Yes, Dave! Thx for sharing. My experience with Steelcase has been very positive and I believe they will be very successful and not just because of the coworking movement. They recognize that Sustainability is a megatrend that will dominate the business world for the rest of the 21st century (http://hbr.org/2010/05/the-sustainability-imperative/ ar/1). Megatrends force fundamental and persistent shifts in how companies compete and coworking is widely agreed as a Sustainable option/ solution for freelancers/ companies, etc. I set out, as part of my business plan, to create strategic partnerships to grow the culture we wanted and when EcoHub expanded recently, we reached out to Steelcase and the local dealer to partner up. It was obvious that we all shared the objectives for sustainability and collaboration and a deal was struck (note: we did not give up our email list... LOL).
Here is a statement from our press release: http://www.prlog.org/11259532-steelcase-and-bkm-officeworks-advance-sustainability-through-support-of-ecohub.html Steelcase, bkm and EcoHub also share a commitment to sustainability. In developing their space, EcoHub partnered with Sherwin Williams utilizing no-VOC paints, and InterfaceFlor for recycled floor covering. Bkm emphasis products supporting and contributing toward LEED that are high in recycled content, reusable and sustainable. Steelcase has been an industry leader in establishing sustainable practices, including innovative “end-of-use” strategies for their products ranging from refurbishment and resale to donation and recycling. Dramatically reducing product waste is just one example of this commitment. These features have proven important to the companies EcoHub works with, most of which have incorporated sustainability practices into their core missions. By supporting EcoHub, Steelcase and bkm Office Work will be able to showcase their innovative products to a new generation of green entrepreneurs who truly value a commitment to sustainability. Here is more info: http://www.ecohubinc.com/steelcase-and-bkm-officeworks-support-green-co-working-entrepreneurs/ On Feb 23, 6:17 am, David Troy <[email protected]> wrote: > Back in November about twelve folks from Baltimore involved in space design > were flown out to Grand Rapids to visit Steelcase's corporate headquarters on > their corporate jet. Needless to say it was an awesome day trip. > > There were a few take-aways I've been finding myself referring to often > enough that I thought they were worth sharing here: > > 1. Corporations are downsizing their spaces and preparing for Gen Y's > willingness to work more flexibly and collaboratively. GE's global standard > for space-per-worker is now 70 sqft. Accenture's is 50 sqft. This doesn't > mean each person gets a phone booth; it means they're not providing space for > all their employees anymore. They expect people to be working from home, > shared facilities, coffee shops, airports, and client sites. > > 2. Coworking spaces are a lot like restaurants, and you probably don't want > Mexican or Italian every day. They think a major city should be able to > support 12/25/50 coworking spaces over time, and that you'll make your > decision about which one(s) to go to on a daily basis around the design of > the space. By "design" I am talking about "design constraints," not just > layout and furniture. Who's attracted to the space? Is it coders or fine > artists? Which group do you need to be inspired by / move with that day? This > turns the "space competition" question into a moot point. We don't think > about a Thai place being in competition with a taco joint. In the same way, > we should be preparing our cities to handle multiple coworking facilities and > welcoming new entrants and multiple experiments. > > Other tidbits of interest: > > a) Steelcase owns IDEO, the creative consulting / "design thinking" firm. > > b) Steelcase's more whimsical/coworking-targeted brand is Turnstone, which > has been referenced here. Turnstone is very interested in supporting > coworking. > > c) They have a "wormhole" video link between Grand Rapids and IDEO's office > in Palo Alto. We've been talking about doing this between some coworking > spaces but haven't quite gotten it going yet. > > Thought y'all would appreciate these ideas. > > Best, > Dave > > -- > Dave Troy > Beehive Baltimore > Community Coworking in Baltimore, Maryland -- 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.
