Of all the spaces I've visited in Europe and the USA, the design has never been the defining factor of their success or not. People and community trump space every time. Depending on its design the space can be a better fit for the community it hosts. If you are talking about other hospitality businesses the space may matter more, but in Coworking the added value and what makes us special is the people not the space.
If your community is business oriented, a business like space will suit them better. If it consists of makers and coders, then it will probably be different. I personally think that function and cleanliness is more important than looks. The function part of design is often forgotten in most discussions and some people mistake design with pretty. The space has to be functional for the community of clients it serves. Ramon Suarez Serendipity Accelerator, Betacowork Author: http://coworkinghandbook.com email & hangouts: [email protected] Phone: +3227376769 GSM: +32497556284 Twitter:http://twitter.com/ramonsuarez Skype: ramonsuarez Try coworking: http://betacowork.com <http://betacowork.com/free-coworking-tryout/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=468x60_banner&utm_content=girl-home&utm_campaign=ramon-signature> On Wed, Sep 24, 2014 at 6:39 AM, Jerome Chang <[email protected]> wrote: > "the returns on well designed spaces is MULTIPLIED by a great community. " > > Well, I think the reverse can work as well: the returns of a good > community can be multiplied by a well-designed space. > Just sayin' > > :-) > > > *JEROME CHANG* > > *WEST: Santa Monica* > 1450 2nd Street (@Broadway) | Santa Monica CA 90401 > ph: (310) 526-2255 > > *CENTRAL: Mid-Wilshire* > 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) | Los Angeles CA 90036 > ph: (323) 330-9505 > > *EAST: Downtown* > 529 S. Broadway, Suite 4000 (@Pershing Square) | Los Angeles CA 90013 > ph: (213) 550-2235 > > [image: <yelp-s.png>] <http://www.yelp.com/biz/blankspaces-los-angeles>[image: > <twitter-bird3-square.png>] <https://twitter.com/BLANKSPACES>[image: > <facebook-logo-square.png>] > <https://www.facebook.com/pages/BLANKSPACES/132257631339> > <https://www.facebook.com/pages/BLANKSPACES/132257631339>[image: > <linkedin-logo-square2.png>] > <http://www.linkedin.com/company/blankspaces?trk=top_nav_home>[image: > <vimeo-s.png>] <http://vimeo.com/blankspaces> > > On Tue, Sep 23, 2014 at 10:23 AM, Alex Hillman < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> You can get away with imperfections in the space when the community vibe >> is good. It’s much, much harder to get away with cultural dysfunction (or >> nonexistence) when the space is good. >> >> It’s not debate of if space OR community is valuable or important. Both >> are important. >> >> What’s important is that the returns in *absence* of each other are >> unbalanced. >> >> Here’s what I’ve observed across LOTS of different >> styles/kinds/scales/breeds of coworking, including “dedicated" coworking >> spaces like what many of us run, but also including some of the bigger >> patterns in how/where people work in other kinds of businesses & >> corporations. >> >> Perfectly designed, beautiful, ergonomic, and inspiring spaces *without *an >> attractive culture are the ones that find themselves weak for new >> membership, weak to retain their members, and very, very difficult to >> sustain without constantly applying pressure. >> >> I’ve seen the lack of community lead to the burnout and closure of a LOT >> of beautiful coworking spaces that people seem to be “impressed" by. >> Meanwhile, the returns on well designed spaces is MULTIPLIED by a great >> community. >> >> Take this out of the context of coworking for a second to see what I >> mean: companies are spending FORTUNES to create beautifully designed spaces >> to inspire their employees to create, collaborate, and be more >> productive…and they expect to get a return on those investments. If a >> company spends hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars on an office, >> they expect that it can generate some multiple of that more in recruitment, >> retention, collaboration, and innovation. >> >> What I’ve learned along the way is that most of these companies design >> the space intentionally, but don’t do anything to design the *culture* of >> the company with the same intent. When the culture and the space design >> aren’t congruent, those hopeful returns are very hard to realize… >> >> When those companies put even a *fraction* of the effort and intention >> into designing the culture of the community as they do the space, the >> results are tremendous. >> >> COMBINE those two efforts, and the results are unparalleled :) >> >> -Alex >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Tue, Sep 23, 2014 at 9:29 AM, Erynn Lyster < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I know I'm jumping into this discussion late, but just getting to my >>> overflowing in box! >>> >>> I just wanted to respond to the discussion that popped up about the >>> physical "space" itself not being a huge factor when people think about >>> "what makes a good coworking space". I don't speak French, unfortunately, >>> Nicolas, so I can't read what you wrote on the subject, but here at The >>> Commons one of the first things people say that they enjoy about our space >>> is the actual, physical space. >>> >>> We put a lot of effort into making the space feel comfortable, >>> sophisticated and inviting and this has paid off tremendously. I would say >>> that, yes, people choose to work here because they like the vibe and the >>> community but I would argue that one of the factors contributing to the >>> vibe and community is the physical space. It encourages people to talk, >>> lounge and be comfortable. >>> >>> One of the big things that factor into them choosing us above other >>> coworking spaces in town is that they are proud to bring their clients >>> here, that it is comfortable to work in and it really does feel like a home >>> away from home. Our members take great pride in our space - we can tell as >>> they bring their clients on a tour when they come in and talk a lot about >>> the design. >>> >>> I was a member here before I became an owner and I knew when I took over >>> that that was one of the biggest criteria for me - to work in an inspiring, >>> well-designed space. This is something I feel quite passionately about, in >>> fact, and was a huge debate when my brother and I took over the space as he >>> just wanted to put in the least expensive, most utilitarian furniture >>> possible and said no one would care. >>> >>> It may be just sibling rivalry, but I do like the fact that he had to >>> admit a year later that I was right and he was wrong ... ;-) >>> >>> ~Erynn >>> >>> On 2014-09-14, 11:45 AM, Nicolas Bergé wrote: >>> >>> I recently asked the members of Les Satellites "What makes a good >>> coworking space ?". I received different answers, none of them put the >>> "space" as a criteria. >>>> >>>> I've realized that members are the best to define what coworking >>> is and what coworking is not, even though they only know a few coworking >>> spaces, if not only one. I wrote something here ( >>> http://www.les-satellites.com/2014/09/les-personnes-qui-font-du-coworking-ne.html) >>> explaining why members of coworking spaces are not interested by the space >>> criteria (in French). >>> If you can include, Ramon, the members' - your members' - viewpoints on >>> the definition of coworking you wish to show, you'll be better off - we'll >>> all be better off. >>> >>> Nicolas Bergé >>> Les Satellites >>> -- >>> Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Coworking" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> -- >>> Erynn Lyster >>> The Commons Calgary >>> a cowork apothecary >>> www.thecommonscalgary.com(403) 399-1716 (cell) or (403) 452-7938 (office) >>> >>> -- >>> Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Coworking" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> >> -- >> Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Coworking" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > -- > Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the > Google Groups "Coworking" group. > To unsubscribe from this topic, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/topic/coworking/Tvf2gg-WZ5w/unsubscribe. > To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
