thanks very much for the feedback Alex. I do want to expand on this topic and others relating to cowork & shared workspace and have it high on my todo list to launch a blog. i'll be sure to let you know once i've done so.
best mark On Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 3:54 PM, Alex Hillman <[email protected]>wrote: > This is one of the most thoughtful posts I've seen about considerations and > themes for space planning! > > It's not overstated, nor written in a way where someone feels like they > need to adhere to everything at once. > > Someone highlight this and add it to the wiki! Great job Mark. If you end > up expanding on this into a blog post or a wiki page, please link me up so I > can add it to my own archives. > > -Alex > > /ah > indyhall.org > coworking in philadelphia > > > On Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 5:39 PM, mark gilbreath <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Hi Mike >> >> I wanted to share some thoughts on the topic of Space Planning and Design >> for your Beijing project. In no particular order, here are some central >> themes that steered our space planning: >> >> * the layout and design of your space is hugely important. your real >> estate rent/lease will be your largest expense, so you want to think about >> using that space as efficiently as possible. >> * your members/customers WILL have a physical and emotional reaction to >> how you layout the space. your space design plan WILL directly impact their >> productivity. >> * there is both art and science to space design. >> * the science component considers the physical characteristics of your >> building and basic human ergonomics and will steer you toward the optimal >> dimensions for rooms, hallways, ceiling heights etc. >> * the art component considers textures, emotions, user behaviors, brand >> values etc to create the unique qualities that set your cowork space apart >> from the typical office down the street. you can aspire for a space that >> makes people immediately think "wow...cool... I want to be here...this is >> the kind of place where I imagined myself working...etc" ie a space that >> inspires your members/customers to keep coming back AND to invite their >> customers, friends, partners etc to come as well. >> >> >> * think of your space plan as a kit of parts. a typical cowork kit of >> parts would include: >> - an entrance / gateway area - key objectives here will be to create a >> sense of welcome and flow. security, access control and wayfinding are >> other considerations for your gateway area >> - communal workspace - this may be one or more types of work areas >> including cubes, shared tables, high work bars. this type of space will be >> denser (more users per sf) and more social. >> - private workspace - these might be sized for individuals or teams >> depending on the type of customer you are seeking to attract. private >> offices might be assigned or shared. basic dimensions are well understood >> for this type of space. >> - quiet spaces (we called them APRs "audio privacy rooms") - a place >> for one or possibly two people to have a discreet conversation or make a >> phone call. these can be very small spaces. can be managed by reservation >> or simply used on a drop in basis. the major consideration here will be >> acoustic isolation. >> - meeting rooms - a place for small to large groups to conduct >> meetings. power, network connectivity and displays/monitors are >> considerations for your meeting room(s). there are well understood norms >> for the minimum dimensions of meeting rooms, depending on the number of >> people you want to accomodate. a larger cowork space might consider >> multiple meeting rooms of various sizes to more efficiently accomodate >> various group sizes. i agree wholeheartedly with the other folks who have >> responded to your post, that meeting rooms are a valuable amenity for your >> space. if you consider letting them be used on a pay per use basis by the >> general public they can also be a valuable marketing awareness generator for >> your new facility. >> - mail/copy room - a place for your office imaging >> equipment...printer/copier/scanner/fax. this might be its own isolated >> space or simply a zone in a larger open space >> - cafe/kitchen - a place for informal gathering, coffee, refrigerator, >> water etc. again this might be a standalone space or a zone in a larger >> open space >> >> Other considerations: >> - wayfinding - think about how you want people to find their way through >> the space. the experience will be different for new users and visitors than >> it will be for return visitors. more open space simplifies wayfinding. >> nooks and crannies add privacy and intimacy. finding the right balance >> gets into the "art" part of your design. >> - textures/colors/materials/imagery - have a profound impact on your >> member's experience and can reinforce your brand and values. this might >> be the paint color you choose for accent walls. this might be the artwork >> you hang on the walls or the reclaimed/recycled organic material you use for >> a wall or floor covering. >> - natural light - daylight is a proven productivity enhancer. be sure to >> carefully consider how you organize your spaces around any windows in your >> space. >> - multi-purposing spaces - again, considering that real estate is your >> largest expense, there are ways to think about giving certain spaces >> multiple functions. for example two medium sized meeting rooms might share >> a curtain/moveable wall so that they can combine to create an event space or >> large meeting room >> >> Happy to elaborate on any of this. >> >> Best >> Mark >> >> On Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 6:03 AM, Michael P. Daugherty < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Thanks a lot for the advice. >>> >>> As far as I've seen, it's true that in China big offices usually have >>> less space per person, but I don't think our target audience is going to be >>> the people who'd be perfectly happy in a Chinese cube farm. There are a lot >>> of ex-pats working independently here, and we're also trying to make the >>> space more relaxed and creative feeling, so that pushes up the requirements >>> a little bit. >>> >>> In any case, it sounds like your and Jerome's advice is pretty similar - >>> I need to know the local area well and decide for myself. I've been doing a >>> lot of a research, so it's nice to have some encouragement saying 'trust >>> yourself'. >>> >>> I'm sure I'll have more questions as we get going, and I'll let everyone >>> know how it goes. >>> >>> Thanks again, >>> >>> -Mike >>> >>> P.S. Jerome, about the meeting room; we've decided to have one, too. I >>> suspect some of the people who answered "I'd try it out" instead of "It's >>> critical" will find that they appreciate having a private place to talk >>> every once in a while. >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 4:49 AM, Jerome Chang <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>> We absolutely believe in meeting rooms, and our bookings confirm them. >>>> >>>> Size based on a square area isn't that helpful, as squares and >>>> rectangles are totally different for seating. Just lay things out, have a >>>> 4' aisle between desks, and feel out how much space you'd want before your >>>> seat bangs into the desk behind you. Really, that's about all there is to >>>> it. >>>> >>>> Location is critical in L.A. It'll determine who uses your space. >>>> Anyone can build a shack in a forest, throw in some desks, and then price >>>> it at $10 or something, but do you really want to be in a forest? There's >>>> of course no real answer to that, but I think you get the picture. We're >>>> located literally next door to a Staples office supply store, and 1 block >>>> from Starbuck's, so the two most important amenities for offices are very >>>> very conveniently nearby. >>>> >>>> Jerome >>>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 4:53 AM, Arne Hulstein >>> <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>>> Hi Mike, >>>> >>>> The answers to you questions depend on many variables. For one, the >>>> accepted size of the workspace differs per person and per country. I >>>> have understood that in China Office space in general is much tighter >>>> packed than most US or EU offices. Just take a look at what is >>>> acceptable for what price in other Bejing rental situations and try to >>>> take a look at their seating arrangements. >>>> >>>> As for location, you are the best person to weigh your location to >>>> surrounding facilities, travel possibilities and the general image of >>>> your area. These are the factors that your renters will use for >>>> themselves. Take the same approach. >>>> >>>> Arne >>>> >>>> On Thursday, June 24, 2010, Michael P. Daugherty <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> > Hi everyone, >>>> > >>>> > I'm trying to start a coworking space in Beijing, China, so I >>>> > thought I should write and introduce myself. The reason I'm >>>> interested >>>> > in this is that I'm also working on a startup, but my other founder >>>> > lives in Boston. Therefore, I miss exchanging ideas in person >>>> > much of the time when I work alone in my apartment. I've also worked >>>> at coworking spaces before and always >>>> > enjoyed the feeling. However, there has never been one in >>>> > Beijing before now. >>>> > >>>> > I've already looked at quite a few offices and lofts, and rent >>>> > has turned out to be much more expensive than I expected. For a ~210 >>>> > square meter place, I think I'd need 11-12 people on a monthly plan to >>>> > cover my costs. >>>> > >>>> > So, I have a few questions and would greatly appreciate any advice >>>> > you may have. First, how many square meters do you end up using per >>>> seat? I want to make sure my estimates of how many people can work >>>> comfortably in a given space are reasonable. I've just been estimating >>>> capacity by walking around inside, and it seems that most of the time my >>>> estimate comes out to almost 7 sq. m per person (counting space used for a >>>> meeting room and a small place to relax, etc.). >>>> > >>>> > How critical is location in general in this business? I'm operating >>>> under the >>>> > assumption that it's really important, since we're basically competing >>>> > with working from home, and nothing can be more convenient than that. >>>> > >>>> > Lastly, we did a survey and the most surprising result to me was that >>>> so few >>>> > people considered a meeting room necessary. How many of your spaces >>>> > have meeting rooms, and how often are they used? >>>> > >>>> > Thanks for your support. I hope that if any of you visit Beijing, >>>> > you'll stop by and we can work together for a while. >>>> > >>>> > -Mike >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > -- >>>> > 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%[email protected]> >>>> . >>>> > 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%[email protected]> >>>> . >>>> 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%[email protected]> >>> . >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Mark Gilbreath >> >> PO Box 2830 >> Ketchum, ID 83340 >> >> mobile 208-720-8107 >> skype mfgilbreath >> twitter markgilbreath >> >> -- >> 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%[email protected]> >> . >> 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%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > -- Mark Gilbreath PO Box 2830 Ketchum, ID 83340 mobile 208-720-8107 skype mfgilbreath twitter markgilbreath -- 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]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
