“This is the greatest mystery of my adult life: How can I spend all day typing at a computer and go home feeling exhausted? How could merely activating the small muscles of my fingers leave me craving the couch at the end of the day?” – Vox

Office space by definition is where people sit around all day long, doing their respective job, with the exception of a few coffee and toilet breaks. A tiring routine of daily endeavours that leave its host tired and not wanting more at the end of the day. This concept is, however, completely changed as the pandemic hits. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hits, more and more people started to notice that their original office space is not anywhere close to an ideal office space.

What people have learnt throughout this period is that compare to a traditional office, an ideal workspace should be more flexible, more adaptive to different ways of working and if possible, a little bit more welcoming. This is exactly what we are trying to convey, as ThinkHub knows what society needs.

Is returning to the office necessary?

Ever since the pandemic hits, most companies resorted to having their employees work at home, which in a way, is a flexible and welcoming environment. Having their home as their working environment is needless to say, it is always welcoming. Over a longer period, employees seem to be more efficient in working too. So, where is the problem?

First up, working from home creates a feeling of comfort, sometimes a little too much which might cause distraction. Keeping an employee back at home, and expecting them to be always in front of the computer for work is almost impossible, as it is hampering both their physical and mental health. Furthermore, the work-life balance is blurred as the space where you work is also the space where u seek entertainment and rest. If it were so serious, it could lead to a home being less welcoming and less comfortable in a long run.

Comparing working in home with working in office, the sense of urgency, fighting spirit as well as the feeling of working in a team obviously no longer exist if it were to be a home environment. In conclusion, office space is still required to create comradery and a sense of collaboration resulting in better employees’ moods and mental health.

So, what office is the ideal type to return to?

The ideology of a coworking space

“Coworking spaces are office environments for independent professionals and are rapidly spreading worldwide. One main reason professionals opt to work in such spaces is the opportunity for social interaction, which diminishes the isolation independent professionals often struggle with.” – Spinuzzi, 2021

A coworking space or flexible office space is what came into most people’s minds after a while of having their staff work from home. The idea of having what is basically a complete and functional office space, while being able to adjust to personal needs is just perfect for what people realize an office space needs.

Coworking space not only provides flexible working hour, tailored to custom needs of the company, but there is also no requirements of paying a long-term commitment in terms of utilities, office tools, services as well as loan if you own the office space.

Besides the economics, functionality-wise, ThinkHub coworking space fulfils all 3 of the things people notice, it is flexible in both working hours and ownership, it is adaptive to different ways of working and usage of office space and it is way more welcoming than a traditional office space.

Flexible open area for communication

In most coworking spaces, there is always a flexible open area or hot-desk area acting as the main zone. This open ‘free-for-all’ office space is designed in this way to improve communication as well as allow the coworking to feel at ease when working. It can act as either a lounge or a more relaxed, less intense working area. Some might call it an informal, all-purpose office space and it does fulfil its purpose of encouraging connections, even between the workers from different companies.

A quiet work area for less distraction

What an office needs and mainly use like that of a traditional workspace is a more quiet office zone for concentrated work time. A privacy zone can come in different forms. The most traditional one would be a cubical working area, where people can just isolate themselves from any if not all distractions around them and focus solely on their work. There are also different setups of a quiet work area, such as private booth working area, hot desk workspace, or even a separate room for a distraction-less working experience.

Meeting rooms

One of the most vital function any company need is a good meeting room. Setting up a good meeting room isn’t as easy as it seems as there are different criteria that mark a great meeting room. The main thing a good meeting room needs is adequate facilities, this includes projector, projector screen, accessible charging ports, air conditioning and most importantly, a sense of privacy. No one likes their private, corporate meeting to get leaked just because of a bad soundproof set-up the meeting room has. It is needless to say, a good laminated glass to prevent visual peeping is also a must.

In a coworking space, meeting rooms often come in different sizes to serve a different purposes. The setup and facilities are also introduced properly as the meeting room’s size needed. As coworking spaces aren’t used only by a group of people or a company, there is always more than one meeting room in it.

Private office spaces

Private office space is an area for a specific user or company. A private office in a coworking space also comes in various forms. The best example would be an office space catering to a company that has a separate entrance lock and is located in a separate area, the company’s staff are the only one that has access to it. There are also small rooms for a smaller group of workers if they wanted a private office. This is perfect for companies with smaller staff counts like startups, or some types of businesses that require only a few staff in the office at most times.

Should a company or renter decide that they want private office space with a more unique or rather self-designed space, it is most definitely doable. There are also some coworking spaces that allow customization of private office space. The idea is that the space is almost like your own space, so just go ahead and do whatever you want with it.

The redefinition of an office

Across time, an office is more like a second home of yours, and it acts as a space for you not only to work but also to live your life at the same time. The importance of having a good working space is almost as important as having a comfortable home.

Being in a time like this, where people are realizing the importance of ‘living’ in a workspace, a coworking space is some of, if not, the best choices there is.

Get in touch with our Sales Team to book a tour or if you’d to discuss your office requirements.