Unlike a traditional office, a coworking space provides individually rentable workstations, as well as meeting areas, where people can work in collaboration. There are a number of reasons as to why small businesses, startups, freelancers and independent consultants opt for this type of workspace. Small businesses, especially those in the launch mode, prefer coworking spaces as they would not be able to afford such services, equipment or prime location elsewhere. Anybody looking to conserve limited resources or lacking the initial capital for a traditional office can easily set up shop in a coworking space.
Here are a few things to consider before designing your own coworking space:
Golden Rule: Location, Location, Location
- Set your coworking space up for success by picking a prime office location, preferably close to key commercial hubs. Save on the lease by scouting a location within an older, abandoned building which is also close to public transport stops and shopping centers.
- Save yourself the guesswork by crowdsourcing location ideas from the techie and freelancer community you plan to serve. Narrow down the possible options to three or four before polling potential customers about the most convenient locations in the city.
- Commission the services of a capable construction company in Lahore to ensure your new co-working space gets made in-time and within the prescribed budget.
Vantage Point: Open Floor Plan
Coworking space design takes a departure from a traditional office by embracing open floor plans with multiple individual workstations. Take the assistance of an interior designer in Lahore while finalizing the layout. They can design a functional workspace without compromising on the visual appeal. Aside from the main open floor area, in a coworking space, there can be various rooms for the ‘co-workers’ to work in. The other rooms can include a meeting room, a game room, a kitchenette and even a mini-gym.
All the Perks: Amenities
Coworkers walk in the door expecting discounted access to basic office amenities. These are professionals trying to save on expensive overhead and administrative costs by renting a spot in a coworking facility. Some of the amenities that must be provided are: charging ports, WiFi internet, office supplies such as pens, notebooks, printer, scanner, and core office furniture pieces. You can add a minimum kitchenette usage fee to the rental contract, add in the necessary kitchen appliances and stock the pantry with snacks, tea, coffee, juices and more. The meeting room (or conference room, if you prefer) requires a projector, drop-down screen, and a complete video conferencing console. A LED tv screen coupled with screen-sharing capabilities can do the trick for presentations in a secondary meeting room.
Interior Design and Decor
When designing your coworking space, it’s important to hire an experienced interior designer in Lahore to get the best out of your site. The color scheme will set the ‘vibe’, so you can embrace the vibrancy of a cafe or keep it more austere with a more urban, loft-style aesthetic. A coworking space’s interior design consists of more than just bean bags, a ping-pong table, and a few bar stools. Make it your design team’s objective to develop a space that is hip yet professional.
No matter how you end up designing your coworking space, the environment must allow the participants to work in peace. Install living walls, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and other subtle structural elements that provide privacy and noise control. Host complimentary talks, musical sessions and poetry jams to encourage co-inhabitants as well as traveling professionals to interact with each other.