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The Third Place: Remote workers seek local co-working spaces in post-lockdown era

Local co-working spaces are offering a ‘third place’ for remote workers to be located in the post-pandemic era, according to research published by the Politecnico di Milano in Italy. Italy was one of the first places to experience a substantial COVID-19 outbreak, closely followed by the UK as the pandemic spread through Europe. Since lockdown conditions have eased, research has been carried out into designing behaviours for well-being spaces, as part of the FrancoAngeli Design International Series which began in 2017. In a recent update, the researchers found that some individuals who are able to work remotely are not returning to the office, but also are not working from home, but are instead seeking a ‘third place’ in the form of local co-working spaces.

What drives demand for co-working spaces?

As lockdowns ended and more workers had the possibility to go back to the office, with the protection of vaccines in place, many found they would prefer to continue to work remotely. However, this does not necessarily mean working within the distractions of the home environment either. The researchers explain: “A significant number of workers prefer to look for the already mentioned ‘third place’ which is increasingly characterised by urban proximity to the place of residence, and that is offering advantages such as the provision of shared facilities and services, removal from domestic distractions, and the implementation of social relationships.” Some companies have embraced this by decentralising their office workforce; others are increasing their use of teleworking even further after seeing an increase in productivity; and some, the report notes, would prefer a return to pre-pandemic working practices.

How hotdesking helps

Serviced Office Company offer hotdesking and co-working facilities based at our serviced offices in London, Manchester, MediaCity and Telford, and giving you access to the same high standard of facilities and meeting rooms for hire on-site. This can help if you work in any one of a number of different ways:

• Self-employed individuals seeking occasional professional surroundings
• Contract workers with temporary or varying demand for desk space
• Decentralised companies seeking local co-working space for employees

Hotdesking offers excellent flexibility and scalability. Combined with our virtual office service, you can have a consistent and professional set of contact details, and we will handle any incoming correspondence on your behalf. As your business grows, you might decide to move into our serviced offices to give you dedicated 24/7 space of your own, with the option to expand further as you reach greater and greater success.

Find out more

If you are still adjusting to your new preferred way of working in the post-pandemic era, or you just want to know more about hotdesking and co-working in Telford, Manchester, Salford Quays or London, contact the Serviced Office Company today. We are always delighted to discuss our growing network of business premises across the UK, including our recently completed refurbishment of over 50,000 square feet of prime office space in Telford across four floors of St James’ House in Central Park. Ask us anything – we’re here to help, and our facilities are designed to offer the flexibility you need as we all adjust to the ‘new normal’ of the coming years.