Office spaces have seen an evolution over the years. With the changing
tide of the economy coupled with a new generation entering the workforce
exposed to technology far more advanced than what existed in
generations prior, attitudes toward work are quickly evolving.
Wired magazine featured an
article
about the changing attitudes toward work and how it helped shape the
design of office spaces from the past, the present, and perhaps what we
can expect in the future.
The
need for office spaces is dependent on the existence of a business. But
what happens when a business folds, as we have consistently seen happen
at the onset of the recession? Does it result in an abandoned space
that marks the beginning of a ghost town? For OfficePort, it was a case
of turning life's lemons into lemonade.
The birth of
OfficePort KC became a positive new business that was a direct
result of what seems to be a negative business scenario. "There (in
Kansas City) we had a company that ran out of business. So we had a
whole building that became vacant all at once. We also had the entire
furniture along with it," says Michael Edmondson, Co-founder of OfficePort and a realtor. An empty space, existing office furniture, and dynamic open office design and layout became the recipe for a coworking environment catering to entrepreneurs. "We are entrepreneurs ourselves. We want to keep the prices low and keep the business transaction as simple as possible," says Michael, who understands the direct needs of start-up companies, small
businesses, independent contractors, or freelances when it comes to
overhead and the costs of running a business.
Modernist
furniture like the Wassily Chair, also known as the Model B3 chair,
designed by Marcel Breuer, flanks the reception area at OfficePort CHI.
The
success of their first coworking environment prompted its founders to
bring this new way of working to the windy city. One day in the dead of
winter, Shaul Jolles, Co-founder of OfficePort along with James Carver, Manager of what is now OfficePort CHI, flew to Chicago in search of a space where they could replicate OfficePort KC. "I
came to Chicago in January 2009 and put an offer on the first and only
building I looked at. I had many other appointments to look at, but made
my mind when I first searched and saw this space," recalls Shaul.
With that visit, they found a space across the famed Block 37, at the
heart of The Loop, on the corner of Washington and State Streets. On
August 24, 2009, OfficePort CHI
opened its doors, as a conversion from the empty residential
condominium space above Atwood Cafe. The design of this coworking space
had a modern and dynamic feel to it from the entrance all the way to its
interior ports. The reception area is flanked with modern furniture
that mimics the modern ports/desks available for lease on flexible
terms. The no deposit/no contract scenario diminishes the taxing
paperwork normally involved in securing an office lease. It allows a
business owner to focus on running the business as they see fit.
James Carver, office manager of OfficePort CHI, showing his own "port". (image by Dante Hamilton)
"We're
up to about 32 companies now, a lot of them in web development,
different aspects of consulting, several in social media marketing,
journalists, and freelancers. It's interesting to see how these
companies can blend, how they intertwine with each other. We have a
website called Weave
where you can see different groups or members that we have. There's a
lot of mini-market research--the different aspects of running a small
business," says James Carver.
As a business, this coworking
environment focuses on the idea of community from making it as easy as
possible for entrepreneurs to get a turn-key office space in a good
location, to having a cost effective option, equipped with all the tools
needed to run a company, to sponsoring community lunches once a month.
Mike Maddaloni, a web developer who operates Dunkirk Systems at OfficePort CHI.
James further explains "There's
a sense of being independent (as an entrepreneur) and yet part of a
group. We have a lot of people who will still be here (coworking)
whether the economy is good or bad. I do think the economy propels that
aspect (of entrepreneurship) but as the economy gets better, I don't
think entrepreneurship would dry up as a result of a good economy." For example at OfficePort CHI, currently "We
had one business start out as a one-desk operation, then upgraded to an
office suite, and has now hired 2 people, and has 2 interns."
Exploring
the inner ports of OfficePort CHI evokes a feeling of walking into an
industrial loft space, with its exposed ceilings at the back of the
space, free-flowing spaces, refurbished Herman Miller furniture, and
sealed concrete floor finish. Coworking in this space is all-inclusive,
housed in a decent looking office that allows one to do work.
The modern "ports" are fully equipped with basic office furniture from Herman Miller. (image by Dante Hamilton)
Doing
work outside the confines of a coffee shop, or out of the home office,
where clients can be entertained in a professional yet casual
environment is exactly what Dante Hamilton was looking for as an entrepreneur.
Dante Hamilton discusses a website project, MakeupByVioletta.com, with his client, Makeup Artist Wioletta Hryniewicka.
Dante
is a graphic/web designer and owner of Internet Webpages Newspaper,
Inc. In 2008, he had an office space with Regus, functioning as his
headquarters. "I was working in a traditional office environment for
about 20 hours a month. That turned out to be too expensive and there
was no benefit in meeting anyone because the offices are completely
isolated," shares Dante. When OfficePort CHI opened last year, he
became one of its pioneer tenants. The draw was how this coworking space
was designed--it gave the tenants the ability to collaborate, making it
more conducive to interaction with other tenants, resulting in sharing
of ideas, thus building a community.
With access to an office
space 24/7, coworking has become an attractive alternative for people
who travel a lot, those working in projects with teams in different
geographic locations and time zones, or perhaps those who just requires
more flexibility than what a traditional office open from 9am-5pm can
accommodate.
Anna Lira Luis, AIA, RIBA, NCARB, UAP, LEED®AP, is principal architect at Atelier Lira Luis, LLC.
She believes in transforming the world and society through designs that
are sensitive to sustainability and address social responsibility.
Follow her in Twitter:
@liraluis