Coworking: The future of work is here, and it’s all about sharing

Coworking is both a modern-day philosophy and the choice of many millennials, both out of necessity and design.

The increasing popularity of workplaces where hot desking and shared spaces are the norm is a reflection on how the world of work is changing.

It bridges the gap between those who can work from home, but decide not to for personal and professional reasons, and those who need an office space, but not one that comes with all the overheads involved.

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CGI of the Brickhouse

Coworking spaces have been growing steadily in Dublin, but not at a rate comparable with the experience in other European countries. The Fumbally Exchange, which now has coworking in spaces in Dublin city centre, Balbriggan and Waterford, was one of the pioneers in the capital.

Coworking.ie currently has 12 listed sites, but given Dublin's shortage of office space and its status as a tech hub, there is room for much more.

Four walls

"The Irish mindset is that we like our houses and we like our four walls with our front doors. It takes us a little bit more time to adjust to change," says Joe McGinley, chief executive of Iconic, which specialises in coworking spaces.

"We tend to bring things on a little bit later than the likes of New York or London," he adds. "The demand is reasonably good, but the continued influx of foreign direct investment into Ireland, and then the developments of attitudes over time, have brought it into the mainstream."

McGinley is behind one of the largest coworking spaces in Dublin. The €1 million refurbishment of the Brickhouse in Clanwilliam Court (a partnership with Hibernian Reit) will provide a workspace for 300 once it opens in April. The 1,860sq m (20,000sq f) space on three floors in a handsome Georgian building is currently being renovated.

An indicator of how the Brickhouse might look when complete can be seen in the existing Iconic coworking building Sobo Works, in Windmill Lane. What is most striking is the informality of the space. Workers gather at long wood trestle tables in the communal area. There is a table football set and Sky News in the corner. There is even a beer tap serving, naturally, craft beer and a roof terrace with views over Dublin’s Docklands.

On another floor, the coworking spaces are arranged on fully serviced desks with plug sockets and ports. In the corner is a meeting room through transparent glass etched with the slogan “space to create”.

Hybrid facility

McGinley describes the Brickhouse (which will be double the size of Sobo Works ) as a hybrid facility that will cater for everyone, from the individual starting out to established companies, looking for a conventional office facility to call their own.

Prices for a basic “hot desking” facility start at €249 a month, or about €10 a day, he says, the price of two coffees and a continental breakfast – all of which will be provided as part of the service at the Brickhouse.

A meeting room, essential to start-up recruitment firms will cost €40-€60 per hour. There will be reception facilities, a coffee-dock and facilitators on Clanwilliam Place.

The idea, McGinley says, is to help individuals grow their companies by providing the requisite space requirements as they expand.

The philosophy behind coworking extends to the sharing of ideas as well as space. The experience internationally has been that coworkers thrive in an environment of like-minded entrepreneurs.

“Coworking is as much about that community as it is about an office space or a work space,” McGinley says. “It is about bringing together people that are of a similar mindset.”