Coworking 2024

THE FUTURE OF WORK IS EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

Modern workplaces must shift from being office-centric to being human-centric, with a focus on flexibility, employee well-being, and sustainability

We are now in the post-pandemic work age, where everything has taken a 360 degree turn. Employee expectations and ambitions are changing, providing an opportunity for company leaders to rearrange their workplaces for the future. Modern workplaces must shift from being office-centric to being human-centric, with a focus on flexibility, employee well-being, and sustainability.

While coworking spaces have traditionally been associated with urban cities, the industry is set to expand beyond these areas in 2024. With the rise of remote work, workers are increasingly seeking flexible workspaces that are closer to their homes, in suburban or cities. Coworking spaces that offer more accessible and affordable options in these areas are likely to see increased demand. Lower rental rates and the availability of reputable shared-working spaces with contemporary infrastructure, tech-enabled facilities, and amenities are driving demand and development in cities.

The use of technology in coworking spaces is likely to become even more widespread in 2024. Coworking spaces will need to provide fast and reliable internet access, as well as other tech-enabled amenities such as video conferencing equipment and smart whiteboards. Some spaces may also incorporate augmented or virtual reality technology to enhance collaboration and productivity. Digitally enabled workspaces provide flexibility for both large and small firms, allowing them to easily adapt to changing workplace cultures while re-

ducing business impact. The modern workplace is being transformed by technologies that increase communication, collaboration, improve data security, integrate teams, and give virtual assistance.

As the importance of sustainability continues to grow, coworking spaces are likely to place an increased emphasis on environmentally conscious practices. This could include everything from green building practices to reduced energy consumption and eco-friendly features, such as solar panels, green roofs, and energy-efficient lighting. As per a recent survey almost 75% of companies say that their employees expect their workplace to have a positive impact on society. Coworking spaces that prioritize sus-

COWORKING SPACES THAT PRIORITIZE SUSTAINABILITY ARE LIKELY TO ATTRACT WORKERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO ECOFRIENDLY PRACTICES

tainability are likely to attract workers who are committed to eco-friendly practices, as well as companies that are focused on corporate social responsibility.

As workers continue to prioritize their health and well-being, coworking spaces are likely to place an increased emphasis on wellness offerings. This could include measures such as improved air filtration systems, enhanced cleaning protocols, and the provision of healthy snacks and drinks, fitness classes to healthy food options and meditation rooms, investment in new or enhanced health & wellbeing amenities for employees.. With an increased focus on wellness, coworking spaces are likely to attract a diverse range of workers and businesses seeking adaptable and innovative workspaces. As the industry continues to evolve, coworking providers that can deliver on changing expectations will be best positioned for success.

COWORKING CONCEPT FOR INSPIRED BUSINESS

This highly professional workspace nurtures a relaxing working atmosphere on the basis of communication and positive energy

Changes in today’s business world trends climaxed with improved work productivity resulting from specially designed and naturally enriched business areas. One of such developed and recognisable space where inspirational business solutions and creative ideas are exchanged was established in 2020.

Work Space One is the genuine office and co-working place situated at the very heart of New Belgrade, in the city’s most prominent business location, the Green Heart complex. Immersed in sunshine and comfort that provides, it represents modern tendencies of both open and separated co-working areas with state of the art design and the highest technical standards, with spacious and well-aired areas for relaxation and, friendly conversations. This exceptionally professional environment fosters a tranquil workspace through effective communication and an infusion of positive energy.

The year 2020 will remain remembered for global changes with consequences still being felt today. That marked the onset of the global promotion of the new “Hybrid work model.”. Work Space

One provides its clients with organisational flexibility and modern interior solutions in a contemporary space, hence providing diverse possibilities for its clients. The capacity of its space encompasses 52 offices, different meeting rooms and co-working workplaces, ensuring that both well established and well-known companies as well as all those initiating independent start-ups are provided with a comfortable space where they can find creative inspiration.

The ambience, which provides a comfortable atmosphere, sets business and aesthetic criteria, knowing that improvement of the working atmosphere has a positive impact on the productivity of employees and progress in any type of business. The technical standards of the workspaces, offices and meeting rooms corresponds to the latest trends. The high quality and functionality of technical support, coupled with a sophisticated interior design, are increasingly symbolizing the authenticity and recognizability of the Work Space One concept, along with the high level of professionalism in its services.

The prestigious location of WSO is at the heart of the Serbian capital’s central business district in New Belgrade, ensured that WSO is linked directly to main locations: airport, hotels, restaurants and Belgrade city centre. The property in which we operate has a LEED Gold certificate based on the economical consumption of energy and the fostering of environmental protection awareness.

Combining functionality and aesthetics within the workspace, along with a designated common area for mutual business interactions and friendly exchange

THE BLENDING OF WORKSPACE FUNCTIONALITY AND AESTHETICS, BUT ALSO A SPECIAL COMMON AREA FOR MUTUAL BUSINESS AND FRIENDLY EXCHANGES OF EXPERIENCE, CREATES A UNIQUE IDENTITY IN MODERN SURROUNDINGS

of experiences, establishes a distinct identity. The shared space is visited by pets, thanks to WSO’s pet-friendly concept. In addition to all the current advantages, there’s also the opportunity to arrange diverse business events, conferences, and celebrations for entrepreneurial milestones.

Koh-I-Nor of the area are the outdoor gardens of the WSO working environment , which spread a positive spirit in the radiance of creative and inspired conversations.

Visit us and discover for yourself!

URBAN OASIS IN A RURAL SETTING

American business magazine Forbes ranked Serbia’s Mokrin House among the world’s Top 10 co-living spaces, while Allwork included it on its list of the World’s Best Co-working and Co-living Destinations

Thanks to the courageous and original project of a group of young architects gathered together at the “Autori” [Authors] Studio, this estate in the Banat village of Mokrin, which had been abandoned and neglected for decades, was transformed into an urban oasis in rural surroundings. And thus emerged Mokrin House, which was conceived from its in-

ALL SPACES WITHIN THE WORK FACILITIES HAVE A VERY FLEXIBLE DESIGN AND CAN THUS BE QUICKLY AND EASILY ADAPTED TO CLIENTS’ VARIOUS NEEDS

ception as a place that merges the seemingly unmergeable.

Mokrin House has traversed an interesting development path from the initial idea of it as a place for friends to gather privately and socialise, only for circumstance to turn it into a place intended for artist residencies. The estate subsequently opened its doors to digital nomads from all over the world, who found in its urban-rural setting one of their chosen global destinations for work, rest and socialisation. This unique environment today also provides inspiration for teams from different companies to work on joint projects.

The estate itself contains five buildings, intended for accommodation and work, encircling a large courtyard covering an area of 2,000 square metres. All spaces within the work facilities have

a very flexible design and can thus be quickly and easily adapted to clients’ various needs – from installing desks for individual work to arranging certain spaces for group work. Some spaces can be converted into meeting or lecture halls easily, with the use of the latest technology.

PROUD OF THE FIRST DIGITAL VILLAGE

When it comes to creating the unique experience of Mokrin House, the central courtyard also plays an important role. It is there that guests gather to take a short break on the beanbags or relax by playing football or volleyball. The courtyard is spacious enough to host concerts and plays, but also picnics that, in addition to guests, are also attended by Mokrin residents and their guests.

Food – a mix of local and international dishes – also forms an essential part of the experience, while a decent share of the ingredients are produced in Mokrin House’s own organic garden. Here care is taken to ensure a wide selection of dishes and to maximally adapt meals to suit different tastes.

Cooperation with the local community represents an important element of the success of Mokrin House. Initial scepticism has turned into active support. Numerous events intended for the local community have been organised in Mokrin and Kikinda over the last ten years, including plays, literary evenings, lectures, exhibitions and concerts.

One particularly noteworthy highlight of Mokrin House’s cooperation with the local community is the Digital Village project, which was launched in cooperation with company Delta Holding and the Novi Sad-based BioSense Institute, and was recently also joined by OTP Bank. The project aims to digitalise agricultural production. The project is completely free for all Mokrin farmers

Photo Relja Ivanić

and has already been ongoing for more than two years. A series of workshops and lectures have so far been organised, weather stations have been installed around Mokrin, and land plots have been recorded by drone to enable the processing of data using the latest digital tools.

The Mokrin Sense app is currently under development. It will enable the simple utilisation of all information and knowledge collected and will be available to all farmers based in Mokrin.

SKILLED MERGING OF THE RURAL AND THE URBAN

Another programme directed towards the local community is the Rurban Days project, which has been organised for several years and also aims to merge the rural and the urban. Last November, Rurban Days 2023 was organised in cooperation with the Island School of Autonomy (ISSA) from the Croatian island of Vis, which was launched by Croatian philosopher Srećko Horvat. Within the scope of the three-day programme was a lecture by Srećko Horvat and a retrospective screening of the films of Želimir Žilnik, which included discussions with the filmmaker himself. A literary evening was held in Kikinda and saw actor Goran Bogdan conversing with writers Rumena Bužarovska and Saša Savanović, and film director Srđan Dragojević. The programme concluded with a concert of Slovenian group Laibach in the Mokrin House courtyard.

The concept of co-working spaces was in its very infancy in Serbia when Mokrin House was first conceived. The notion that such spaces could exist beyond a couple of larger cities was simply unimaginable back then, while the term “co-living” was completely unknown. And to assume that such a co-living and co-working space would emerge in a village in Serbia was at the level of sci-fi fanta-

sy. But here it is; a fairy tale has become a reality that’s recognised far beyond Serbia’s borders.

Every success can be deceptive, which is why – regardless of achievements to date – the current focus is on ways to further improve the experience of working and staying overnight at Mokrin House.

And different guests have different needs. The expectations of a company team coming to spend a few days working on a specific project differ entirely from the expectations at a workshop held to educate new people. And that’s without mentioning digital nomads, some of whom stay for more than a month and require a great deal of peace and privacy. Under such conditions, adapting to different needs and specific situations is the crucial factor.

WORKSTYLE DEFINES LIFESTYLE

The future of work is a very important topic. Contemporary trends are increasingly influencing shifts in the way we work and demanding ever-swifter adaptation. We are all aware that digitalisation has led to us no longer needing to be in the same room, city or even time zone to form a team that works on projects together. But where digitalisation creates difficulties is in the forming and reinforcing of trust between people who comprise a team that isn’t physically present. And that’s why we’re seeing global growth in the number of co-working spots in cities, but also in the number of hybrid co-working/co-living destinations.

The way we work defines the way we live. The industrial revolution bound man to the workplace, and that’s why we’ve had to live close to where we work to this day. That is now changing, with digitalisation increasingly distancing us from that way of working and living, because in the digital world you can live anywhere and work anywhere and at any time.

The future of work lies in some evolved hybrid model that has yet to develop further and certainly won’t remain at the current level. This entire process will also speed up increasingly thanks to the development of artificial intelligence. AI tools will help us do more things faster and more efficiently, leading to the creation of new needs related to human work and life that we can’t yet even predict. All in all, we are awaited by interesting times in which Mokrin House sees the reason for its continued future existence.

Photo Branislava Brandić

Photo Branislava Brandić

Photo Relja Ivanić

n the evident lack of high-quality and flexible workspaces, I saw a fantastic opportunity to incorporate my experience into creating something that will satisfy all the needs of today’s times,” says Nebojša Jović, founder of a coworking space that distinguishes itself from the competition in many ways.

IWhat motivated you to launch The Place?

— I come from the IT world, which has set high standards of workspace quality over the last 20 years that employees expect to be met, so companies compete in terms of offering additional contents and perks to attract and retain talented workers. Another trend has been emerging since 2020: hybrid work, in which employees partly work from home. This creates additional pressure for employers to maintain high performance levels of their employees, given that as it has been shown that direct and immediate interaction still improves the performance of an entire team.

What does The Place bring that’s new to the market of coworking spaces?

— The Place is a premium coworking space intended for all those wanting to provide their employees with the best working conditions. We have 2,000m2 of fantastically designed space that forms a pleasant working environment, in which users have all the comfort and privacy of their own workplace, on the one hand (all offices are private), while on the other hand having all the benefits of a coworking space.

Spacious common areas, such as a relaxation zone with a library, a kitchen with a dining area and terraces, a conference hall and a large number of meeting rooms,

IMPRESSIVE AND DIFFERENT

The Place is among the market’s rare coworking spaces that have a 1:1 ratio of office space and common areas, without reducing workspace comfort

NEBOJŠA JOVIĆ

Founder and CEO of The Place

as well as wide corridors, render The Place impressive and different in its entirety.

What are your space’s main advantages and characteristics?

— All workplaces are equipped with an top furniture: ergonomic office chairs and desks with adjustable working height and cabinets, while our IT team has enabled the simple and immediate integration of each client into their surroundings. The network equipment, but also all workplaces, are connected to a backup diesel generator, offices are able to be accessed 24/7, while the latest technologies for managing such a space are generally used everywhere at The Place.

The location itself is also a major advantage. The building with impressive architecture in which The Place is housed – GTC X – is located in the most popular

We have 2,000m2 of fantastically designed space in which users have all the comfort and privacy of their own workplace

THE HIGH LEVEL AT WHICH THE WORKPLACES ARE EQUIPPED, COUPLED WITH THEIR GOOD DESIGN, HAS RAISED THE COWORKING SPACES BUSINESS IN SERBIA TO A PREMIUM LEVEL

business area of New Belgrade, on Milutin Milanković Boulevard, and a sufficient number of parking spaces have been provided in the underground garage, both for permanent tenants and their guests, but also for visitors who use our conference hall occasionally.

Clients most commonly have requests related to IT infrastructure, which must be reflected in security and comfort, primarily when it comes to the possibility of responding to companies’ various requests and procedures. Furthermore, the high level at which the workplaces are equipped, coupled with their good design, has raised the coworking spaces business in Serbia to a premium level.

How would you evaluate the coworking market and trends in Serbia?

— Given the occupancy rates of coworking spaces in Belgrade, it could be concluded that this concept is precisely what suits companies the most at this moment, particularly from the perspective of cost control and workspace planning. That’s where I identify a great chance for The Place, as one of the leaders of the new generation of premium coworking spaces.