The transition to remote work and hybrid work ushered in by the coronavirus pandemic has led to the rise of coworking spaces.
Coworking spaces are shared spaces where workers from different companies, or entrepreneurs working on their own ventures, come together and independently work (Bigham & Howell, 2019). This differs from the typical office workspace, where all occupants work for the same company (DropDesk, 2022). Aside from being a cheap office option (Bigham & Howell, 2019), another attractive trait is the proven increase of thriving at work for those in a coworking space (Porath et al., 2011).
Energy blocks or battery packs, on the other hand, are independent devices that are meant to store energy. Energy and coworking spaces are closely related, given that coworking spaces have office-like amenities (Pinto, 2018) such as a shared conference room, and shared energy sources.
In fact, Hotelier Middle East, a pioneer of coworking spaces in hotels, prides itself on making energy readily available in its coworking spaces, making sure that there are sockets everywhere, and the furniture is even designed with an induction power system (Zaki, 2022).
Here are three main reasons why energy blocks should be incorporated into every coworking space.
1. Convenience
The glaring benefit of having energy blocks for these coworking spaces is that they make it convenient for occupants. The main point of energy blocks is to bring energy farther than your sockets can take you.
This makes it possible for those within the coworking space to work away from the walls and start exploring different scenery when working. This also reduces the reliance on extensions when you are working far away from sockets. Because energy blocks are meant to be compatible with any device, it also acts as a universal charger.
2. Versatility
One main challenge for most coworking spaces is insufficient equipment (Clutch, 2020). In a survey of 500 occupants in coworking spaces, 31% have identified this to be a problem preventing them from fully thriving in these spaces. Introducing energy blocks would provide a multipurpose solution. Energy blocks would be an excellent introduction when installing sockets is too costly or too bothersome.
Energy blocks also minimize the need for additional equipment such as using a power bank, on top of having socket extensions, and so on.
3. Community
One reason why people thrive in coworking spaces is that there is a sense of community within these shared offices (Speitzer et al., 2018). Each coworking space is a unique experience of its own, carefully curated by office managers. It offers connections within the industry, but a sense of camaraderie among its occupants, that even if you are working independently, there is a community there with you.
Having energy blocks would increase this sense of community among occupants of coworking spaces. Energy blocks make it easy to “share” energy among your peers, as opposed to consuming energy on your own via sockets. It turns energy into another communal space where people can interact outside the time they spend working independently.
References:
DropDesk. (2022, April 19). What Is Coworking? Everything You Need To Know About Coworking Spaces|. https://drop-desk.com/what-is-coworking.
Herhold, K. (2020, March). 6 Challenges of Coworking Spaces. Clutch. https://clutch.co/real-estate/resources/top-challenges-coworking-spaces
Howell, T., & Bingham, C. (2019). Coworking Spaces: Working Alone, Together. Kenan Institute of Enterprise.
Pinto, K. (2018, September 12). Everything You Need to Know About Coworking Spaces. ChargeSpot. https://www.chargespot.com/workspaces/coworking-spaces/
Porath, C., Spreitzer, G., Gibson, C., & Garnett, F. G. (2011). Thriving at work: Toward its measurement, construct validation, and theoretical refinement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(2), 250–275. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.756
Speitzer, G., Bacevice, P., & Garrett, L. (2018, November 29). Why People Thrive in Coworking Spaces. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2015/05/why-people-thrive-in-coworking-spaces
Zaki, Y. (2022, February 6). Co-working spaces in hotels: Why they’re so popular and how they’re designed. Hotelier Middle East. https://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/people/co-working-spaces-in-hotels-why-theyre-so-popular-and-how-theyre-designed