Will the coworking office environment be key to the future of office spaces?

Our CEO, Alex Bonnet, recently spoke with Arbuthnot Latham about the appeal of coworking in a post-lockdown world.

Read the full article here – Arbuthnot Latham.

“Our coworking space has seen a boom during lockdown, whilst this service has existed for many years the appeal of coworking space has only increased thanks to the working from home movement. Whilst working from home works for many, an equally large number want a professional environment to come to, even if it isn’t 5 days a week. I would say that lockdown has acted as a catalyst for the industry, at least from a regional perspective.

“We are also seeing more enquiries from start-ups looking for affordable office spaces that meet their flexible needs. One of the services we offer is a monthly rolling contract which works perfectly, as long leases aren’t attractive to companies who don’t want to be held in 5–10-year commitments.

“With employees working from home, some companies have also started to downsize, moving from a 30–40-person office to 15 max capacity.

“Bringing back the focus on start-ups, we have also seen a 300% increase in start-ups using our virtual offices. This is where people have a registered address at an office, but they do not actually use the office on a day-to-day basis.

“Where we see coworking spaces thriving are in towns such as Exeter and Bournemouth, but not so much in larger cities like London. For example, more people are moving to regional areas to escape the city and are either working from home or using coworking spaces.

“I mentioned in the previous article about the underutilisation of conference suites, but I’m sure they will bounce back eventually. They were an important part of business and those who used to attend conferences regularly are likely to want to get back to them.

“Coworking has come out of the pandemic in a far stronger position than it was in before it, however, it is important to bear in mind that everyone is different. Businesses should consider the needs of their employees when making decisions.”