A new kind of firm flexibility

Atlanta co-working space, Constellations.

Photo courtesy of Luke Beard, courtesy of Constellations.

MORE THAN EVER, architects are branching out of their large firms to explore what may be the greener pastures of entrepreneurship. The economy has forced many young associates to hustle to reach the wealth of their more established counterparts, learning to market themselves and their abilities in their own smaller side ventures. The industry is vast, and architecture professionals are finding themselves at a turning point in the age of the millennial.

Co-working spaces are all the rage and are proving to be a useful tool to those architects exploring entrepreneurship. They are popping up in storefronts and in office buildings looking to rebrand themselves. Companies like WeWork and Industrious are exploding all over Atlanta, and smaller boutique style versions like Regus and SharedSpace are making their homes in Savannah and Augusta.

The mad rush of these group working environments has created the space for niche membership co-working communities designed to serve a particular type of clientele. Constellations, a new and relatively small coworking space on historic Auburn Avenue, in Atlanta boasts a mission to provide a “civic and socially-based shared workspace where stars come together and shine.” This is a sexy way of saying they have dedicated their private offices and studies to those companies and organizations make a positive difference. Matt Finn, AIA, the interior architect, has even set up shop for his own small firm in a Constellations “field office.”

San Francisco and St. Louis’s Covo environments opened to much fanfare for providing co-working opportunities dedicated to those in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) profession. It gets better... Members of Covo in these locations enjoy CAD stations, a materials

Photo of shared open working environment in Covo’s San Francisco location.

library, plotters, and industry-specific educational and networking events. Carving an AEC haven out of Covo, Good Design partnership provides the extra oomph to give accessibility to AEC professionals and entice small firms to consider shared environments. Rebecca Brian Pan, CEO of Covo, found her desire to make an accessible workspace countered when she found she hadn’t considered another group of people. “We learned from the founders of Urban Fabrick, a sustainability consultancy, that we were leaving a group out, and so was almost everyone else. Architects, engineers, and designers struggle to find office space in expensive cities, as well as have specific needs that make nearly all coworking spaces a challenge.”

ColeHil, a small, minority, female-owned firmed out of Atlanta, carved out their own space in Colony Square’s

WeWork location. With staff in both Douglasville and downtown Atlanta, WeWork provides a central hub but also the ability to work in any location all over the world (an office everywhere). Nicole Hilton, co-founder of ColeHil shares, “We wanted to design a firm work environment that was conducive to creatives. We really aren’t made to sit behind a desk... and there’s the ability to grow in space without an up-charge immediately.” The biggest downfall, she notes, is lack of storage space but WeWork offers “great amenities, including a meditation room and discounts.”

From quiet offices to a bustling common hub, co-working serves a mix of work styles and the needs of unique business models all over the world. Consider flexible offices in your city. Use sites like coworker.com to search and narrow down the right fit for your firm. • LYNN ROBINSON

Explore your local co-working options

Nearly every major and smaller city in Georgia has a shared work environment. Discover offerings in your area!

BULL STREET LABS SAVANNAH — a program (and place) powered by The Creative Coast offering below-market-rate collaborative workspaces, whether coworking, residency, office or event. Cool stuff: a library, free beer. Open working from $45 per month and dedicated desks from $100. www.bullstreetlabs.com

THECLUBHOU.SE AUGUSTA — A non profit business and community incubator, theClubhou. se offers both learning, prototyping and coworking plus incubation set in a renovated 1802 schoolhouse. Cool stuff: a 3D printer and software on site. Open seating from $99 per month. www.theclubhou.se

INDUSTRIOUS PONCE ATLANTA — Occupying two floors in the city’s hottest adaptive reuse project, Ponce City Market, industrious offers a modern space with all the amenities of a standard office in a prime location in the center of it all. Cool stuff: wellness rooms; free local treats. Membership from $450 per month. www.industriousoffice.com

THE LOFT ST. SIMONS ISLAND — Flexible co-working space designed to be productive, inspiring, and collaborative on Frederica Road. Cool stuff: a podcasting room, concierge service. Dedicated desk from $350 monthly. www.the-loft-office.com

CONSTELLATIONS ATLANTA — A new a civic and socially-based shared workspace in historic Sweet Auburn combining culturally inspiring workspace with scholarship, community building, worldclass architecture, and captivating programming. A “happenings” membership FREE; coworking starts at $350. www.constellations.community

ELEVATOR FACTORY ATLANTA — A flexible downtown coworking space featuring studios made from reclaimed shipping containers with open spaces that are airy and bright. Cool stuff: every Friday and Saturday night it becomes a private room karaoke club by super hip startup, Fam-Fam. Day pricing starting at $15 per hour; $200 per month for open seating. www.elevatorfactory.com

THE OFFICE AT COLLEGE HILL MACON — New flexible office offers over 5,000 square feet of private offices as well as shared coworking stations. An on-site cafe and community events boost this space’s offerings. Cool stuff: a skype room, personal lockers. Open seating starting at $150 monthly; private offices start at $600. www.theofficecollegehill.com

SERENDIPITY LABS ALPHARETTA — Upscale co-working perfectly positioned between the North Georgia Mountains and just minutes from vibrant downtown Atlanta offering both open seating and corporate memberships to grow your business. Cool stuff: showers, event space for rent. Open seating $49 daily; dedicated desk starting at $500 per month. www.serendipitylabs.com