The philosophy of co-working has been a well-established concept in the modern world of work for over ten years – first defined in 2005 by the American programmer Bradley Neubert in Silicon Valley and subsequently adopted by high-tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft, as well as many start-ups – the concept now comprises five key elements:
- Community
- Openness
- Collaboration
- Accessibility
- Sustainability
In a recently published interview with the Institute for Labour Research at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Barcelona, Bradley Neubert explains how he came up with the idea of co-working: “At the time, I asked myself how I could combine the individual elements of performance that are so essential to me – freedom and independence – with the advantages that a company can offer, namely a well-organised structure and a sense of community. The result was co-working. Today, I couldn’t imagine doing things any other way.”
For Dr André Helf, CEO of the Collection Group, it was therefore only logical to implement this co-working philosophy in the COLLECTION Business Centres as well: “We naturally keep a constant eye on the trends shaping working life in other countries, particularly in Silicon Valley. And, of course, our clients operate internationally too: particularly in the start-up sector, but also in the communications industry or, for example, amongst industrial designers, the working environments of Silicon Valley and other high-tech hubs such as New York or Dubai are well known – as is the resulting demand on the German market. We take this into account. Most of our business centres offer co-working spaces. The success of this approach proves that users have made the right choice.”
In this regard, COLLECTION is setting new standards in Germany: “We don’t cram 15 people into a single room here; instead, depending on the location, we accommodate between four and six people. This ensures a quiet working environment, whilst still fostering a sense of community through the exchange of ideas and mutual inspiration. What’s more, all our co-working spaces have windows – something that, unfortunately, isn’t the case with some of our competitors.”
Privacy in the co-working office
When Bradley Neubert conceived of co-working in 2005 as a concept for modernising the world of work, one of his main motivations was to escape the isolation of the office: “That feeling of being alone at my desk was dreadful for me. When I have people around me, the atmosphere is completely different – I find that inspiring. And then I realised that many others feel exactly the same way,” he explains in an interview with the Institute for Work Research at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Barcelona.
It’s a realisation that Collection CEO Dr André Helf can relate to: “Not everyone needs absolute silence to be able to concentrate on their work. Of course, we also offer fully enclosed offices of various sizes, but our co-working spaces are in high demand amongst our clients – precisely because many, just like Bradley Neubert, are able to perform at their best when working alongside others. These don’t necessarily have to be people from the same industry – co-workers see co-working spaces as hotbeds of creativity.”
At the COLLECTION Business Centres, the generous space allocation per workstation ensures that, despite the open-plan layout, discretion is maintained. “Of course, it’s not acceptable for anyone to glance over another person’s shoulder at their screen and, in doing so, potentially steal intellectual property or commit copyright infringements,” explains Dr Helf, “our workstations are arranged in such a way that this risk cannot arise in the first place.”
The issue of accessibility, which is essential for many co-workers, is also included in the service package at the COLLECTION Business Centres: anyone who wishes to do so can make use of the central telephone service. Staff at the COLLECTION Business Centres will then handle incoming calls or accept deliveries of goods and business post. Visitors and guests can also be welcomed at the central reception, as can other additional services such as translation services or catering arrangements. Naturally, co-working clients can also book the meeting rooms for meetings and presentations.
Sustainability – a benefit highly valued by many co-workers – is achieved automatically through the optimal shared use of space and resources such as heating and electricity.
And finally: the COLLECTION Business Centres feature kitchenettes with dining areas or lounges that invite people to linger, relax and exchange ideas – facilities that are very popular with customers.
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