With work from home becoming an imperative amidst the lockdown still prevalent in several countries of the world, corporations are brainstorming over rolling out new workplace strategies across the board. As office spaces evolve, coworking spaces are likely to re- emerge as a key workplace option. We take a look at the cowork space trends that are likely to erupt in 2021:
Flexible space-as-a-service
The demand for flexible space will continue to rise with coworking operators inventing new and innovative long- and short-term solutions to support and benefit their customers. A few of such offerings include pay- per-use passes, flexi passes, reverse officing solutions, turnkey solutions, multi-local access, shift working, zero lock-ins etc.
Satellite hubs/hub-and-spoke model
“Walk to Work” is set to be the new trend amongst corporates which will opt for flexible coworking spaces for their distributed remote workforce. This will pave the way for the hub-and-spoke or hybrid workforce model as large companies will want turnkey offices in three to four locations where employees can report for duty with no single location getting overcrowded.
Moving away from conventional set-up
Social distancing requirements will also have an impact on the future of office design and the advantage of having a non-conventional set up that can be easily modified. Rows of open-plan desks will likely be replaced by smaller cells which can be easily adapted to local requirements, flexible partition systems and touch-free fixtures which will be accommodated to offer more private, enclosed offices in accordance with new safety regulations.
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Some large coworking operators may also enter strategic portfolio level tie-ups with prominent developers/landlords to enhance their footprint in sought after locations, especially Tier 1 and 2.
Tie-ups
Some large coworking operators may also enter strategic portfolio level tie ups with prominent developers/landlords to enhance their footprint in sought after locations, especially Tier 1 and 2. Many building owners are also keen on adding flex as an amenity to their buildings and are evaluating partnership structures with various operators. We may also witness some merger and acquisition activity among operators in the current situation. Surrendered or subleased space by struggling tenants could be acquired by financially sound flex operators or tenants seeking fully fitted-out spaces.
Hotels foray into space
As remote working becomes a reality, many hotels such as Vivanta by Taj, ITC, Marriott, Hyatt have started to offer work and stay packages. Recently, Ibis hotels forayed into coworking space and introduced Work@ibis across all their properties.
Virtual office services/ low touch tech
‘Transactional’ and ‘frictionless’ are terms you will hear frequently as workers look for places with easy and minimal touches.
Focus on health and wellness
Within spaces, we will see a renewed focus on health and wellness, an accelerating trend that has been emerging since past few years. Technology companies will scramble to deliver products that monitor temperature and air quality. We will continue to see an emphasis on natural lighting, biophilia and bringing nature into spaces besides wellness offerings.
