I did this project with Phillip Han. We wanted to create a coworking space for a variety of uses. We wanted to have space for the occasional visitor, people who would work here every day, and small companies that need office space. The space we decided upon was a three-story building at 76 South Division. The layout of this building allowed us to create separate areas for the three separate needs. We decided to use the first floor as a space for occasional visitors. We wanted this space to have a similar feel to that of a coffee shop, where people might stay for varying lengths of time. Most people here would be working alone on computer-based tasks, so we wanted to have most of the seating be at small tables, with a few sofas and larger tables, for group meetings and such. We wanted the layout of the room to draw people in through the front door to the counter, where they would order and receive a beverage. While they’re waiting for their drink, they would look at a wall featuring information about the coworking space, who’s there, and what it’s all about. The would then find a table, sit, and work.
We decided to use the second floor for resident coworkers, people who pay a membership fee, use the same desk every time they visit, and do most of their work here. We would expect these visitors to be in the space five days per week. In this space, residents need a secure place to store items they may need for their work, so we decided to use lockers. We also wanted to encourage collaboration, so we included a space for conversation away from the desks.
We decided not to focus on the third floor, but we did decide that it would be divided into four separate rooms, with space for five to six people to work in each room.
What I learned:
From this project, I think I learned a lot about working with others. It wasn’t the best experience I’ve had, and I think the key to better collaboration is more communication. I think it also would have helped us to plan a timeline before we started the project, so that we knew how far along we should be at a given point in time.