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On: December 22nd, 2010

Central’s workspace designs

At long last I’m really pleased to be able to share our designs for the Central workspace. We really need your feedback to ensure that we create the product / service that you want and need. So please have a look at the designs and give us your feedback. You can post comments here on the website, send us feedback @centralworking or on ourFacebook page, where you can also see all of these designs.

Have a look at the layout, the desks, the proposed chairs, the entrance. Have a look at it all and please share your views on how we could improve the workspace. What have we missed that you really think you would need to be part of Central.

We’ll start with the 1st floor layout. You can see here the front of house section, with our food sales and coffee. On the left is our Central Hub desk (in red) which will service our members in the workspace toward the rear diagram. There are a number of different styles of workspace, from communal work desks to relaxed sofa working. Click on the thumbnails for more descriptions

  • <p>The view as you walk in</p>
  • <p>The view from one of our meeting rooms and our communal work desk.</p>
  • <p>We think it is crucial that if you are in a workspace you need to have the support and comfort of a decent work chair. After all you are going to be sat on it for hours at a time. So here are some of the chairs we are thinking about.</p>
  • <p>Here is what we think would work for the sofas. We want to ensure that you feel comfy but that we give you enough support to enable you to work on it for extended periods of time.</p>
  • <p>The view our staff will have of you if you are waiting in line for your morning coffee</p>
  • <p>Once you walk through into Central you will be greeted with a number of different work styles. From the sofa working on the right hand side to the communal workspace and desks on the left hand side.</p>
  • <p>We think it is crucial that if you are in a workspace you need to have the support and comfort of a decent work chair. After all you are going to be sat on it for hours at a time. So here are some of the chairs we are thinking about.</p>
  • <p>Some of the desk lights that we are looking at. We want to give you the ability to control your environment. Some people want it bright, some people don’t. With Central you get to create your environment, here are some the the lights that might help us achieve this.</p>

15 Comments
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  • http://www.bowlanedental.com James Goolnik

    I like the designs. I have two concerns:
    1. Privacy & noise. The areas look very close together and I am not sure your mobile phone usage policy but I tend to get distracted when others are working very close. Will you have mobile free zones and areas when you have more privacy? Not being at eye level with someone else, perhaps frosted glass on the sides so not hemmed in but feel like you can work without being looked over on.
    2. Lighting. Will you have access to some natural light (I think you mentioned light wells or something more high tech). I always find it soul destroying working when I cannot get to see some light outside.

    • http://www.nevereverlimited.com @layfield

      Hi James,

      Thank you for the feedback. In terms of 1. We need to have a plan on mobile usage, one thought is we’ll have quite areas downstairs. Also we’ve got booths, and meeting rooms. But we’ll make sure we have some such areas.

      Lighting downstairs is absolutely key, we have made this an absolute priority for our designers.

      Happy new year to you!

  • http://www.subhub.com Evan Rudowski

    I would say, for me, it’s a place where I can make phone calls
    privately, keep my head down when i don’t want to be seen or bothered,
    have a place to hang or stow my gear, and feel my things are safe if I
    need to get up and go to the loo or get a coffee. And could someone
    come and take my order if I’m busy working?

    • http://www.nevereverlimited.com @layfield

      Hi Evan,

      We’ve got lockers, and private booths downstairs so these should help I hope. But we’ll have a think to see that we have this covered.

      Happy new year

  • Colin Andrews

    Just had a look around your Central project – have to say it is a cracking idea, be very useful for small start-up businesses etc. that have yet to find a base, and again as you propose those people who are new in town and need somewhere to work.

    I get the impression that sterile cubicles are bad for invention and open, interesting spaces seem to have a positive effect. I would question privacy though if you have several people in the space together.

  • http://www.nevereverlimited.com @layfield

    Thank you for that Colin!

  • http://www.littlejetsetter.com Sherry Madera

    Here are a few things that I’ve always thought would be cool in a shared space (in no particular order):
    - lockers. Sometimes you just don’t want to drag everything around with you. Certain samples, notebooks, calculators, rulers, whatever is necessary at any given time. Somewhere you can store this sort of stuff will keep people coming back more often!
    - signage – I know it is going to be a joint space, but especially when you’re having meetings, it would be cool to have an electronic welcome board/tv/monitor that cycles through the company logos and names. Makes you feel a part of the space.
    - private workspace – something with dividers that you can really get your head down in some days when that is necessary.
    - skype headsets available (the nice ones with noise cancelling). Big to lug around, but often your primary means of calls – especially international ones!
    - coat/bag/expensive stuff check – sometimes you’re between meetings and you need to pop in for the afternoon, but you have a million things with you that perhaps you don’t want to leave lying around. Some easy way to check them safely would be great.
    - whiteboard space. Sometimes you’re sitting around having an informal meeting, and it would be great to lean back behind you and jot a few things down. I reckon it could make for some cool design features and make things feel super buzzy as well. even in an open concept space, this would be really useful.
    - internal social media site – some way to let the people there know who else is there. This works in two ways – helps facilitate networking and not missing people you know who also drop in, but also for privacy and security – you may not want to be using the white board if you know a competitor is sitting next to you.

    • http://www.nevereverlimited.com @layfield

      Hi Sherry,

      Thank you for the feedback!

      Absolutely agree on the lockers, we’ve got them in the plan. How much do you think it is fair to pay for them per month?

      The signage point is interesting, we’d not considered the idea of enabling you to have your logo on the rooms. But we will have a good think now.

      Private workspace? We’ve got quite a few booths with really high sides, would this do the job? We have also got some full size desks

      Love the Skype headset idea

      Coat check we don’t have room for at the moment, but what about the lockers?

      We’d had a thought about glass whiteboards, you know like you see on CSI, they are both practical and look cool.

      Internal social network, at Central we think that networking between members is crucial! So we are going to have a social network for members and also actively encourage this with our teams.

  • Lisa Thompson

    This almost makes me wish I lived in London again – almost. Or anywhere near a workhub. The layouts and furniture look lovely. My only question, as a short-arse, is will you be able to adjust the tables or chairs for height as I often find the table is too high to use a keyboard comfortably. And a suggestion for dealing with the mobile phone shouters – some attractive bins preloaded with rolled-up balls of newspapers to be hurled at the offender (who also has to pick them all up before eating them). Actually I have a second question: when are you opening in west Kent.

    • http://www.nevereverlimited.com @layfield

      Hi Lisa,
      The good news is that ultimately you won’t have to move back to London to benefit from a Central. We’re planning to have them all across the UK over the course of the next few years.
      We’ll definitely have adjustable seats, not all of them but a fair number. We’ll also have quite zones, so you can avoid the shouters, and save your throwing arm.

  • http://www.spaceontap.com Jayne Graham

    This is a great concept and one that we’re working on in the North East on a ‘pop-up’ basis at the moment. Our Blog at http://spaceontap.blogspot.com/ provides a pretty good explanation of what we do and what we’ve discovered about co-working and co-working space over the past 6 months or so if you would like to take a look.
    In terms of what people need, hot topics that have emerged so far are:
    - People like to be able to have some privacy, but have the option to connect with other folk too – so obvious ‘social/work areas’ can be made distinct from work areas.
    - It’s more than the space -having someone in a ‘facilitator’ role can really help to create useful collaborations amongst co-workers and stimulate the development of a community and therefore a reason to visit.
    - Creating structured opportunities for people to talk about business topics of mutual interest can add real value. At our Colleagues on Tap co-working days in the North East we arrange a ‘SpoT chat’ for an hour after lunch, to share ideas about anything from Twitter to time management – it’s surprising how much great knowledge is exchanged during such a short period.
    - Good quality coffee’s a must.
    Hope this is helpful.
    Best of luck – we’d love to talk to you about working with you on the development of a co-working space in the North East.
    Jayne

    • http://www.nevereverlimited.com @layfield

      Hi Jayne,

      Thank you for the feedback. We’ll check out your site. I’m originally from the North East, so I pop back to visit my mum. When I next do let’s meet up.

      We’re on the same page about the team. That is exactly why we have Steve Pette, the man behind the Virgin Atlantic airport lounges and Virgin America’s onboard service. If he can’t crack it no one can!

      Let’s keep in touch.

  • http://www.txt2buy.com Simon Rabin

    Looks very interesting. I see a gap for something like this everytime I have
    to have a meeting in Starbucks!

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  • emily

    Hi guys,

    It’s good to see the co-working movement is gaining momentum everyday. Be interesting to hear where it’s going to be! From having tried out a number of spaces, I think there are a few key things you’ve got to get right to make it a success.

    1) the space allows for members to adapt it to their own uses – chairs and tables that are comfortable and that move so you can feel some ownership are key.
    2) lighting – natural light ideally, but if not, as natural as it can be. Avoid nasty strip lighting at all costs – think about table lamps and directional lighting .
    3) accoustics – make sure there’s enough soft fabrics to absorb sound – wood, felt and other fabrics work well.
    4) Feminine colours and soft shapes. The NY industrial loft thing is a bit ’90s. You want a space that’s comfortable and womb-like without being suffocating or chintzy.
    5) Temperature. The worst thing ever is it’s too hot or too cold.
    6) Spaces for members to leave an inprint on the space. If it’s too shiny and polished, people will feel uncomfortable – spaces people can write on, leave messages for each other, leave details about themselves etc.
    7) Social spaces to bump into each other and strike up a conversation where you don’t feel like you’re infringing on people – the classic ‘watercooler’ moment, and alternatively more private spaces where you can hide away.

    Looks great though, very excited to hear more about what you’re up to.