economical solution to creating a quiet work environment without isolation. It features a minimal profile and is available in all RAL colours.

Everyone needs an occasional break from the serious workstation setup, even in a co-working space. That’s why co-working almost always feature some form of soft-seating to promote a casual and comfortable vibe. If that’s the goal and you’re in need of a product that fit this requirement, then the Radar Pouf is just what you’re looking for. It’s distinctive rounded, soft shapes, and modular structure allow for infinite combinations. It creates a fun yet elegant character in the space, and is available in several shapes and sizes. Radar poufs are available in linear shapes that can set upto 3 people while the L-shaped, triangular or square poufs designed to seat 2 to 4 people form conversation islands that can gather or separate a group of people.

Designers of the Hood pendant say were inspired to create the pendant when they needed a flexible light source that was sound absorbent above the conference table in their open-plan space. The Hood is an ideal product for largely open plan spaces – it offers the functionality of an effective light and an acoustic product. Beyond the funky aesthetics, it’s modular as well, and it’s size can be increased by adding new felt sections.

The simplicity of freestanding screens are a huge draw when designing co-working spaces. We recommend Pli by Caimi due its simple yet attractive aesthetic and incredibly practical design. Pli is a sound-absorbing partition wall, made up of Snowsound panels joined with elastic bands available in three finishes. The bands embrace the panel and are furnished with steel buttons and O-rings that create linear, “T”, “L” or “X” configurations. It’s ideal for when you want to create boundaries but not a sense of exclusion.

Pixel is unlike any collection you’ve probably seen before. For co-working spaces that want to push the edge with innovative, fresh, and modern interiors, we suggest Pixel. As described by Bene, Pixel may look like a box but it can also be a table, a bench, a platform, a shelf and so much more. They are literally building blocks that can be designed and stacked to create the setting you want. With Pixels, Bene wants to enable designers and clients to create lively spaces where creativity and collaboration flows freely. These are ideal for flexible spaces because the blocks themselves embody flexibility and creative design.