PERSONALIZATION OF WORKPLACE

IN A COWORKING SPACE
RESEARCH IN ARCHITECTURE

Varada Ghalsasi
Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture
 PERSONALIZATION OF WORKPLACE IN A CO-WORKING SPACE
Varada Ghalsasi
Fourth year B. Arch.
Dr. BN College of Architecture, guided by Ar. Madhuri Zite

Table of Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1
Background ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Prevalence............................................................................................................................................... 3
Current research ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Literature review ................................................................................................................................... 4

Perspective 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 4.1
Perspective 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 4.2

Methodology ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Data collection ..................................................................................................................................... 7.1
Data analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 10

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Recommendations ............................................................................................................................... 12

References ........................................................................................................................................... 13

AKNOWLEDGEMENT –
This paper and the research behind it would not have been possible without the exceptional support
of my mentor, Ar. Madhuri Zite. Her knowledge and exacting attention to detail have been an
inspiration and kept my work on track from my first attempt of exploring the topic.

My classmates have also looked over my transcriptions and answered with unfailing patience
numerous questions about the preferences for a coworking spaces. Ajit Ghogare, manager head at
Aster Coworking Pune, not only provided images of the coworking space overnight but also shared
the invaluable information about the Coworking space design with relevant floor plans of the office.

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

I am also grateful for the insightful comments offered by the anonymous peer reviewers. The
generosity and expertise of one and all have improved this study in innumerable ways and saved me
from many errors; those that inevitably remain are entirely my own responsibility.

ABSTRACT –

A co-working space helps enhance the productivity of users. Unlike the conventional design of office
spaces, a co-working space provides the opportunity to extend the ideas, skills and capabilities of
executing a project. Co-working spaces are economical, flexible and suitable for SMEs (Small-medium
enterprises) as well as big-scale companies. There are no restrictions of designated areas for the
users and thus they are open to collaborate with other users of the space. Nowadays collaboration is
a raising demand in many companies. This paper intends to provide flexibility in the design of spaces,
furniture and equipment which can cater to various requirements of the users. Retractable spaces
can make it possible to modify the shape of structures into the desirable ways. A questionnaire
survey can make us understand specific requirements of users to modify, personalize and improve
overall performance of the co-working office spaces.

KEYWORDS - Co-working, workspace, office, collaboration, storage, accessibility, flexibility,

personalization, etc.

1.0 INTRODUCTION -

There are an estimated 400 shared workspaces in the country, which are run by around 200 co-
working brands. In India, increasing numbers of co-working spaces have been established over the
last five years. They are an attractive choice for landlords and real estate agents who look for other
tenants as the traditional ones (Forbes, February, 2019)

Collaboration is one way in which the business can grow faster and could be done in a comfortable
environment where the health, psychology and performance of the workers can be boosted.
Collaboration can happen in a space where social interactions are encouraged more than
compartmentalised working in typical conventional offices. Coworking office spaces should promote
personalization with sufficient equipment and space. A sense of belonging to the space is generated
in the users by giving them a designated space or desk in conventional design of office spaces. Such
designated spaces as well as the equipments play a crucial role in the productivity of users. A
sufficient amount of storage and ease of accessibility can be of convenience to the users. For any
workspace to be successful, the key objective is time effectiveness and the quality of work for which
an ideal design of the space is required. Companies like Google, We-work, Aster coworking, DevX are
constructing such collaborative coworking spaces across urban areas in India.

Co-working spaces can be modified as per the requirements of collaboration. User satisfaction can
be uplifted in a co-working space with flexible design and ease in accessing the storage.

2.0 BACKGROUND STUDY –

Co-working space is making its presence at an eye-grabbing pace since last decade. There is a boom
in start-up ecosystem in the world. Major cities in India are also adapting to this shift. Pune being a
financial hub of the nation, has many coworking spaces spread in and around it. Nowadays, there is
a growing demand for collaboration and network expansion in the industry. Workforce needs a

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

collaborative and informal platform to work with ease and convenience. Yet, at the same time
workforce demands a shared workspace. The reason behind this lies in the roots of office culture
which has been practiced in many parts of India since a long time. Workforce psychology was
affected by barriers of conventional office design. Health was being compromised. Absence of
flexibility in work lifestyle made many professionals move to a different field of industry.
Professionals had to go through long processes of hierarchy to establish their potential network.
High cost of transportation was affecting the desired job roles. Traffic issues were raised due to
heavy population moving to urban areas in search of employment. In quite recent time, network
issues became a big barrier in work from home / pandemic situations. All this lands into a need of
the coworking space.

3.0 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH –

This paper discusses user’s preferences for personalisation and enhancement of productivity and
creativity at work. The challenges faced by workforce identified through a survey of users helps in
understanding the current situation of coworking spaces and gaps to be bridged through design. This
paper provides actionable inputs for implementing authorities.

4. LITERATURE REVIEW –

4.1 Present day perspective of looking towards coworking spaces -

According to (Tomaz, 2021), rural coworking spaces typically host a diversity of professionals from
various sectors who seek to reduce their daily commute and reconcile work and quality of life. Most
of these spaces are located in converted buildings and provide shared office facilities, business
support, and some social interaction that could counterbalance self-isolation experienced at home.

Customers vary according to the coworking space market niche. The frequency of visiting varies with
the type of customer. Physical Design (Layout) promotes privacy, performance, and positive energy.
Customer satisfaction is contingent on the quality of amenities. The major challenges are low
financial return and high employee turnover. The future of coworking spaces resides in being a
significant component of the start-up ecosystem not just a place to rent offices or stations. (Safaa
Maher, August 2020)

The physical characteristics of multi-tenant offices can be divided into 10 important multi-tenant
office factors, such as location, office exterior and division, office decor, facilities and services,
seclusion rooms, office leisure, information and communication technology (ICT) and equipment,
privacy and office climate. The users of multi-tenant offices are least satisfied with the personal
control of the indoor climate and most satisfied with the accessibility and availability of fixed
workspaces. (Minou Weijs-Perrée, 2019),

There are two types of corporate coworking. One is open houses, in which companies offer
workspace as a public amenity, typically for brand-building. The other type is campsites - internal,
invitation-only spaces where teams from one company co-locate with peers from another.
Campsites are temporary, affording co-workers stationed their opportunities to learn, ignore org
charts, and collaborate across corporate boundaries. (Gabor, 2018)

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

4.2 Coworking as an innovative alternative to working in conventional office spaces -

According to (Van de Koevering, 28 Feb 2017), the most important motivations to go to a coworking
space are-

1. Affordable accommodation.
2. The feeling of being part of a community.
3. Vibrant and creative atmosphere in the coworking space.
4. Professional appearance for the company o Professional supportive work environment.
(Support services)
5. The opportunity to network with co-workers. (Possible new projects)
6. Social interaction with co-workers.
7. The possibility for work-related conversations with other co-workers. (Knowledge sharing,
knowledge creation)

Coworking allows individuals from various backgrounds to work unitedly in a common space. In
other words, coworking spaces represent an office atmosphere that has a heterogeneous group of
worker or freelancer via creating networking opportunities by social interaction, and come up with
myriad advantages such as cutting costs, gaining flexibility and new perspectives. (Knoll, 2016)

With the ongoing flexibilization of work, new trends concerning work outside the company’s
premises such as coworking spaces are on the rise. Coworking spaces are designed to offer
collaboration and community in furnished and equipped workspaces on a rental base. (Ressia, 2015)

Coworking spaces are regarded as "serendipity accelerators", designed to host creative people and
entrepreneurs who endeavour to break isolation and to find a convivial environment that favours
meetings and collaboration. At the beginning of the movement, CS creations were purely private
initiatives. (Moriset, 2014)

The exponential growth of freelance working arrangements and the reshaping of the labour market
through digital transformation bring new challenges in terms of the ways employment is accessed
and exercised, workers are protected. (Huwart, 2012)

In the 20th century humanity consumed products faster than ever, but this way of living is no longer
sustainable. Technological advances are driving forms of ‘collaborative consumption’ which will
change forever the ways in which we interact both with businesses and with each other. (Botsman,
2011)

Theories of group performance and collaboration effectiveness at work depict outcomes as a

function of multiple factors, including task characteristics, team design, group processes
(interactions such as communication and conflict that occur between group members and external
others), group psychosocial traits (shared understandings, beliefs or emotions), contextual and
cultural characteristics, and leadership (Cohen & Bailey, 1997).

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

5. AIM –

To find out the ways of personalization of a workplace in coworking spaces.

6. OBJECTIVE -

• To understand user preferences to personalise their workspace.

• To analyse various ways to achieve maximum productivity at work.

7. METHODOLOGY –

A qualitative approach has been incorporated by conducting a questionnaire survey and observation
to understand the user preferences and challenges they face.

7.1 IDENTIFIED POPULATION –

I asked 80 people to fill in the feedback form. Out of the 80 respondents I selected 50 on the basis of
relevance to the topic.

7.2 IDENTIFIED SAMPLE –

Variety of professionals using the co-working space.

7.3 VARIABLES -

Dependent – Personal preferences

Independent – Occupation, company & location of workspace

7.4 AREA OF RESEARCH -

Co-working spaces in Pune.

7.5 EXPECTED OUTCOME –

To analyse the standards of designing co-working spaces for user’s comfort and productivity through
personalisation of their workspaces.

8. RESEARCH SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS –

This research is limited only to co-working space design and the workforce in Pune.

9. WORKFORCE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE –

A questionnaire survey was floated to the workforce of co-working field in Pune city and their
responses were recorded to understand their opinions. About 50 responses were collected and
analysed to get to a conclusion. The questions asked are given below -

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

 1. Occupation / job role?
2. Age group?
3. Do you think co-working space is required?
4. Why do you choose to use a co-working space?
5. Do you feel the need of a personalized desk?
6. Where would you like to work?
7. How often do you use the storage in your workspace?
8. Do you carry any equipment at work?
9. Do you have sufficient equipment in your workspace?
10. Is the area of your co-working office space sufficient to your needs?
11. What kind of extra spaces do you require to boost your productivity at work?
12. Which type of space do you need the most?
13. How much time do you spend in recreational areas?
14. What things you need for your personal desk?
15. Spaces used by you daily?
16. Spaces rarely used by you?

10. ANALYSIS FROM THE INTERVIEWS –

Following is the analysis of responses from google form given to the users of coworking space.

Most of the users of a coworking space are
youngsters and start-up professionals who are into
making their own brand or starting a new venture.
Co-working space caters to their formal requirements
of an office space yet at the same time offers them
informal spaces to fetch new network and avoid
boredom of sitting at one place.
To a major extent, coworking space is considered as
a flexible workspace and hence it should fulfil the
basic demands of the users such as proper space for
storage. From the above survey it is clear that most
of them require some kind of storage to keep their
daily equipment at work.

Most of these users are preferring the co-working

space for building their network and expanding
their reach of customers.

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

 As most of our respondents are using the
storage in their coworking spaces, only 40% of
them feel it is sufficient to their needs and
majority of users think it is manageable. Now
this suggests us that there is a scope of
modifying and customizing these storage
spaces for user’s satisfaction.

For a lot of users coworking spaces have

proved to be more productive than the
conventional office spaces. The reason
behind this is seen clearly from response
above which is the possibility of available
recreational space.

11. INFERENCES AND CONCLUSION –

Coworking space is a significant component of start-up ecosystem. The users of coworking spaces
are diverse. The type of user depends upon affordability, flexibility and accessibility. The user
satisfaction is contingent on quality of amenities. Users are least satisfied with indoor climate
control and most satisfied with accessibility and flexibility of the workspaces. Informal and
recreational spaces boost the feeling of being a part of the community in users which enhances their
productivity at work.

12.0 RECOMMENDATIONS –

Based on the findings, few recommendations are proposed which are as follows-

• Conclusions of the study to be incorporated in design of a coworking space.

• A workforce survey should be taken before designing the space.
• Workforce psychology should adapt collaboration.
• Public participation in design process to be incorporated for maintaining transparency.
• Cost reduction techniques should be fetched.
• Innovation in materials that impart flexibility and durability to take place.

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

13.0 REFERENCES –

1. Bouncken, R., & Tiberius, V. (2021) Legitimacy Processes and Trajectories of Co-
Prosumption.
2. Tomaz, E., Moriset, B., & Teller, J. (2021) Rural coworking spaces in the Covid-19 era. A
window of opportunity? Sciences de l’Homme et Société.
3. Ceinar, I. M., & Mariotti, I. (2021) The Effects of Covid-19 on Coworking Spaces: Patterns and
Future Trends. Research for Development: 277–297.
4. Elif Süyük Makaklı, Ebru Yücesan, Betül Ozar (January 2020) Co-Working Space Concept in
the Spatial and Urban Context: A Case Study of ‘Kolektif House’
5. Bouncken, R. B., Ratzmann, M., Barwinski, R., & Kraus, S. (2020). Coworking spaces:
Empowerment for entrepreneurship and innovation in the digital and sharing economy.
Journal of Business Research, 114, 102-110.
6. Safaa Maher, Passent Tantawi, Mohamed A. Ragheb (August 2020) Coworking spaces: An
exploratory study to identify the challenges and different business models in Egypt
7. Andrés Neyem, Sergio F. Ochoa, and José A. Pino (2020). Designing Mobile Shared
Workspaces for Loosely Coupled Workgroups.
8. Bouncken, R. B., Aslam, M. M., & Qiu, Y. (2020) Coworking spaces: Understanding, using, and
managing sociomateriality.
9. Rese, A., Kopplin, C. S., & Nielebock, C. (2020) Factors influencing members’ knowledge
sharing and creative performance in coworking spaces. Journal of Knowledge Management,
24(9): 2327–2354.
10. Coworking Resources (2020). Global Coworking Growth Study 2019.
11. Fiorentino, S. (2019). Different typologies of ‘co-working spaces’ and the contemporary
dynamics of local economic development in Rome. European Planning Studies, 27(9), 1768-
1790.
12. Gandini, A., & Cossu, A. (2019). The third wave of coworking: ‘Neo-corporate’ model versus
‘resilient’ practice. European Journal of Cultural Studies.
13. Waters-Lynch, J., & Duff, C. (2019) The affective commons of Coworking. Human Relations.
14. Zhang, Y., Wang, H., & Zhou, X. (2019) Dare to Be Different? Conformity vs. Differentiation in
Corporate Social Activities of Chinese Firms and Market Responses. Academy of
Management Journal.
15. Spinuzzi, C., Bodrožić, Z., Scaratti, G., & Ivaldi, S. (2019) “Coworking is about community”but
what is “community” in coworking? Journal of Business and Technical Communication,
33(2): 112–140.
16. Tucker, Andrea, Gidel, Thierry, Fluckiger, Cédric (2019). Designing Physicaldigital Workspaces
to Support Globally Collaborative Work.
17. Blagoev, B., Costas, J., & Kärreman, D. (2019) ‘We are all herd animals’: Community and
organizationality in coworking spaces.
18. Minou Weijs-Perrée, Jasper van de Koevering, Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek & Theo Arentze
(2019) Analysing user preferences for co-working space characteristics
19. Avdikos, V., & Merkel, J. (2019). Supporting open, shared and collaborative workspaces and
hubs: recent transformations and policy implications. Urban Research and Practice, 2019, 1-
10.
20. Bouncken, R., & Aslam, M. M. (2019). Understanding knowledge exchange processes among
diverse users of coworking-spaces. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(10), 2067-2085.
21. Cheah, S., & Ho, Y. -P. (2019). Coworking and sustainable business model innovation in
young firms. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(10), 2959.
22. Constantinescu, T., & Devisch, O. (2018). Portraits of work: mapping emerging coworking
dynamics. Information Communication and Society, 21(9), 1263-1278.
23. Bouncken, R. B., Aslam, M. M., & Reuschl, A. J. (2018a). The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship in
Coworking-Spaces. Contributions to Management Science, 135-147.

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

 24. Bouncken, R.B., Laudien, S.M., Fredrich, V., Görmar, L. (2018b). Coopetition in coworking-
spaces: value creation and appropriation tensions in an entrepreneurial space. Review of
Managerial Science, 12(2), 385-410.
25. Bouncken, R. B., & Reuschl, A. J. (2018). Coworking-spaces: how a phenomenon of the
sharing economy builds a novel trend for the workplace and for entrepreneurship. Review of
Managerial Science, 12(1), 317–334.
26. Bouncken, R. B. (2018). University coworking-spaces: Mechanisms, examples, and
suggestions for entrepreneurial universities. International Journal of Technology
Management, 77(1-3), 38-56.
27. E S Soegoto and E I Hafandi (2018) Effect of Co-working Space Designs to Business
Development and Increasing User Interest
28. Cabral, V., & Winden, W. Van. (2018) The promise of coworking environments: a content
analysis of the positioning of collaborative workspaces in Amsterdam. International Journal
of Entrepreneurship and Small Business.
29. Gabor, N., & Lindsay, G. (2018) Why Companies Are Creating Their Own Coworking Spaces.
Harvard Business Review, 24(10): 1–7.
30. American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. (2018). Capturing the Rising Trend of Coworking
Spaces.
31. Butcher, T. (2018). Learning everyday entrepreneurial practices through coworking.
Management Learning, 49(3), 327-345.
32. Brown, J. (2017). Curating the “Third Place”? Coworking and the mediation of creativity.
Geoforum, 82, 112-126.
33. Van de Koevering, J. G. C. (28 Feb 2017) The preferred characteristics of coworking spaces
34. Garrett, L. E., Spreitzer, G. M., & Bacevice, P. A. (2017) Co-constructing a Sense of
Community at Work: The Emergence of Community in Coworking Spaces. Organization
Studies, 38(6): 821–842.
35. King, S. (2017) Coworking Is Not About Workspace — It’s About Feeling Less Lonely. Harvard
Business Review, 16(1): 2–6.
36. Balakrishnan, B. (2017). The effectiveness of an enriched services cape framework on value-
in-use and behavioural responses: the coworking space context. Doctoral Dissertation.
School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, RMIT University.
37. Tin Phan (Spring 2016) Coworking Spaces: From industrial complexes to the fourth industrial
revolution.
38. Research Group Collaborative Spaces. (2016). Coworkers, Makers and Hackers in the City:
Reinventing Policies, Corporate Strategies and Citizenship?
39. Gerdenitsch, S., Andorfer and Korunka. (2016). "Coworking spaces: A source of social
support for independent professionals", in: Frontiers in Psychology, 7, pp. 1–12.
40. Knoll Workplace Research. (2016). The Rise of Co-working: A growing workplace movement.
41. Leclercq-Vandelannoitte, A. and Isaac, H. (2016). ‘The new office: how coworking changes
the work concept’, Journal of Business Strategy, 37(6), pp. 3–9. doi: 10.1108/JBS-10-2015-
0105.
42. Ressia, S. (2015). ‘Neither Office Nor Home: Coworking As an Emerging Workplace Choice’,
15(1), pp. 42–58.
43. Rus, A. and Orel, M. (2015). ‘Coworking: A community of work’, Teorija in Praksa, 52(6), pp.
1017–1038.
44. Barry P. Haynes (23 June 2015). The Impact of the Behavioral Environment on Office
Productivity.
45. Parrino, L. (2015) Coworking: Assessing the role of proximity in knowledge exchange.
Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 13(3): 261–271.
46. Spreitzer, G. M., Garrett, L., & Bacevice, P. (2015) Should Your Company Embrace
Coworking? MIT Sloan Management Review, 57(1): 27–29.

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year

 47. Moriset, B. (2014). "Building new places of the creative economy the rise of coworking
spaces", in 2nd Geography of Innovation International Conference 2014 Utrecht University,
Utrecht, 23- 25 January 2014, p. 24.
48. Huwart, J.-Y., Dichter, G. and Vanrie, P. (2012). Coworking: Collaborative Space for
Microentrepreneurs (Technical Note #1).
49. Botsman, R. and R. Rogers. (2011). What’s mine is yours: How collaborative consumption is
changing the way we live.
50. Hua, Y. (2010). A model of workplace environment satisfaction, collaboration experience,
and perceived collaboration effectiveness: A survey instrument. International. Journal of
Facility Management, 1(2), 1-21.

B. Arch Varada Ghalsasi Fourth Year