Thanks for all the advice! After reading everyone’s posting I am thinking about keeping the two "private" offices, but instead of renting them out to individuals allowing fulltime members to schedule time to use them. For example, Joe is a fulltime member and he needs to meet with a client. He doesn’t need a big conference room, but would like the ability to look professional in a “private” office. So he books one of the 2 private offices for his meeting. Another example; if someone needs to make a private phone call but it’s too noisy; they can step inside one of the unoccupied “private” offices to make the call.
On Dec 14, 11:53 am, Alex Hillman <[email protected]> wrote: > We've got a few rooms with doors on them too...like you said, for meeting > rooms and a place to make/take phone calls. They get used quite a bit. > Private space IS important. Private workspace is something else entirely. :) > > -Alex > > -- > ----- > -- > ----- > Alex Hillman > im always developing something > digital: [email protected] > helpful:www.unstick.me > visual:www.dangerouslyawesome.com > local:www.indyhall.org > > On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 12:48 PM, Mike Pihlman > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > I took all the doors down originally, but, decided to put back the Math > > Island Classroom (where I tutor and can get noisy), and the rooms that > > can be used for private meetings. Most of the time, the doors are > > open......being closed only for cell phone use and meetings with clients. > > > Alex: Thanks for comments! :-) I'll keep being stubborn wrt keeping > > this a coworking environment! > > > Mike > > > Raul Pacheco wrote: > > > I'm not the owner of The Network Hub (http://www.thenetworkhub.ca, in > > > Vancouver, Canada) but I have coworking there for more than a year, so > > > I can tell you that we do have private offices and open floorplan and > > > the collaborative process ignites pretty much the same. We do organize > > > events and gatherings with the whole community to build that sense of > > > collaboration. > > > > I think you can break down the isolation of private spaces if the > > > right tenants are there (e.g. if there are people who will knock on > > > others' doors and say "hey, coffee?") - that, in my mind, is a lot of > > > the success of coworking. Not only the physical conditions but also > > > the social environment (and the personal traits of individuals > > > themselves). > > > > Just my two cents, > > > Raul > > > > -- > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD. > > > Chief Content Creator, Hummingbird604.com > > > Founder, Pacheco-Vega Consulting and Research Studio > > > > My research site can be found herehttp://www.raulpacheco.org > > > My personal blog ishttp://hummingbird604.com > > > > My office is located at > > > The Network Hub > > > 3rd Floor, 422 Richards Street > > > Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2Z4 > > > > Find me online on Twitter & Facebook > > >http://www.twitter.com/hummingbird604 > > >http://www.twitter.com/raulpacheco > > > (http://www.facebook.com/drpachecovega) > > > > 2009/12/14 Alex Hillman <[email protected] > > > <mailto:[email protected]>> > > > > I've also noticed that spaces with both private offices AND open > > > floorplan coworking space tend to struggle to fill the coworking > > > space...while people clamor for private offices. > > > > People are wired to think that they NEED a private office, when in > > > many cases, they do not. And if they do, that's great...but that's > > > not what coworking is meant to solve. Offering private offices, in > > > my opinion, can be a distraction from the coworking interactions > > > you're striving to create. > > > > I think about it this way: when somebody walks in and sees > > > something that looks like an office, they're going to behave like > > > it's an office. They're going to keep to themselves, do their > > > work, and go home at 5pm. > > > > If you set things up to intentionally disrupt the mindset of "this > > > is an office", people find themselves more comfortable AND more > > > productive. > > > > -Alex > > > > -- > > > ----- > > > -- > > > ----- > > > Alex Hillman > > > im always developing something > > > digital: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > helpful:www.unstick.me<http://www.unstick.me> > > > visual:www.dangerouslyawesome.com< > >http://www.dangerouslyawesome.com> > > > local:www.indyhall.org<http://www.indyhall.org> > > > > On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 12:23 PM, Mike Pihlman > > > <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > > wrote: > > > > Follow-up: > > > > We give each member a cool personalized coffee mug. If a > > > member wants a > > > particular desk (or space) the next morning they can leave > > > their mug > > > there the night before...seems to work nicely. (FYI...I am > > > coworking > > > too...so I need to reserve a spot, my cubby holds pictures of my > > > daughter, my chargers, etc. I just move in each day in a new > > > spot. :-) > > > > Also...I have had LOTS of requests to rent an office (we have > > > three with > > > doors). Thus far I have resisted, feeling that that takes away > > > from the > > > "coworking" experience as I envision it...we are a small space > > > (for now) > > > so losing a room will have a major impact. > > > > Mike > > > > Mike Pihlman wrote: > > > > By far...the open space on the "Patio". We have anywhere > > > from 9 to 11 seats there. The rest of the space is open (we > > > have three doors that can be closed for privacy) but a bit > > > removed. There are about 20 seats in the other areas. > > > > > Mike > > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > > > > From: Sarah Neal (OurSpace) <ourspace.sa > > > <http://ourspace.sa>@gmail.com <http://gmail.com>> > > > > To: Coworking <[email protected] > > > <mailto:[email protected]>> > > > > Sent: Sat, December 12, 2009 1:14:56 PM > > > > Subject: [Coworking] Open spaces or private desks? > > > > > I've been reading many of the blogs and was wondering which > > gets > > > > utilized more, > > > > > 1. the open space (tables for everyone to share) > > > > 2. Private desks > > > > 3. Private offices > > > > > and which you wish you had more of. Just thought I would > > > throw the > > > > question out there. > > > > > -- > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > > Google Groups "Coworking" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > [email protected]<coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > <mailto:coworking%[email protected]<coworking%252bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > >. > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > > > -- > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > > Google Groups "Coworking" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > [email protected]<coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > <mailto:coworking%[email protected]<coworking%252bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > >. > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > Mike Pihlman > > > TracyVirtualOffice > > > "A Coworking Community" > > > 95 W. 11th Street, Suite 203 > > > Tracy, CA 95376 > > > Mobile: 209-608-4340 > > > Web: TracyVirtualOffice.com > > > Twitter: @TracyVirtOffice > > > Skype: tracyvirtualoffice1 > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > > Google Groups "Coworking" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to > > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > [email protected]<coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > <mailto:coworking%[email protected]<coworking%252bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > >. > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > Groups "Coworking" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > > > <mailto:[email protected]>. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > [email protected]<coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > <mailto:coworking%[email protected]<coworking%252bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > >. > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > Groups "Coworking" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]<coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > -- > > Mike Pihlman > > TracyVirtualOffice > > "A Coworking Community" > > 95 W. 11th Street, Suite 203 > > Tracy, CA 95376 > > Mobile: 209-608-4340 > > Web: TracyVirtualOffice.com > > Twitter: @TracyVirtOffice > > Skype: tracyvirtualoffice1 > > > -- > > > You received this message > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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