Coworking has a common denominator that appeals to everyone, whether you are an established business or a startup. Coworking spaces come in many shapes and sizes, with flexible terms and a wide range of amenities. The challenge, of course, is deciding which style of space is best suited to your needs and goals.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most common types of coworking office spaces. Since there are so many options, categorizing flexible spaces can be a challenge. For our purposes, however, we will segment the types of coworking spaces into different environments.
First, what is coworking?
Coworking offers a low-cost alternative to standard commercial real estate options in expensive metropolitan and exurban areas. Rather than just one extra desk and a shared wi-fi connection, coworking now encompasses a wide range of workspace options, from private to public, full-time to part-time.
What types of coworking spaces are there?
Customized workspaces, flexible rental terms, and a wide range of attractive features make it possible to choose a coworking space to suit any need. Of course, it’s all about determining which type of space is best for your particular situation.
1. Traditional/Open
When people think of coworking, they tend to think of open or traditional coworking spaces. There are so many different types of flexible spaces that it’s hard to categorize one as “traditional,” yet for most, this form of space is synonymous with coworking.
2. Coworking spaces full service / high-end
A high-end coworking space typically includes more amenities and member benefits than a more standard space. As a general rule, high-end full-service coworking spaces offer a higher level of luxury and convenience than other flexible workspaces.
3. Business/Professional
Most tenants of this type of coworking space are professionals. With a quiet, unobtrusive, and very professional atmosphere, it will have dim lighting and consume less energy than other types of spaces.
4. Private workstations
This type of space is for companies and teams that are concerned about having more disadvantages than advantages of working in the same place as other companies. If you want a space that is exclusively yours, you can rent a private office with a lockable door, private kitchen, and conference rooms that are only used by your team or organization for as little as six months. It’s common for private offices to be reserved for teams of eight or more, but they can still offer the same level of flexibility and privacy as coworking spaces.
5. Coworking spaces : Shared or sublet space
This is our most nebulous classification. Using a space that has been chosen or even designed by someone else is what this means. However, while subletting or sharing office space can save money in the short term, the property you sublet will have a significant impact on your work environment and atmosphere.
6. Meeting Space
As businesses and freelancers continue to recover from the pandemic, many are choosing to rent meeting space instead of signing a contract for an office they visit every day. Client meetings, collaboration sessions, planning meetings and other events can all be held in coworking spaces on an as-needed basis, daily or weekly.
Many of the issues that business owners and team leaders face can be alleviated through coworking. For coworking spaces and flexible office environments, the post-2020 commercial real estate market presents an opportunity. Now and in the future, they are better positioned to offer meaningful benefits to their members.
