.png)
WHERE PEOPLE WORK “CO-WORKING SPACE”
2020 | Co-paradise | Docklands, Coburg, Ringwood
//This project was developed based on the current COVID-19 pandemic, keeping users motivated, and working in a safe environment without much concern. Three vacant suburban sites were selected for further development, which is Coburg, Eastland, and Docklands.//
Outdoor working space @Digital Drive
These locations are all covered with different demographics, market strategies, the site’s structure, and local demand. The current market has demanded alternative and safer working environments, smaller, less dense, and localised, yet still allowing a particular engagement with more extensive working networks—developing health awareness and contactless points with more privacy and fewer work complexities.
Within the COVID-19 situation, the critical spatial issues facing co-working spaces are balancing the requirement of social distancing and typical socialising needs. It is important to reduce the density of occupied office space by reconfiguring the workspace accordingly. Work tasks are essential to be restructured to ensure the ability individually to enforce social distancing. The use of screens and room dividers is necessary to keep everyone apart for protecting an individual’s safety. Social distancing will be the principal aim for every organization to reduce the risk of any COVID-19 infection. The overall space needs to be flexible and transformable to meet all the needs of various co-working groups, which can be approached through lighting, fittings, and size.
Digital Drive, Docklands
The docklands site is a mixed-use environment with a combination of both casual and public co-working spaces located close to the waterfront bay. The majority of users in the city are internationalised. Therefore a multi-working mode has more flexibility to meet different user’s needs and expectations. This site is aimed to have hospitality influence such as cafe facilities for relaxing working and lifestyle.
In establishing a new site, Space and Co. have decided to occupy one of the entry levels in the Digital Drive development by BatesSmart. This decision has been made to take advantage of visitors’ exposure to a new space, gaining traction from users who will occupy this site.
Digital Drive - Site Analysis & Site Photo
The multi-function stage is designed for individuals sitting for multiple users, having their own space, and having it easy to interact with people around despite them having all spaced out for social distancing.
Conceptual Diagram
The original ideas of the middle stage from a rectangular space. However, the design is in a triangle shape which can split into two if smaller space is required for the event. It could be used as a conference or various kinds of events, either casual or formal use. There also will be a presentation screen available on the opposite side of the cafe, which is attached to the cubicle meeting area. Any space around the stage can be casually used as another meeting area.
Axonometric
Floor Plan
The centre of the site was first thought to create a catchy working environment for people to approach from different directions of the entrance. Users in the city are commonly solo performers. Therefore the stairs sitting stage are conceptually designed as a platform to attract various fields of profession, assembling them into a welcoming committee.
Casual coworking space is the concept mode of working on this site, which focuses more on hospitality style. With the opportunities to have exterior space, it can be designed into an outdoor working space able to bring inside out.
This site is potentially occupied for 3-5 years, this design prototype could be fully used as a cafe or event hub, and coworking space can be moved to the second floor and continue as event purpose. It is also located in the CBD and lacks a natural atmosphere.
It is targeting a new community that lives around Dockland, users aged between 18 - 49 years old, mostly university students or workers who lived in the city looking for a convenient lifestyle.
Section Drawings
Design isn’t just limited to interior and exterior. It could be a design of merging two kinds of environment into one. Bring inside out or outside in could be the future working style where people are craving for. The boundaries between inside and outside are blurred. I’ve not just brought outside in which is the natural elements such as plants to infuse some biophilic design. Still, also I have brought inside out which is the working environment into an outdoor space. Traditional office concepts are too dull and unmotivated, so the working and meeting area with the outdoor pond side will develop a different atmosphere to reverse the old working style. A harmonious relationship is established between humans, nature, and space.
Eastland, Ringwood
The Eastland site is located opposite the Realm Library and Bizhub coworking space, which is very competitive for any business model. A large meeting area and quiet environment are provided in that area. Therefore this working space will aim for individual users or a small group target for the meeting area or virtual conference room.
In an established neighbourhood with a large family and homeowner demographic, a brief escape can be highly appealing to Space and Co. members in this area. A resource such as a coworking site where the user can find a location to do some private work and take meetings and phone calls without distraction. The Eastland site offers users the ability to come to a place that can attend to their needs and is closely related to resources such as grocery stores and food outlets that enable the users to undertake errands after completing their work in short hours.
Eastland - Site Analysis & Site Photo
This idea of vertical social distancing potentially increases the usable space by building split level mezzanine platforms for users. Due to the limited and narrow space, levelling will be a suitable approach to maximize the space used and occupy more people than a single level.
Conceptual Diagram
It will be designed into two levels for different purposes. The lower ground floor will be designed into the “grab and go” concept, individually designed workspace allowing users who need to get jobs done instantly and leave conveniently. The upper floor’s arrangement will be developed with different levelling for privacy working and meeting purposes, usually aimed for small-group users who might spend a duration of time. Space levelling seeks to reduce the interaction between users, retaining their privacy and less interruption from others. Besides, a transparent material such as glass with the holographic film will be used to create visuals but create a physical barrier between users for minimizing body contact.
Axonometric
Floor Plan
Jungle gym and scaffolding components will be used to create multi-level spaces. It could be a single room or a collection of rooms described as ‘a unity of separation and coherence’. They are both removable and flexible to be removed or restructured based on business or user’s needs.
Individual meeting space aims for those users who seek to have private areas for the formal purpose out of their home environment, which often have kids interruption or informal atmosphere for a proper video conferencing.
This charming establishment of multitasking is why Space and Co. have chosen to implement a short-term design strategy roughly 1-2 years within this site. The relationship between tasks and the company's ability to become a helpful resource in the lifestyles of its users, gaining customer awareness and knowledge to attain further members as the possibility of normality returns.
Small meeting space can occupy 2-3 persons and video conferencing rooms for individuals or two persons. Hourly membership is available for immediate use, and it's open till late at night, suitable for the neighbourhood that does not have full facilities at home for legal purposes. Shopping experiences are available within a working day, more relaxable, and more flexible.
Section Drawings
This design will be ideal for more users, especially in this narrow space, yet having their privacy. Well used space isn't a requirement for the design but an excellent consideration for business needs. They are maximizing the input of people and providing a well-facilitated workspace for the neighbourhood's users.
Coburg - Site Analysis & Site Photo
Sydney Road. Coburg
Coburg is an uncrowded dwelling area that lacks interest along Sydney Road compared with any other surrounding area, and there is no coworking space available.
Sydney Road offers a new investment opportunity for Space and Co. to expand its business model into one that adapts to the concerns of Social Distance coworking. Sydney Road is the perfect opportunity for Space and Co. to begin to explore possible avenues of the suburban office style.
This idea of multi cubicles will be created to create a cluster style of walking in this space. The unifying structure holistically connects the cubicles creating a series of internal gardens and alleyways.
Conceptual Diagram
A half committee hub at the front space with a series of activities and meeting areas provided, allowing more opportunities for interaction and improving the social atmosphere for the local committee. The program at the front designed into the meeting and seating areas to fit neighbourhood needs. Furthermore, the back area will be retained as the old school style - the suburban office style with privacy and group working space.
Axonometric
Floor Plan
A dynamic cubicle structure with natural element influence will be fundamentally different compared with those typical workplace design. The alleyway created a physical barrier between cubicles to reduce unnecessary body contact between users in this space. This may encourage a positive relationship between its inhabitants and establish a communal and neighborly atmosphere.
The idea of the Coburg site is transformed to a mixed cultural community involved to attract more potential customers for long term purposes, and bring in new elements into this environment to create an opportunity for the local users.
This site aimed for 5- 10 years to fit local committee needs with the regular hourly operation, mostly targetting young workforce which aged between 20 and 40 years old. This site provides both formal style for suburban office style and casual style for local committee use.
It is to establish a ‘town center’ within the Coburg community and kickstart the development of spaces and tenants in the surrounding commercial sites. Develop a mix of cultural community atmosphere to attract more return customers.
Section Drawings
These projects are aimed to improve the engagement between users, encouraging people to start working locally, and supporting the local coworking site. Due to the alarming rate of current pandemic, new strategies and office’s interior are essential to be implemented for the user’s safety, social distancing and increase the awareness of the COVID-19. Levelling and materials have played an enormous part in improving the sites, considering the privacy and business needs during the decision process to maximize the occupants on site. Using more natural elements to increase sustainability and improve the overall coworking experience. These key ideas aren’t just to enhance the designs yet concerning the conveniences of any workers during this pandemic, having more facilities provided and convenient for them to access in walking distance.