Was Coworking Popular Before Covid-19?

When Did Coworking Spaces Start Becoming Popular? 

 

Although becoming more popular than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic, Coworking spaces are thought to have originally started in Berlin during the 90’s, conceptualized by a group of computer engineers. The term we know today as “Coworking” was first used at turn of the 21st century by American author Bernard DeKoven, he envisioned coworking “not merely as a physical place but as a way of working that emphasized collaboration and dismantled hierarchical structures within professional environments”.  

 

What Type of Industries Are Coworking Spaces Tailored To? 

 

Most coworking spaces are tailored to businesses and industries with predominantly computer or device-based work. The rise in high end mobile technology means that the modern office can be replaced with a single laptop, phone or tablet. All you need is a power source and a stable internet connection to get started. This opens up the door for many office based employees to switch to hybrid working without seeing any issues with their performance. 

 

How Covid Changed Things 

 

Covid changed the world completely. From the way that businesses work, to the way people connect, everything changed. The closure of cinemas pushed the streaming world into the stratosphere, the closure of office spaces made hybrid working the standard and even the closure of food and drink establishments brought out the world of home delivery like never before.  

 

Increase In Hybrid Work 

 

When the Covid lockdowns initially began, most companies were forced to close their doors. Those that were able to remain in business were forced to adapt their in-person working systems to allow staff to stay at home and stay isolated. This sudden change made many companies and their employees realise how easy it was to do their job from remotely without many of the hurdles that employees have to clear like transport and childcare.  

 

Changed Location Preferences 

 

With more people being able to do their jobs in full remotely, many people realised they no longer need to live in the centre of the big cities close to their workplaces. This saw a huge exodus of people moving to the outskirts, suburbs and countryside whilst still remaining employed in city jobs. It also meant that businesses initially tied to large, expensive offices could downsize or even completely do away with centralized locations and have all of their staff work remotely, saving huge amounts of money.  

 

Increased Health & Safety Within Coworking Spaces 

 

Many places saw a massive change in the way they were cleaned and maintained, as well as the dismantling of more traditional seating/desk assignment arrangements. This meant people could remain together but allow distance between staff to reduce the risk of infection. Also areas such as ventilation, contactless technology and the implementation of hygiene stations (alcohol gel, handwashing and facemasks) meant that places were better prepared to avoid outbreaks, not just of covid-19 but many of the illnesses that tend to plague crowded office spaces.  

 

Technology Advancements  

 

The months of lockdowns meaqnt that tech companies were suddenly forced to bring more computing power into people’s hands for less money so that the world could continue working and communicating whilst isolated. Smartphones got smarter so people could keep connected, cameras got higher quality to allow for the rise in video call meetings, and Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality devices saw a huge rise so that people could experience things like training, simulations, virtual conferences and even remote collaboration without ever setting foot out of their homes.  

 

Explore Coworking Spaces with Spacepool 

 

Coworking gives employees, contractors and freelancers the opportunity to work in a wide variety of social, exciting and creative environment with other likeminded individuals, sharing ideas, advice and even making long term connections that can help develop both your personal life and your career. 

 

From Glasgow to Brighton, Manchester to London and beyond, Spacepool has hundreds of spaces from small to large for hire. From long term commitments to single day passes, we have a huge variety of Coworking solutions no matter your needs. 

 

Got any questions or just want to take a look at one of our spaces? Feel free to get in touch, one of our team would love to help. Give us a call or drop us an email.