Co-Working: It Is Not Just For Office Providers
Co-working has turned the office real estate industry on its ear. The concept of shared office space has opened the doors wide to entrepreneurs, startups and larger companies that enjoy the open-office culture.
The perks include cool amenities and networking opportunities, and as the trend continues to spread, it is reaching far beyond the boundaries of office buildings.
Co-working spaces are becoming available within apartment buildings, hotels and even restaurants as the demand for instant workspace continues to grow. Here are several examples of co-working space that transcend the walls of an office building.
LiquidSpace
The hotel industry has quickly adopted the co-working culture, offering business travelers and mobile professionals a reasonable place to work outside of their hotel rooms and the lobby. LiquidSpace, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based online marketplace for flex space, which was founded in 2010, finds and books flexible office and meeting space for users. As of February, LiquidSpace had processed 2.9 million transactions and served over 64,000 teams and companies with over 2,800 office locations. The company's services extend to space at more than 30 major hotel chains, including Hilton, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites and Hampton, making it a major player in the hotel workspace sector.
Spacious
This concept born in New York City takes advantage of empty or temporarily idle restaurant space during the prime hours of the day and transforms it for co-working use. Spacious was founded in June 2016 and has seven New York locations in Chelsea at a restaurant called La Sierna, in DBGB Kitchen & Bar, MP Taverna in Williamsburg and a spot in East Village, according to the New York Business Journal. Spacious charges members $95/month, and faces heavy competition in the New York market from similar concepts like KettleSpace and WorkPlayEat.
Lot-Ek Designed Co-Working Hotel
In 2014, Spacious commissioned Lot-Ek, a New York-based architecture firm, to design its first hotel specifically for co-working out of shipping containers. The proposed 26K SF hotel in Manhattan would give hotel guests a rebate for making their rooms available for private office space during the day. The proposed concept would also be designed to feature hideaway beds that could be converted into workstations. The project's current stage of planning is unclear.
Related Cos.’ Abington House
Related Cos. is one of several developers offering co-working space at residential developments. Within Abington House’s downstairs co-working space in West Chelsea in New York, tenants can host meetings for a group or work within private space, all with the basic necessities such as desk space and coffee offerings.
Workspace On Demand
Marriott International launched its workplace rental concept, Workspace On Demand, in 2013 through a partnership marketing its services through LiquidSpace. The pilot was launched at more than 30 Marriott hotels, including in Washington, DC, San Francisco and Atlanta. The idea driving the concept was to provide visitors with an available meeting room or workspace within minutes — these spaces are not just for hotel guests, but also for local business professionals in search of a quick workspace.
Bushwick Market Hotel
Bushwick Market Hotel, the Do-It-Yourself venue at Mytle and Broadway in New York’s Bed-Stuy is offering daytime co-working space to the community. Bushwick Market opened in the late 2000s and is known by local indie fans for its underground parties and local bands. For one of the 40 spaces available, the market charges $195 for a three-day pass per week and $245/week for full-time space.
