There are several components to creating a functional, attractive space where residents will get excited to work on a project or collaborate with others on innovative new ideas. In the gig economy, it’s about giving people a space to make it their own. MFE spoke with Bob Fox, founder of Work Design Magazine and FOX Architects, who works with companies to execute the latest concepts in office spaces. Below are six of his suggestions for creating a new workspace amenity.
Flexible Spaces
The workforce today is becoming increasingly more diverse, with people from different backgrounds and work styles. So it’s crucial for a dedicated workspace to appeal to a variety of those work styles. Fox recommends offering a multitude of settings, such as open collaborative spaces with bar-height counters, meeting rooms for those trying to work in a private group, and quieter individual spaces in the back. Letting residents define how to use the spaces is key.
Jessica Marcotte
FOX Architects designed these offices at Washington REIT with glass walls to maximize sociability and light.
Glass Walls
Glass walls aren’t just a modern design feature. For starters, they let people work without feeling isolated, enabling them to wave across the office to someone while they’re working. Fox adds that glass is greatly beneficial from a physiological standpoint, too: Glass walls expand the amount of daylight in the workspace. “The ability to see outside to see nature, to see what the weather is like, is important,” he says.
Open to the Public
For most residents using these spaces, they don’t have dedicated offices to meet clients or co-workers. They need a professional setting they feel comfortable inviting someone to that isn’t a noisy coffee shop or their apartment. “These spaces should be right off the public space and should be immediately accessible from the main flow of traffic,” says Fox. “These spaces work best when it’s not just exclusive to the members of this community. If you look at how innovation occurs, it’s by meeting other people, exchanging different ideas.”
Ron Blunt Architectural Photography
This functional kitchen space designed by FOX Architects gives workers a casual place to get to know one another when they need a break from their work.
Watering Hole
Coffee shops are ideal for workers who want the opportunity for brief introductions to others. Design a kitchenlike hub in the space to draw people into a casual meeting area, where they feel comfortable chatting with another worker. “Human animals are very social by nature, and those spaces where we can go interact with people tend to be very attractive,” says Fox.
Equipped and Reservable Meeting Rooms
For many young professionals, presentations are a vital part of making business connections, which means they need space and technology to do so. Fox recommends equipping rooms with technology so residents can host video or phone conference calls or display a slide show to a potential client. A reservation system will also give residents peace of mind when scheduling a meeting, knowing they can ensure that a spot will be open when they need it, instead of looking unprepared when they can’t find an open room just as the meeting is about to start.
A Connected Community
“If you look at the co-working world, it’s as much about the community as it is about the workspace,” says Fox. Co-working companies like WeWork rely on a digital platform such as Slack to connect their workers with one another and make communitywide announcements. Some of these companies also employ a community manager who helps coordinate small events like having a new vendor offer samples of baked goods to promote its products. Those moments bring people together for a break and allow them to see everyone else involved.
