The premise of a coworking space is that a diverse range of workers can come and go as they require, to perform a wide variety of different tasks. This may be individual work, meetings, brainstorming sessions, collaborative work or even just to communicate casually with likeminded professionals in an inspiring environment.
An instrumental part of creating this type of dynamic and engaging workspace is the furniture you choose to install in the space.
Here’s our advice…
Tech integrated furniture
One of the best ways to enhance engagement and productivity within modern working environments is to take advantage of advancements in modern office technology.
Something like the Steelcase media:scape (pictured above), for example, combines furniture and technology for a state-of-the-art solution which improves communication and idea-sharing.
We also advise including furniture which is integrated with power sockets and data connectivity ports to encourage ABW and agile working.
Modular office furniture
In such an adaptable environment which needs to be responsive to user requirement, we always recommend installing some modular furniture.
This type of furniture can be easily moved around the space and reconfigured according to task, posture etc. It also encourages more collaborative ways of working and more inclusive idea-sharing.
An impressive welcoming space
When furnishing a coworking space, it’s a good idea to create a reception area which tenants can use as a meeting point when greeting clients or colleagues.
A well-designed reception area will be welcoming, functional and communicate brand identity effectively. This could be through:
- Soft seating, more domestic colours and resimercial design elements
- Digital signage to communicate messages or wayfinding to a diverse audience
- Plenty of plug sockets to power up and connect if needs be
A place which offers privacy
Creating spaces dedicated to private work and individual focus is also a great way to provide an escape from noise (and visual) disruption. This will also ensure that confidentiality isn’t being compromised when dealing with private conversations or sensitive information.
Don’t forget your office acoustics
By nature, coworking spaces can become extremely noisy. There are groups of people coming and going throughout the day, collaborating in communal spaces, holding impromptu discussions and moving from work setting to work setting according to task.
In order to reduce the risk of high noise levels becoming a distraction or frustration, we recommend including some acoustically-enhanced furniture to absorb or block excess noise. This could be an acoustic chair like BuzziMe or a sound-absorbing space divider such as the Fabricks Wall (pictured below).
Smart office storage
Although coworking spaces are more fluid and adaptable than a permanent office or place of work, you still need to make sure it is furnished with sufficient storage.
Something like the Steelcase Share It (pictured below) is a multifunctional product which also acts as a space divider or whiteboard mount for collaborative work. Something like Spacestor’s Hot Locker is great for securely storing personal belongings on an ad hoc, user-to-user basis.
We practice what we preach…
Keep scrolling to see how we put these theories into action to transform workspaces across the North West through our Manchester and Liverpool-based office fit out, interior design and refurbishment services….
Bruntwood Neo Building Coworking Spaces:
Home to our WorkLife showroom, Bruntwood’s Neo Building has a first-floor coworking space which we were challenged with designing and furnishing when it launched.
We created futuristic meeting rooms, soft seating social spaces, a place to refuel and reconfigurable nomadic zones to cater for a wide variety of requirements.
Read more about the project here.
Manchester Science Partnerships Tech Incubator:
The Tech Incubator is a space for start-up businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs within the science and technology industries to work around likeminded professionals in a creative and engaging environment.
This coworking space incorporates private offices, meetings rooms, a presentation space and various state-of-the-art work settings to facilitate a diverse audience and range of tasks.
Read more about the project here.
University of Manchester Innovation Centre:
As part of this project, we created an Atrium, WorkCafe and Creative Suite – all of which were designed with diverse collaboration and coworking in mind.
We included a range of soft seating, bench desks, high tables and tech-integrated furniture to stimulate idea-sharing and creativity.
Read more about the project here.