The philosophy of Coworking 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 Coworking: “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 benefits that a company can offer, namely a well-organised structure and a sense of community. The result was Coworking. 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 Coworking philosophy in the COLLECTION Business Centers as well: “We naturally keep a constant eye on the trends shaping working life in other countries, and 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 Coworking 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 Coworking spaces have windows – something which, unfortunately, is not the case with some of our competitors.”
Privacy in the Coworking office
When Bradley Neubert conceived of Coworking 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 loneliness at my desk was terrible 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.
This is 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 Coworking spaces are in high demand amongst our clientele – 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 sector – co-workers see Coworking spaces as hotbeds of creativity.”
At COLLECTION Business Centers, 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 and read what’s on their screen, potentially stealing intellectual property or infringing copyright,” 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 Centers: anyone who wishes to do so can make use of the central telephone service. In this case, staff at the COLLECTION Business Centers will 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, Coworking 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 Centers 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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