Is it a fad that will die soon? No, we think not. Coworking spaces are going to define the future of offices in the times to come. They’re already mushrooming across the country and Bengaluru is seeing a surge in numbers across the city. These spaces work best for independent professionals and startups and are soon turning to be a hub for those who want their chic workspace to network, collaborate, communciate and connect while building a community in an efficient and sustainable manner. Here are some of Bengaluru’s popular and most creative coworking spaces.
BY NAMITA GUPTA
What’s unique: CoWrks is one of the fastest growing large-format shared office space providers. With over nine offices spread across 1 million sq.ft. in 4 cities and more than 10,000 members, it is an exclusive confluence of freelancers, independent professionals, start-ups, small scale enterprises and Fortune 500 companies. Their tastefully designed offices offer members access to all our workspaces across the country, instantly giving them a premium address and a national footprint. The diverse community is united through a social networking app that aims to stimulate a work culture that boosts creativity, productivity, cross-collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill upgradation. Their alliances with F&B outlets, taxi services, fitness centres and more, allows members to avail these services at attractive, discounted prices.
A space apart: In catering to the demand generated by the growing popularity of the concept of coworking in India, CoWrks focuses on creating large-format premium workspaces which ranges from 50,000 sq.ft. to about 2.5 lakh sq. ft. The cornerstone of CoWrks is a tightly-knit community with over 10,000 members, where they are empowered and encouraged to improve their knowledge and skills while building larger, stronger networks. Tech and AI help them gather intelligence on usage, spatial analytics, as well as the interests and preferences of the community. Their spaces have been intelligently designed using analytics, which helps designers make informed decisions as they conceptualise unique spaces based on member behavior. They have devised a heatmap which helps gauge the movement and work patterns of members and thus designed customised, efficient workspaces. For instance, members preferred a more comfortable space after lunch hours, and therefore they installed comfortable lounge furniture for them as they resume work and conduct meetings.
One step up over others: CoWrks has formed strategic alliances with multiple brands across lifestyle, fitness, wellness, travel, IT, hardware, and more industries, and members can avail these services at incentivised fee. They offer 24X7 access, lightning fast internet, gourmet coffee and a huge range of amenities and surrounded by amphitheatres, art galleries, retail outlets, fitness centers, tennis and squash court, jogging track and an array of upscale restaurants and F&B outlets. All workspaces have phone booths which allow members a spot of privacy if they need to have a confidential conversation or take an important call. Some phone booths double up as cross-fit training rooms where one can work out as they attend calls. They have developed a private social network app – CoWrks Connect for members to connect with the CoWrks community based on the personal and professional interests and preferences. The app also displays events, enables them to make meeting room bookings across the country, and allows members to engage with each other just as they would on other social networking apps.
Current trends: As the economy opens to newer, revolutionary forms of working, the future for coworking seems hugely promising in India. With large players gaining a strong foothold along with trusted funding, it is predicted that coworking will move from a lease-based model to an ownership based model. Some of the trends witnessed are – Entry of large enterprises, Emerging as a platform for millennials and Start-ups paradise.
Top startups that work out of here: Branch, Truecaller, Alibaba, Plural Insight, etc. are some of the companies that work here. Their flagship workspace was at RMZ Ecoworld in Bengaluru, which is spread across 1.60 lakh sq.ft.. By this year end, they are looking to establish 23 operational centers across 2.5 million sq. ft. and expand the CoWrks community by 25,000 members across locations in major cities.
