Coworking spaces have been in use for a while now, about a decade. These spaces are designed with community and relaxed finances in mind, giving working professionals a place to work, share ideas, and avoid the strict rental contracts that take a toll on building a small business. The decline and appeal of communal office spaces have been affected by certain events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, but for the most part, they have increased in popularity with start-ups and freelancers alike. The world has even seen different trends that have shed light on how coworking spaces can grow beyond people’s expectations. This post explores the different coworking trends that have shaped and will continue to shape what we know about the modern communal office space.
Major Communal Office Trends
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the landscape and continues to shape how communal office spaces are used. At the height of the pandemic, there was a large shift from working in traditional office spaces to working from home. When it became relatively safe to work in the public sphere again, corporations found it difficult to persuade workers to return to the office. Coworking spaces gave workers who weren’t thriving at home a place to avoid the time suck of a traditional nine-to-five.
Coworking spaces adopted strict hygiene practices to reduce the amount of transmission and keep workers safe. They also started to offer flexible memberships to allow for hybrid work. Another trend with COVID saw a rise in the use of private meeting spaces to respect and maintain social distancing.
So what other trends will you see?
Technological Advancements
Technology is always evolving and growing with the world. This rings true with coworking spaces as they have to keep up with the technological needs of the businesses and workers that use their facilities. As time goes on and businesses evolve, communal office space owners must focus on acquiring new technologies to improve their coworking spaces in addition to offering the tech for member use.
Industry-Specific Spaces
The most common communal office space comes in the form of plentiful desks and meeting rooms. These spaces are for the traditional office-style workers, leaving out workers who need something a bit more specific. The need for industry-specific communal office spaces will see a rise in shared kitchens, shared laboratories, and other niche fields. This allows for all kinds of workers to have access to a space that would otherwise be nearly impossible.
Scarce Availability
With remote work becoming the norm, it’s no doubt that coworking spaces will be in high demand. Even working from home can take its toll and there are times when you do need to meet in person. It’s also been proven that working in a communal office space improves productivity. As the pandemic slowly becomes a thing of the past there will be the desire for a desk to work at and spaces to host work events, thus creating a form of scarcity.
Experience the Trends
Work in Progress has been here since 2012 and will continue to evolve with the needs of members. Work in Progress has seen trends come and go and will expect more in the coming years. If you’re interested in giving the communal office space a go, you can explore your working options and see what will be the best fit for you here in Las Vegas.
