Move over ‘Co-working’ there’s a new Digital Model in Town
08-08-2016
The next phase of Workplace Evolution has begun and it’s lean, fast and unrefined. Welcoming personality and embracing change.
The Co-Working space has evolved from a generalist, catering for everyone in a heavily styled ‘cool’ environment. Often embodying the wise words of Dolly Parton - “it takes a lot of money to look this cheap”. The approach to the new Digital Model is much more honest, taking reference from Building 20, MIT’s legendary ‘Magical Incubator’. Most often using low cost specification with a ‘Loose Fit’ design attitude, encouraging development and evolution by the users, creating spaces that allow a great deal of adaptability and personalisation. Spaces designed for reconfiguration that are highly responsive to change and generally delivered working to very short timelines.
Designed for sharing and communication - Where every surface can be turned into an ad-hoc presentation board, ensuring ongoing project work is visible and enabling everyone to walk past and comment. Getting involved if they can help or have something to suggest and sharing the learning they’ve had on previous experiences.
Our design concepts have been driven by new methods of Agile Project Management, a methodology developed by the software industry, advocating scrum / sprint and other invocative athletic terms as a means to quickly generate solutions. Hokey Cokey style project delivery – breaking projects down into smaller, manageable elements, then getting together to thrash out an issue, separating to develop details, shaking it all about to get the best result.
The Digital Model still needs variety and choice of spaces in which to work. The classic workplace paradox still exists – the need for a space to come together and be alone, for meeting and me time, concentrating with your ears open, is there loud and proud. But the new model is not precious; it gives people autonomy over their surroundings through flexible, informal, simple design solutions. The spirit of APM runs through to the delivery of the workplace design project. Doing something quickly and then review, don’t spend time perfecting it on paper – give the people the opportunity to work in the rough cut and they’ll show you new ways to work.
This is an interesting movement and will pick up pace as trends and fashion notice what’s happening. It is miles away from the constant discussions around The Curse of Open Plan, representing a much more tailored, flexible approach to work and place. Something we’ve been doing at Squaredot for years. Why should the working space be homogenous? Workplace should be as rich and varied as the people a business spends a great deal of time and money recruiting to do their jobs.
