future communities
A comprehensive look at co-working and co-living Published by the department of Art and Design of the University of Applied Sciences of Europe
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Collabration
5
Topics
Individuals
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800
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218 Pages
Of sharing a new cultural practice
// : Editors note In modern communities, self-determination and individuality are central values. At the same time, there are commonly shared goals that perpetuate the feeling of community and togetherness. Self-sufficiency, sustainability, social justice, and the evolutionary concepts behind „new ways to live and to work” drive modern communities towards a willingness for creativity and innovation. This „vision for a better future” motivated one of Europe’s largest community movements in the 1990´s, calling itself programmatically „Eurotopia”. Digitisation has accelaretd this movement and made it possible for collaboration and sharing to affect individuals in a way never before thought possible. Within the sphere of co-working alone, advancement in the digital and spacial realms has led to innumerable new social norms surrounding „productive communal coexistence”. The variety of new terms associated within this area alone reflects the unlimited possibilities still yet to be thought of; Meetups, Barcamps, Hackathons, Sprints, Grassrot-Labs Supperclubs, Crowdfunding Platforms, Solidary Agriculture, Makerscenes, etc. In contrast to earlier movements and norms from the Romantic period through to the early 1990’s, these are often more fleeting and fluctuating. At the same time, they are more evolutionary and revolutionary than anything that has existed before. Today, this movement is encouranging its participants to shape the future of working and living. In these ways, this »future communities« are establishing more effective, creative and humane ways of building the future than the globalized societies within their centrally controlled subsystems.
In order to better understand this complex phenomenon, this publication has been divided into 5 topics: „A Look Towards New Artistry” focuses on the introduction of new sources of artistic inspiration, collaboration and sharing. This phenomenon of co-working has redefined and redesigned workspaces as well as the ways in which work is now viewed from conception through to completion. „New Workspaces and Concepts” will investigate this in more detail. Co-operative communities have begun to mesh with other areas of society, questioning the ways in which so-called public and private spaces interact with each other. „Finding your space” describes these new possibilities of spatial interaction. „Co-Working and The Self” investigates the communitization of the future labour market and how these changes are affecting individuals. „Rise of the Super-Intelligence” looks at the ever-growing interest in post-digital cultures and how future communities will embrace technological innovation. Cyrus Khazaeli
INDEX 01 A LOOK TOWARD NEW ARTISTRY 01.01 Co-Music Production 01.02 Crowdsourcing and Collaborative work 01.03 Future Sound Studios
08-15 16-25 26-35
02 NEW WORKSPACES AND CONCEPTS 02.01 02.02 02.03 02.04
Creative Workspace The Future of Workspace My common Basic Income Pop-up Co-Working Areas
38-49 50-55 56-65 66-79
03 FIND YOUR SPACE 03.01 03.02 03.03 03.04
Wanderlust Co-Working turns to Living Collaborative Home Office Biophilia
82-93 94-107 108-117 118-129
04 CO-WORKING AND THE SELF 04.01 04.02 04.03 04.04
The Importance of Autonomy Co-Working and anatomy Impact of Co-Working on Motivation The Importance of Self-Promotion
132-143 144-155 156-167 168-179
05 RISE OF THE SUPER-INTELLIGENCE 05.01 Co-Working Through Virtual Reality 05.02 Cyborgs 05.03 Smarter Than You
182-191 192-203 204-213
01
A LOOK TOWARDS NEW ARTISTRY
12-15 Co-Musik Production, Jasmin Khalilzadegan We can learn about collaboration between diverse teams from a study of musical groups. // Many music groups are naturally composed of diverse talents who would not necessarily choose to live together, yet none can produce music without the others. //This article is dedicated to the creative music industry which the most important component is Co-working and collaborating.
16-25 Crowdsourcing and Collaborative work, Ailin Herzkovich Crowdsourcing or collaborative work are social media platforms where everyone can collaborate with artists on creative projects. It can be music, illustrations, writing, voice overs, translations, design, videos, and all combined, to create something new. It’s all about coming out from the isolation of admiring someone else’s work to create something together instead. It does exist from prior to the digital age, but it is now where it really has a chance to shine in creative communities. The examples that we’ll see are Star Wars Uncut, Creative Commons, and HitRecord.
26-35 Future Sound Studios, Ipek Yanaraltin “What Future is there for independent recording studios?” Two musicians arguing about pros and cons of the future sound and recording studios evolving to independent home studios.
pg. 8 Steve Aoki Photo- Enrique Yougel
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a celebration of friendship and a tribute to the alchemic power of collaboration
Steve Aoki’s list of upcoming collaborations continues to grow as he revealed that he’s working on a record with Bella Thorne. The news follows the Dim Mak boss’ recent confirming of a collaboration with K-Pop superstars BTS. While Thorne has only recently dove back into music, she’s no stranger to the Dim Mak imprint.
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// Co-Music Production //Benefits musicians can get from Coworking Shared rehearsal space is nothing new for musicians, and they have often led to some of the greatest musical collaborations in history. But when you add an element of coworking to a shared space, musicians will then have the chance to create a network of people who may be able to contribute to their work beyond the musical level. “The hope is to also create some crossover between the “regular” coworking community and the rehearsal space community, so in-house education can be expanded to include broader topics and cross-community perspectives,” explains Julie. In addition to musicians having a supportive network, where they can flesh out new ideas, they will also have access to amazing resources like rehearsal space, a performance venue, workshops and a hostel for visiting artists. “We plan to have events or open house hours where our entire community, including members of the Downtown Artery, can mingle both at Cohere Bandwidth and our Cohere Offices,” said Angel.
//offer them a chance to experiment and grow The Cohere team has also considered providing different tools and instruments musicians might not otherwise have access to otherwise. “We think it may offer them a chance for them to experiment and grow,” explains Julie. “This is a good value add for users of the space.”
COWORKING DEDICATED TO AUDIO AND CREATIVE INDUSTRY
SPACE //The Cohere team has spent the past year and a half building a community, rasing funds, and hitting the streets to find out what musicians would want if given their very own coworking space.
Since it’s peak in 1999, the music industry has changed drastically, leaving many professional musicians alone to fend for themselves. Musicians, old and young, are now reliant on digital platforms like YouTube, Bandcamp and Soundcloud, to promote their music. When it comes to raising funds to record an album, or go on tour, many people turn to crowdfunding. Yet as innovative and successful we have seen crowd-sourcing to be, it is also over saturated with projects and people looking to fund their ideas. In order to compete with the millions of artists using online platforms, a supportive community might be the key to success.
/ MUSICIAN
pg. 10 Wayne Snow Photo - Marita Angelo
Wayne snow // Noize fabric
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//His first EP ‘Red Runner’ sees Wayne Snow drop a deluge of soul over grubby Rhodes tones, contorted melodies and tumbling drums backed up by remixes from Glenn Astro and Session Victim.
Fishtank
Nigerian singer and songwriter Wayne Snow lives in Berlin where his ability quickly fell into fertile ground.
‘‘ the free style jam
/ Session
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session dedicated to spontaneous expressions, with an interactive atmosphere
Among other things, he drew attention to himself by collaborating with the jazz and club musician Max Graef, the Italo-Berlin fusion jazz band Mop Mop, the Italo-Berlin club band Nu Guinea and the Parisian producers Neue Grafik and Darius. With his soul-soaked psychedelic vocal performance he managed to impress his unmistakable stamp on these different projects. After his solo EPs ‘Red Runner’ and ‘Rosie’, his debut album ‘Freedom TV’ will be released on Tartelet Records, the Danish label, which also includes Brandt Brauer Frick. The Noize Fabrik #FishtankSessions are live recording sessions open to a limited audience that focus on obtaining optimal audio and film recordings of the artist’s performance. The session is documented by a crew of filmmakers and audio professionals and by entering the space attendees agree to be filmed.
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: // Artist Collaboration Fuels Creative Exploration
pg. 13
East Coast Squad Photo - Joseph Jackson
pg. 14
‘‘Creative
ARTICLE BY AMANDA GRAY PUBLISHED 2014-10-10
Some the most groundbreaking artistic works have resulted when artists with knowledge and experience from distant genres and unrelated forms collide and spark new ideas. Though you may not recognize it in the end result, we’ve all seen and appreciate the results of these creative collisions. What I want to talk about now is the creative magic that results from the formation of creative duos and groups. Creative magic happens when an artist becomes deeply involved in the technical aspects of the art form in which they are working. Creative advancements can appear as flashes of insight or even “happy accidents.” They happen all the time, and often when least expected. Add a creative partner (or two) to the mix and you’ve got enough knowledge and experience to spark a multitude of creative advancements to power a successful partnership.
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advancements can appear as flashes of insight or even happy accidents
//Learn from these individuals. With restrictions on collaboration removed, the only thing left to do is find a partner or two and start talking. Bring that idea to the front burner, dust off that script, sharpen your pencils, find a collaborator and get creating.
Whether it was Walt Disney & Salvador Dali, or Andy Warhol & Jean Michel Basquiat, Jackson Pollack & Lee Krasner or David Byrne & Brian Eno, stories of creative collaborations come in many varieties. Most common perhaps is the “complementary skills” variety. Other collaborations happen on a more emotional, human level. Sometimes an artist may seize on an opportunity to explore a form that is foreign to them working with a master of that form. And sometimes a master finds himself in need of an injection of fresh energy to revitalize his work. What’s important is that no matter what the circumstances, these collaborations can unlock untold creative riches and you just don’t know what they might be until you try. »
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//The music business is back You could argue it just finally caught up to the technology business. Or that the rise of technology has fueled better music profits. In fact, both are true. After a 20-year decline, we are seeing growth—in fact, doubledigit growth. Music is being created and consumed at a higher rate than ever before. More artists are on the road touring, which means fans are buying tickets and merchandise. Live music ticket sales revenue will grow from 7.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 9.1 billion in 2021, according to some estimates. Collaborations between musicians and brands are more prevalent than ever; even vinyl sales are way up (last year, sales in the U.S. grew 25.9 percent to 7.2 million units). Anyone with a laptop can create a radio-ready song from his or her own bedroom.
//This is the key to conquering the music revolution. The most exciting area of the industry right now is streaming-and, with more than 140 million active users and more than 50 million paying subscribers, Spotify is winning the arms race. The main reason we’re seeing growth in recorded music is that Spotify, in particular, has expanded access to what amounts to a new music industry. In 2018, as it goes public and its savvy backers start to recoup their investments, Spotify appears set to solidify its dominance.
2
// 2 is needed! Film, theater and music are collaborative by nature — Collaboration is an extra pair of ears, hands, and an additional brain to work with. // It gives you VIP access into someone else’s workflow. It helps you overcome creative blocks. It even brings out creativity you didn’t know you had.
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CrOwd
Social media platforms where everyone can collaborate with artists on creative projects
ON THE EXAMPLE OF 1. STARWARS UNCUT 2. CrEATIVE coMMoNS 3. HItrecords A term coined in 2005: Crowdsourcing or collaborative work are social media platforms where everyone can collaborate with artists on creative projects. Those projects can be made from anything and everything, it can be music, illustrations, writing, voice overs, translations, design, videos, and all combined, to create something new. Crowdsourcing is all about coming out from the isolation of admiring someone else’s work to create something together instead. In this article we’ll have a deep exploration on how this pretty new business model work, as well as two companies that have proved that collaborative work is possible. Crowdsourcing is according to the dictionary “the practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, via the Internet.” it’s mostly made through social media, and really similar to crowdfunding. Of course, the word existed before, but the magnitude that it can have today and the way it is used now, is completely different from what it used to mean.
Some of the advantages it offers is not being physically judged, which allows sharing to be done in a more comfortable way. There might be some critics that think that crowdsourcing would entice unqualified people to present work that would turn out to be unusable, but they disregard that for some it may be unusable while others might turn that into something great. Now, crowdsourcing is expanding, and is now also used in journalism, under the name of Citizen Journalism, this is what they do when they’re trying to fact check the information on a big crowd. There are two companies that have made great progress with this idea, and which we’ll be analyzing in this article, HitRecord and Star Wars Uncut, both projects have one thing in common, they managed to get an Emmy Award.
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sOurcing
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1.
STAR WARS UNCUT
Star Wars Uncut is all about remixing the original Star Wars movies to create from that something completely new.
Star Wars Uncut is a shot-for-shot recreation of the 1977 Star Wars first film. It’s available in Youtube for free distribution. The project started in 2009 and they won an Emmy on 2012 for it. You claim 15 seconds of the movie and make wherever you like, the final result is a complete remake of the movie. Afterwards, 20 judges evaluate the work, which had over 2000 summissions and the best ones are selected to create a new full length feature film. Many of the sequences are filmed in deliberately crude, low-budget or otherwise comical manners, and the actors do not always resemble the original cast. Some of the scenes were filmed in Stop-Motion, others use different animation styles, like Yellow Submarine, or Anime style. The idea was a grid from Star Wars thumbnails. So they users could see, visually, what part of the movie it is. And they click it, and they watch the fifteen-second scene, and if they liked it, they accepted that scene and reserved it for 30 days. And that’s how much time they had to complete that scene. For now they did only The Empire Strike Back and A New Hope and all the scenes have been claimed but new projects are coming up soon. Is a similar collaborative site, but because of the content it’s asking it’s community members to remix – the original Star Wars movie – it won’t be cashing in anytime soon. On the site, fans claim 15 second increments of the movie, recreate the scene however they wish – animation, live action, and stop-motion to name a few – then upload it to the site.
The film was directed by Casey Pugh with George Lucas consent. When asked what Pugh thinks of Crowdsourcing Projects he answered this: “Crowdsourcing is awesome because it’s leveraging the Internet and using the hands of the people around the world to do one common task. You can use a complicated program, but you can’t get the ingenuity and creativity and the cleverness from thousands of individuals from a computer program. I spent a lot of time previous to this project thinking about crowdsourcing. I was really into this one project called White Glove Tracking. They took [and manipulated] Michael Jackson’s debut of Moonwalker–the music video, where everybody goes nuts? Somebody decided to export every frame of the video, each individual still, and then they crowdsourced it to people and asked them to draw a box around the white glove he’s wearing, the one white glove. So through that data that they gathered, they were able to get video artists to do interesting effects on the video. There’s multiple versions, like, actually a hundred versions. But some of my favorite were when they decided to give him a giant white glove, like a giant Mickey Mouse hand throughout the whole video. So when he’s moon walking, he’s got this ridiculously large hand.”
pg. 19
Star Wars Uncut
pg. 20
CREATIVE COMMONS
2.
non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share.
Creative Commons provides free, easy-to-use copyright licenses to make a simple and standardized way to give the public permission to share and use your creative work–on conditions of your choice. CC licenses are copyright licenses, and depend on the existence of copyright to work. CC licenses are legal tools that creators and other rights holders can use to offer certain usage rights to the public, while reserving other rights. Those who want to make their work available to the public for limited kinds of uses while preserving their copyright may want to consider using CC licenses. Others who want to reserve all of their rights under copyright law should not use CC licenses. Creative Commons offers licenses and tools to the public free of charge and does not require that creators or other rights holders register with CC in order to apply a CC license to a work. This means that CC does not have special knowledge of who uses the licenses and for what purposes, nor does CC have a way to contact creators beyond means generally available to the public. CC has no authority to grant permission on behalf of those persons, nor does CC manage those rights on behalf of others.
Many media platforms like Flickr, YouTube, and SoundCloud have built-in Creative Commons capabilities, letting users mark their material with a CC license through their account settings. The benefit of using this functionality is that it allows other people to find your content when searching on those platforms for CC-licensed material. If the platform where you’re uploading your content does not support CC licensing, you can still identify your content as CC-licensed in the text description of your content. The mother of Creative Commons is considered to be Copyleft. Copyleft, a play on the word “copyright,” is the practice of offering users of a work the right to freely distribute and modify the original work, but only under the condition that the derivative works be licensed with the same rights. It is similar to the “Share Alike” stipulation of the Creative Commons licenses (and the SA icon resembles the copyleft icon).
pg. 21
They work with the following organizations that are leaders in the content and knowledge sharing movement. Through these platforms, over 1.1 billions works have been shared.
pg. 22
3.
hitrecord
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The collaborative production company, founded by Joseph Gordon Levitt and his brother Dan.
People are more attracted to things they can be part of and contribute too, than anything else in this world
Hitrecord was founded in 2005 by two brothers that wanted to receive feedback for their work, that after seeing how well it worked, they ended up expanding it into a social media platform dedicated to collaboration. HitRecord was able to build, nurture and monetize a community of creative artists Is an open collaborative production company directed by Joseph Gordon Levitt, known by 500 days of summer and the Batman trilogy. Everyone can post anything and collaborate on anything on that website, while one has photography, another can add typefaces or a poem to it, someone else can turn it into a gif or create a script from it. An open-sourced community, production company. HitRecord has an app available, for iPhone and Android, where users can upload, mix and generate new content just like on the web app, the app is rated 4,5 stars in both platforms. “Whatever your interests—writing, singing, graphic design, animation, anything—there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved in a project that appeals to you.” Having all the data stored online allows for the users of HitRecord to potentially have access to terabytes of content to use at their leisure. “We do things together. Our community is open, because anyone can contribute Text, Images, Audio, & Video.”
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pg. 24
HITRECORD´s CURRENT PROJECTS AND OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES OF what is HAPPENing UNDER the ROOF.
Ad made by HitRecord in Collaboration with LG.
As they say in their website “Everyone can download and remix any record on the site because we are a collaborative community. And We are a Production Company ... because together, we produce art and media of all kinds! We believe good work deserves fair compensation.” Of course, there is a catch, and that is that all content created and collaborated on HitRecord can be used by anyone else on the site. To protect artists and their work, they must be credited in the final product, of course this is not for free, they must be paid for their contributions. Since 2010, artist earned more than 2 million dollars in total. And this
is possible only because they also act as a production company, HitRecord has published four books so far, three of them belong the a collection of tiny stories. They also made a movie called Don Jon, with Joseph Gordon Levitt in the titular role, with Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore as the love interest. It was his experience directing shorts for HitRecord that gave him the confidence and education necessary to act as well as direct this film, the film premiered at the Sundance Festival in 2013. They also published music, and the had a tv show that lasted two seasons and that it can still be seen in Netflix. They also had a collaboration with LG.
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‘RECollection: Volume 1’ is the very first anthology of hitRECord.
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All of this work was made in bits and pieces by a bunch of people working together in big and small ways
hitRECord´s ON TV’s favorite songs and themes in vinyl form.
Future Sound
Home studios
https://graphicburger.com
Homies at home
ERU
Electronic homies
pg. 27
SOUN
What future is there for independent recording studios?
hwhat-future-is-there-for-inde
https://www.millhillmusiccomplex.co.uk/
pg. 28
This morning I attended a networking breakfast organised by the Federation of Small Business. As well as an chance to have a nice coffee and a tasty bagel at North West Londons finest Cafe, it is also an opportunity to meet people in other lines of business. Perhaps the best part of the experience is I always find myself pleased to work in music. It has its issues but I’ve yet to meet anyone with a job I’d swap with. Today I was chatting with a guy who dabbles in music as a hobby. He asked whether there was “any future for recording studios with home recording studio technology”. This is a question we get asked all of the time. Is there actually a market for people who want to record their music in a commercial studio. Strangely for us, last year was the best for a long time in our recording studio. The answer to the question lies in what sort of people want to actually record music in a studio.
Future Sound
https://reverb.com/home-recording-studio
pg. 29
https://graphicburger.com
complete studios in just your bedrooms
the Federation of Small Business
Home studios
pg. 30
There are probably millions of people making music with samples and home setups that will never ever set foot in a studio. They have everything they need to make the music they want at home. Whilst maybe fifteen years ago a good proportion of the studio customers were people who weren’t in a band setup, now this sector of the market has disappeared. Whilst there was a period where this was a sizeable chunk of studio business, it has gone and it won’t be coming back any time soon. So who will still want to use an independent recording studio? Whilst there are many musicians making music in their bedrooms, there are still bands who want their music recorded and do not simply want a whole set of loops and samples editing. If you have a drum kit or a rock guitar, then you need to record it somewhere that you can crank up the volume. To get a good sound on drums, microphones. That he disagreed and suggested that his recording would sound the same as one recorded in our studio. The guitarist, suggested that if I was truly confident, they could do a recording and if they felt it wasn’t significantly better than their home recording effort, I would refund them the session fee. WWI Said I’d take the deal. if they paid for the price of a meal at the Mill Hill Tandoori for our engineer and his girlfriend if he did a great job, on top of the session fee. The guitarist then asked the keyboard player if he really was confident. He said yes and the deal was done. The band booked an eight hour session and came in to record three tracks. As soon as the
https://www.pinterest.de/ with cat love
feel your music at chill home studios
Home studios
pg. 32
So who will still want to use an independent recording studio? Whilst there are many musicians making music in their bedrooms, there are still bands who want their music recorded and do not simply want a whole set of loops and samples editing. If you have a drum kit or a rock guitar, then you need to record it somewhere that you can crank up the volume. To get a good sound on drums, you need a selection of decent microphones and a sonically balanced room. Many bedroom sudios perform small miracles. With limited resources, but to get a really good quality vocal track requires large diaphragm microphones and valve preamps. These factors can make the logistics of getting a good recording beyond the financial and technical limits of the bedroom studio. As a studio we’ve seen dozens of sessions where bands now simply record backline and drums at the studio, with the intention of mixing and doing overdubs at home. What often happens is that the band find that in the studio they can be more productive and economical with their time and have been doing the whole session in the studio.
We also see many artists coming through who are not interested in the bedroom studio scene and want to work with professionals. Writing songs on a home setup is all well and good, but often the recordings end up having a very “demo” sound. Musicians are always keen to hear their music sounding as good as possible and given the choice between having and OK sounding demo recorded in the keyboard players bedroom or a spending a couple of hundred pounds to have a day in studio and a better product, most will go for the second option. The part of the market which has taken the biggest hit is the semi pro bedroom studio, where people were earning beer money recording their mates bands. Now the mates bands have their own setups. We have seen quite a few bands using the rehearsal rooms to record drums etc on laptops, then adding vocal takes etc later. One band played me a demo they recorded in this way and asked what I thought. As a reasonably ok rough demo, it would suffice. They asked if it compared with the quality they could have acheived in our studio. I said that I didn’t believe it did and explained the technical reasons why.
pg. 33
www.residentadvisor.net
https://www.ableton.com/push/sampling
„IF YOU HAVE A DRUM KIT OR A ROCK GUITAR, THEN YOU NEED TO RECORD IT SOMEWHERE THAT YOU CAN CRANK UP THE VOLUME. TO GET A GOOD SOUND ON
Homies at home
future communities
The band all agreed that the whole sound was better, fuller and had a good balance. The “demo” sound had gone and the tracks sounded great. As I’d done the deal without our engineer being around, the Indian meal was renegotiated to a few beers in the Bridge Tavern. At the end of the session, our engineer asked the keyboard player if he was fed up to have lost the bet. He replied that it was the best money he’d spent and he was now going to buy a TLA audio valve premap and a U87 at the first possible opportunity. So in answer to the question posed in the title of this blog, “what is the future for independent recording studios?”, the answer is that so long as a studio can continue to turn out a quality product and musicians care enough about their music to pay for it,
A comprehensive look at co-working and co-living Published by the department of Art and Design of the University of Applied Sciences of Europe
pg. 35
Michael Tim Stephanie
www.millhillmusiccomplex.co.uk
new WORKSPACES & CONCEPTS
02
New workspaces and concepts
NEW WORKSPACES & CONCEPTS
38-49 Creative Workspaces, Sebastian Dorner »Creative workplaces« gives a short insight in methods and concepts of creative and unconventional office designs nowadays. Since our postmodern society is constantly evolving and the pressure is increasing we have to go back to the roots and address the basic needs of humans. Needs such as interaction, silence, sleep, light, closeness to nature are unfortunately considered too little in many companies, that not only influences creativity negatively, but also the results that could be way better.
50-55 Future Buildings for Co-Working , Xuxian Ren Today, the buildings that care about the health of employees will be increased in the future. And The WELL standard is a new evaluation standard for architectural design, and its main focus is on the “health” of the occupants. In fact, the standard has existed in the past, namely LEED, but the standard does not introduce a view on "health", which is the background of the WELL standard.
56-65 My common Basic Income, Alexis Stylianou In the near future a huge amount of work positions will be occupied by robots, thus leaving a big amount of the population unemployed. In this new social structure our social system will collapse leaving millions unemployed and unqualified to work. At this point is where a new social system should be invented. Common Basic Income is the Social System of the future. A social system where people will be paid by the government in order to be able to live in this new world. There are already experiments taking place in order to see if CBI will be able to support the society of the future.
66-79 Pop-up Co Working Areas, Millie Engono In “Pop-up co-working unconventional spaces” I introduce new workspace concepts that have changed our perception of the classic office. This article starts examining what pop-up is and what are its benefits when applied to a workspace. In relation to this, I suggest some tips for creating your own unconventional space.
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Interview with workplace designer Kelly Robinson
WORK a place to feel at home
her approach to developing spaces for such companies as airbnb, couchsurfing and soundcloud draws on ancient practices of feng shui and yoga, which she applies to her creative process in order to conceive an ideal balance of elements within any interior. we interview the workplace designer on why she thinks an open office plan far outweighs the drawbacks, and what she feels are key components to generating employee satisfaction.
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DB: how much does technology play a factor in your creative development of a workplace environment? KR: to be honest I feel like at the essence of all technological connection is human connection! I am a much bigger fan of deep human connection over connection via technology. I believe in creating a space that people want to come to because it is a place where real, deep, true and authentic human connection can take place. that being said of course technology is an amazing advancement and it can definitely support connection. but in many ways I think tech can get in the way of the deep human connection that makes life so special. and sometimes I think when it comes to technology we tend to innovate just for the sake of innovating, rather than innovating to impact the world in a positive way. I like to incorporate spaces within my design where technology is not needed at all. places to switch off, meditate, and even sleep. I also pay particularly close care when creating spaces around food. eating together is such an ancient and fundamental part of life, so when cafe spaces are designed well, people are more present with one another and cling their devices less. DB: how have you found that furniture, and its ergonomics, has changed over the past years as a result of technological advancements? KR: obviously there has been this huge shift from sitting to standing. I do think that helps in many cases but what helps infinitely more is adjusting our workstyle toward getting people to move. I think furniture and ergonomics is kind of secondary to a bigger problem which is that our bodies are not designed to be sedentary for such long periods of time. good furniture does make being sedentary less damaging to the body though, and one new product that I’m interested in is topo from an LA based company called ergo driven, which focuses on bringing natural movement into standing work by creating a dynamic surface to stand on.
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left bottom and top: smaller workrooms for group projects right bottom and top: lounge area at soundcloud
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»I believe in creating a space that people want to come to because it is a place where real, deep, true and authentic human connection can take place.«
signing a workspace in order that all supporting activities are accommodated? and what approaches do you take to make sure that both individual and group activities can be carried out within the same space? DB: as a designer, how have you responded KR: I think the hardest part is determining to the evolution of the open office space in which activities should be accommodatyour schemes? ed. how do we prioritize and where is the KR: I definitely believe that the boundary? my way of processing this is to benefits to open office plan spaces survey and ask the group of people who far outweigh the drawbacks, par- I’m designing for. the outcome might be a ticularly for my client base which very small percentage of people that are is usually quickly growing tech incredibly passionate about a certain activcompanies. the most important ity, and a much higher percentage that are response to this evolution that I passionate about another. the reality is you have learned and will continue to have to say ‘no’ sometimes. you can’t acimplement is that sound acoustics commodate everything. I tend to be pretty are everything in an open office. democratic about this kind of thing, and I we measured decibel levels and try to accommodate activities that a majorcreated the acoustical environment ity of people will benefit from on a daily that aligned with the workstyle basis. we wanted to encourage. this also when it comes to individuals I think the means really considering how peo- most important thing is that I deeply unple will travel throughout a space derstand that as much as we’re all the and the noise that comes along same, humans are fundamentally unique with movement I’m always care- and different from one another. there are ful not to sit people in the midst of people who tend to be more introverted high traffic areas, because it results and others who are very extroverted. I myin feeling distracted or unsettled. self am more birdlike, I like to float around and change my scenery often when working. but some are more bear-like and prefer quiet, cave-like enviDB: what are the biggest challenges in de- ronments for optimal productivity. creating spaces where all spectrums of these characteristics can feel totally at home within the same place is really important.
pg. 42 mushroom dome at soundcloud
DB: what do you think are key components in generating employee satisfaction within the office? KR: this is another great question. I have two answers; one from more of a design perspective and the other more philosophical. the first is about freedom. the more free people can feel in the office – the better. how freely can people access the space? do they have to check in or can they just flow right in, as if at home? how easily can they bring guest and family members? ideally people able to freely move and work throughout the space without getting stuck at any obstacles. when they want to eat they can flow freely to eat something. when they need to sleep, there’s a place for that. when they want to get focused work done, there is a place where they can put their head down and concentrate. cleaning up and recycling is easy and doesn’t feel like a hassle. the freedom is key and the design can enhance this greatly. the other key component is probably the most important of all and actually has very little to do with design. this is really about how that space is managed. who is running the space? what is the energy and the attitude like of the people who are managing that space? are they service oriented? are they kind? how is the quality of human interaction within a space, between coworkers, managers, guests? this eventually seeps through the entire organization so if the office management team sucks, the vibe will suck no matter how good the design. when you have service oriented staff every touch point becomes a positive interaction and that will spread positivity throughout the organization. you will create an environment where everyone wants to help each other and that’s the kind of environment where people really want to work! that is a place where people will be really satisfied.
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DB: in your opinion, what is the future of the workplace? KR: I’m a really optimistic person and I believe the world is getting better. there is an evolution of consciousness underway that is making people more aware of our need to be connected with one another and with the planet. from that mindset, I believe the future of work is less hierarchical, more transparent, more on board with social mission. there will be more unity and oneness within teams and across teams, and less huge gaps in salary. there will be more flexibility geographically it’s already happening but more and more, people are going to feel really free about how and when and where they want to work. dress codes are totally a thing of the past I’m shocked that so many companies still have them. I believe that workspaces are going to become more focused around hospitality whether it’s for guests coming in or employees who are there every day. and I believe new leaders are going to rise not because of how much time they’ve been working but because they are inspiring and empowering. I believe the future of work in terms of leadership is really about finding leaders who are able to hold space for other people to do brilliant work. I envision a non-judgemental, fearless, free, and socially responsible future of work.
»this eventually seeps through the entire organization so if the office management team sucks, the vibe will suck no matter how good the design. «
pg. 44
pg. 45
AN INSIGHT IN THE WORK OF SELGAS CANO
WORKING UNDER THE TREES
To work surrounded by nature and peace is the dream of many and it is what José Selgas y Lucía Cano, the spanish architects of this year’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, achieved through their office located in the woods near Madrid.
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During the creative process there are many factors which do not depend on yourself and them influence on the way you see and think. The personal and professional concerns as well as the pressures you are being subjected, both personally and professsionally, sometimes doesn’t allow you to think clearly. Because of that we often must play on factores we can modify to get to work in a positive atmosphere. Could be to have your work table clean, to travel, to meet new people, to seek new experiences or to work outdoors. Clearly, the working place is crucial.
The architects goal was to work in the woods, under the trees. To immerse themselves into the calmness of the nature and to create the best place to dream and create. Selgascano’s office reach inland allowing a panoramic view from the place in ground level where the trees during summer protect the building from the sunlight and where leaves fall each autumn. It is a rapidly changing enviroment place, an office where everyday looks different and where the nature determinces the pace.
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pg. 49
On its north side the glazed wall is bended leaving part of the roof uncovered and allowing the entrance of indirect natural light to work. On its south side architects have designed an opaque aspect to avoid heating and direct sunlight on working tables in the office.
We like designing for people among people. We are rooted in society and we are more present in this way than if we were all over the media. We blend in with the crowd. An architect’s power lies in being inside things in order to change them. It’s not a question of false modesty but one of realism, of knowing exactly who we are and being aware of our place in the world. Our reality is in the day-to-day life of the normal world, with all our anxieties, disquiet and desires. A media image could, of course, spread our name globally but inevitably detaches it from reality and creates a detachment between architecture and people.
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Future BUILDINGS
What is Well BuilDing Standard ? „The world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness”
The WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research – harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and well-being. Pioneered by Delos, WELL is grounded in a body of medical research that explores the connection between the buildings where we spend more than 90 percent of our time, and the health and wellness impacts on us as occupants. The WELL Building Standard is the culmination of seven years of research, in partnership with leading scientists, doctors, architects and wellness thought leaders. Well building standard concept: The WELL Building Standard sets performance requirements in seven Concepts relevant to occupant health in the built environment – air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. WELL Certified™ spaces can help create a built environment that improves the nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns, and performance of its occupants.
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WELL Certification is based on performance and requires a passing score in each of the seven categories of the WELL Building Standard. WELL Certification is awarded at one of three levels: Silver, Gold and Platinum.
2013, following a Clinton Global Initiative commitment by Delos founder Paul Scialla to improve the way people live by developing spaces that enhance occupant health and quality of life by sharing WELL globally.
INTERNATIONAL WELL BUILDING INSTITUTE™ The WELL Building Standard is administered by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™), a public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through the built environment. IWBI was launched by Delos in
WELL is third-party certified by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which administers the LEED certification program and the LEED professional credentialing program.
Body system applied to well features Immune Digestive Muscular Reproductive Skeletal Endocrine Integumentary Nervous
Respiratory Urinary
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how well „The world’s first building standard building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness” works ? 3 different typologies are available under the certification: New and Existing Buildings, New and Existing Interiors and Core and Shell. For Facility Managers, the New and Existing Interiors section is most pertinent. 36 precondition requirements and 62 optimizations make up this section. -Preconditions are required for all Levels of WELL (Silver Gold and Platinum). -Optimizations are required for Gold and Platinum certifications only. Requirements include and relate to, the type of lighting used within the space, air filtration, activity incentive programs, acoustic controls and integrative design and biophilia. These are just several precondition requirements of the 98 total features, as well as an additional 5 open ended innovation features. For example, looking at the Air Filtration Requirements, there are 3 parts to the feature – Filter Accommodation, Particle Filtration and Air Filtration Maintenance:
Mirvac’s workplace at 200 George Street tower provides the company with a “living laboratory” to test out technologies and approaches that improve sustainability. The building has achieved a 6 Star Green Star Office Design v3 rating and a WELL Gold rating, and is targeting a 6 Star Green Star As Built v3, 5 Star NABERS for energy, 4 Star NABERS for Water for the Mirvac fitout. The company has signed a 10 year lease on 6,865 square meters over five floors. The building was developed and built by Mirvac, and the Mirvac Property Trust retains 50 per cent ownership with the balance of ownership belonging to AMP Capital Wholesale Office Fund. The 37-level tower designed by FJMT features a pressurised high performance closed cavity facade with timber blinds within the floor-to-floor integrated glazing units that comprise the building’s skin. The blinds respond to light conditions to reduce glare and thermal loads.
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MIRVAC HQ NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA
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WELL is composed of over one hundred Features that are applied to each building project, and each WELL Feature is designed to address issues that impact the health, comfort, or knowledge of occupants.Many WELL Features intended to improve health are supported by existing government standards or other standards-setting organizations. Some Features are intended to change behavior through education and corporate policy or culture, and provide information and support for making positive lifestyle choices.Features can be: Performance-based standards: allow flexibility in how a project meets acceptable quantified thresholds.Descriptive standards: require that specific technology, design strategies, or protocols are implemented. WELL Features are categorized as either Preconditions — necessary for baseline WELL Certification,or Optimizations—optional enhancements, which together determine the level of
certification above baseline certification. The Features of WELL can be applied across many real estate sectors, and the current WELL v1 is optimized for commercial and institutional office buildings.WELL is further organized into Project Types which take into account the specific set of considerations that are unique to a particular building type or phase of construction. For WELL v1, there are three project types. New and Existing Buildings: This project type applies to new and existing buildings and addresses the full scope of project design and construction as well as aspects of building operations. While the WELL Building Standard v1 is currently applicable to commercial and institutional office buildings, IWBI has developed pilot versions of the standard to test and refine how WELL can be applied to new building sectors. IWBI currently offers pilot programs for retail, multifamily residential, education, restaurant and commercial kitchen projects.
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air water Nourishment light fitness comfort mind
„Today, the buildings that care about the health of employees will be in the future increased.�
My basic income
pg. 56
In the near future a huge amount of work positions will be occupied by robots, thus leaving a big amount of the population unemployed. In this new social structure our social system will collapse leaving millions unemployed and unqualified to work. At this point is where a new social system should be invented. Common Basic Income is the Social System of the future. A social system where people will be paid by the government in order to be able to live in this new world. There are already experiments taking place in order to see if CBI will be able to support the society of the future.
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Idea
pg. 58
Common basic income is the future. This is one of the basic views of most people in our society, but how will it really work and how will it affect the concept of work and what are the obstacles we will enconter as a society once this new Social system is realized? We can already see Artificial Inteligence taking away Jobs and forcing people to find a new occupation in order to survive. Goverments are struggling to find a new Social System where people will be able to work fewer hours and earn a reasonable income, an income that will allow them to live with dignity. At the same time the gab between rich and poor is soaring with the poor people getting poorer and the rich getting richer. The biggest obstacle that our generation will face is the broad use of A.I. countless jobs will be completly taken over by machines and countless people will be in need of a constand income to survive. The concept of work will change completly in the future if common basic income is applied. People will no longer be in need to work to make money, but rather they will work on their passions and
what makes them happy, they will speant their time being free instead of beeing a “WageSlave”. So consibering basic common income a reallity how will the future workplace look like? Will the application of A.I. help people achive their goals or will it completly take the ambition for success out of the equation? In the current times most people work all their lives to pay their rent, send their kids to school and once a year go on a holliday for 5 days, but what if you didn’t have to worry about your rent. What if you could go to work and work on your own projects?
they will work because they want to. Work will no longer mean “Wage-Slavery” but rather self expression. Workplaces will no longer be offices where people spend their time stressing and running aimlessly around trying to earn more money. A workplace will be a safe place where people will be allowed to create, think, write and produce work that means something to them. Of cource some of the aspects of work will stay the same. People will have the opportunity to choose if they want to work for money or not. Maybe it will they will be able to sepperate their time between money oriented work and passion work.
In the future the combination of Artificial Inteligence and Common Basic Income will completly change our understanding of what working means. People will be free to experiment on what they like and develope new skills, learning will no longer be something you only do at school or university but rather a continuous proccess that will continue through all our lives. People will be free of their bills and will have the time and energy to learn new skills and develope their mind. Philosophy, art, and human expression in general will take front seat in our society. People will no longer be affraid to follow their dreams and their goals since they would not have to worry about their income anymore. Machines will completly take over most of the occupations so people will have much more free time on their hands. People will no longer work because they have to, but instad
Wage Slavery
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2050 cbi 2040 2030
2020 Unemployment rate The implementation of Common basic income in the future will allow people to experiment with their time and develope projects they want to.
Salary
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Europe’s first national experiment in giving citizens free cash has attracted huge media attention. But one year in, what does this project really hope to prove? Juha Jarvinen is one of 2,000 participants in Finland’s two-year basic income experiment. One year on from its launch, the world remains fascinated by Finland’s groundbreaking universal basic income trial: Europe’s first national, government-backed experiment in giving citizens free cash. In January 2017, the Nordic nation began paying a random but mandatory sample of 2,000 unemployed people aged 25 to 58 a monthly €560 (£475). There is no obligation either to seek or accept employment during the two years the trial lasts, and any who do take a job will continue to receive the same amount.With the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and Bernie Sanders all proponents of a universal basic income (UBI) model, Finnish officials and participants have been inundated with media requests from around the globe. One participant who hoped to start his own business with the help of the unconditional
monthly payment complained that, after speaking to 140 TV crews and reporters from as far afield as Japan and Korea, he has simply not been able to find the time. But amid this unprecedented media attention, the experts who devisedthe scheme are concerned it is being misrepresented. “It’s not really what people are portraying it as,” said Markus Kanerva, an applied social and behavioural sciences specialist working in the prime minister’s office in Helsinki.“A full-scale universal income trial would need to study different target groups, not just the unemployed. It would have to test different basic income levels, look at local factors. This is really about seeing how a basic unconditional income affects the employment of unemployed people.” While UBI tends often to be associated with progressive politics, Finland’s trial was launched – at a cost of around €20m (£17.7m) – by a centre-right, austerity-focused government interested primarily in spending less on social security and bringing down Finland’s stubborn 8%-plus unemployment rate. It has a very clear purpose: to see whether an unconditional income might incentivise people to take up paid work. Authorities believe it will shed light on whether unemployed Finns, as experts believe, are put off taking up a job by the fear that a higher marginal tax rate may leave them worse off. Many are also deterred by having to reapply for benefits after every casual or short-term contract.
“It’s partly about removing disincentives,” explained Marjukka Turunen, who heads the legal unit at Finland’s social security agency, Kela, which is running the experiment. Kanerva describes the trial as “an experiment in smoothing out the system”. To maintain privacy and avoid bias, Kela is not contacting any of the 2,000 participants for the duration of the two-year trial. A handful have given interviews to journalists (several have said they feel less stressed thanks to the scheme), but no official conclusions are yet being drawn from these anecdotal experiences. According to Kanerva, however, the core data the government is seeking – on whether, and how, the job take-up of the 2,000 unemployed people in the trial differs from a 175,000-strong control group – will be “robust, and usable in future economic modelling” when it is published in 2019.
unemployment rate in finland
8%
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â‚Ź 3.333
â‚Ź 560
Cbi and Average salary Common basic income is not suppossed to replace work, but rather give to opportunity to people to follow their dreams and not get traped in an endles fight to pay their rent.
benefits
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The idea of UBI had been circulating in left-of-centre political circles in Finland since the 1980s, mainly as a way to combat the economic and social consequences of falling industrial employment by freeing all – from students to the elderly; stay-athome parents to the unemployed – to make meaningful contributions to society by, for example, volunteering. Appealing both to the left (who believe it can cut poverty and inequality) and, more recently, to the right (as a possible way to a leaner, less bureaucratic welfare system), UBI looks all the more attractive amid warnings that automation could threaten up to a third of current jobs in the west within 20 years. Other basic income schemes are now being tested from Ontario to rural Kenya, and Glasgow to Barcelona. Helsinki Central railway station: Finland has a stubborn 8%-plus unemployment rate. But there is little consensus so far on what UBI should look like in practice, or even on the questions that need to be answered first: which model to adopt, what level of payment,
how to combine UBI fairly with other social security benefits, and how the tax and pension system should treat it. For UBI purists, the fact that the monthly Finnish payment – roughly equivalent to basic unemployment benefit – is going to a strictly limited group, and is not enough to live on, disqualifies the Finnish scheme. But while it may not reveal as much as a broader trial would have, the scheme’s designers are confident it will shed new light on several key social policy issues. For example, Kela hopes additional data that is being collected as part of the trial from healthcare records will provide useful information on whether the security of a guaranteed unconditional income, paid in advance so beneficiaries can budget for it, might have a positive impact on anxiety, prescription drug consumption or doctor’s visits “One participant has said she is less anxious because she no longer has to worry over calls from the job centre offering a job she can’t accept because she is caring for her elderly parents,” Turunen said. “We may be able to see from the trial data whether it has had unintended benefits – such as reduced medical costs.” The trial data may also allow the government to spend less on bureaucracy by simplifying Finland’s complex social security system – currently, it offers more than 40 different means-tested benefits – which is struggling to cope with a 21st-century labour market of part timers, short-
pg. 63
less bureaucracy Finland with more that 40 bennefits available for its citizens is struggling to keep the system moving efficiently and quickly. CBI will allow all these benefits to be combined into one resuclting in a higher functioning society.
benefits
pg. 64
term contracts and start-ups. The benefit system is simply “not suited to modern working patterns”, Turunen said. “We have too many benefits. People don’t understand what they’re entitled to or how they can get it. Even experts don’t understand. For example, it’s very hard to be in the benefit system in Finland if you are self-employed – you have to prove your income time and time and time again.”
Current salary according to gender
salary according to gender after implementation of cbi
Perhaps most significantly, the trial marks “a real breakthrough for field experiments”, according to Kanerva. Rolled out in record time and after a brief, one-line pledge in the government’s platform, it had to function alongside all existing social security laws and clear numerous legal obstacles – including Finland’s constitution, which requires all citizens to be treated equally.
The Finnish experiment’s design and objectives mean it should perhaps not really be seen as a full-blown UBI trial at all, cautioned Kanerva: “People think we’re launching universal basic income. We’re not. We’re just trialling one kind of model, with one income level and one target group.”
“It was a huge effort to get it over the line,” Turunen said. “The government was determined it must be based on specific legislation – most experiments are not – and that it had to launch in January last year ... It was quite a task.”
But as experts around the world increasingly debate how a bold but ill-defined concept might actually work in practice, the Finnish experiment will at least “produce meaningful results – albeit in a limited field,” according to Kanerva. In an area
where convictions are often more abundant than facts, “It has forced people to talk specifics.”
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More Growth Applying CBI will allow our economy to grow in the future. By allowing people to spend more money on what they desire will help the market move smoother and grow faster. Because people will no longer work for their rent they will be able to spend more.
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pop-up unconventional /
co-working spaces “Mine” becomes “ours” so everyone’s needs are met without waste.
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What are the benefits? Come work in a casual environment along with other indie workers, creatives and entrepreneurs, all fuelled by lots of coffee! The growth of mobile technology and the ability to work anywhere is fuelling demand for new and innovative workplaces, and pop-up co-working space is one of them. With the workspace changing everyday technology can lend a hand. Presence in an open office can help with finding a coworker quickly, effectively booking private rooms and understanding how the space is being used. Pop-up spaces are wildly successful because they represent a chance to interact with something brand new or exclusive. There are lots of ways to build hype about your pop-up co-working space, especially through social media. Spaces and services become more temporary: they “pop-up” to meet a need or facilitate a community, and fade away or change forms when the need has been filled. Over the course of only a few years the cubical height have shrunk to zero. Layouts in the office have changed from static to open and collaborative.
Furniture continues to evolve as well as the technology within them. Posture has changed with mobile device use and furniture has begun to change with it. There is a “couch shell” trend where the louder spaces are the outer perimeter while the closer you get to the centre the more quiet it becomes. Large firms adopting open workspaces are constricting square footage by nearly 15% due to a flexible and mobile workforce. Leading to far better space utilisation metrics. >
‘WORK WORK SHOP’ Experimental place in Tokyo Photo © Itochu Fashion System
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Co-working provides a way for the mobile workforce to gather, support each other, and grow without having to commit to pricey private office space. Although co-working spaces tend to flourish in urban centres where independent professionals are the norm, new facilities are popping up all over the world. This is not only an opportunity to optimise time and money, but also offers all the benefits by this type of space, such as high speed Internet, reception, meeting room, security, cafeteria, parking, cleaning and even IT support. Collaborative work is accompanied by the tendency that each one is their own boss, who interacts with people who are in the same professional area. That is, it is a mixture of entrepreneurs and young employees of different companies that converge in a large office. Many space catalysts, amazed with the simplicity and potential benefits of a co-working space, are often surprised to learn that no one is trying something similar in their communities. It is common for those interested in opening a space to start a Meet Up group to spread the word about co-working to other independents that might be frustrated with the coffee shop scene, but unaware that there are affordable alternatives. This is, a pop-up co-working space.
The idea is to work — not necessarily on the same project, but just to work alongside each other and enjoy some like-minded company. Think of a pop-up concept like flatpack furniture. It Is quickly or easily assembled, it can be mobile, and it is usually temporary too. The idea can apply tomany different entities — events, shops, restaurants, clubs, even art galleries. They usually take place in a disused space, like a warehouse or on wasteland, and literally ‘pop up’ for a little while before they are packed away again. Pop-up co-working events can be used to generate awareness in a community that lacks a co-working space, or to demonstrate the casual nature of co-working in a community that already has one or more spaces. Some have used a pop-up event to gauge community interest in co-working before making plans to open a more permanent space, or as an overflow option when the current space is full. It is like co-working, but there’s no membership model, and no pressure to use up your subscription quota. It is free (almost) — save for any travelling costs, donations to the host, or cups of coffee bought throughout the day
pg. 69 Hub Lab in Madrid by CH+QS Arquitectos / Photo © Elena Almagro
TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR OWN
UNCONVENTIONAL space Halle A Creative Studio Space in Munich Photo © Designliga
Location & Permission The best pop-up spaces are those located in heavily trafficked areas or permanent spots that are ideal for members of the mobile workforce. Past pop-up co-working spaces include museums, art galleries, parks, vacant store fronts, clothing stores, book stores, airports, conferences, farmers’ markets, and even RVs. Just remember is that pop-up does not equal flash-mob. Make sure you inform property owners of your desire to host a co-working gathering and get their express permission. Even if the space is public, like a park or city square, you probably still need permission to occupy it. Keep in mind that collaborating in this way is the first step toward building a permanent community!
Power, Internet & Furniture Once you’ve got a space locked down, it is time to think about making it as comfortable as possible for those who participate. If you’re working with a private space, ask the owner or landlord about using existing power supplies, internet, furniture and electronics. If it’s a vacant or outdoor space, you’ll need to make sure power and Wifi is available. This can be achieved by pooling together personal hot spots, or asking a local internet provider to sponsor the event. One you’ve got the necessary power and connectivity, think about visiting a local thrift store or browsing Craig’s List for free tables and chairs. If you are confident in your core community, ask people to bring spare tables and chairs, or connect with a local business that might donate some furniture in exchange for a chance to increase awareness about their newest products. >
“Everyone likes to collaborate with others; it’s just about finding those people that fit with us.”
Handle The Hype OK, now you’ve got the space and something to sit on... It’s time to focus on getting people interested! Pop-up stores are wildly successful because they represent a chance to interact with something brand new or exclusive. There are lots of ways to build hype about your pop-up co-working space, especially through social media. Share tiny clues about the location each day leading up until the opening. Make it an invite-only event. Make it exclusive for freelancers for one or two industries. Promise the presence of local celebrities. Inform the press. Offer coffee, beer, food or the chance to win something. Emphasise the chance to meet, network, and collaborate with other local freelancers and small business owners.
How long should it last? The beauty of pop-up spaces is that they don’t have to last forever, and you shouldn’t force them to become permanent. Best practices say that anything from a weekend to 2 weeks is plenty of time at a single location. Remember, the whole point is to leave them wanting more! If you’re planning to pop-up again in a new location, make sure attendees know to watch for more clues about where and when it will be
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Users have the “immeasurable bonus” of community— including “knowledge-sharing, networking, unexpected collaborations, referral opportunities and that boosted daily energy that can only come from a shared space.” FC: What is We—PopUp? Michael Suárez: We offer you the opportunity to advertise your space for free on our website so that brands, young designers, entrepreneurs and communication agencies have access to it in a quick and easy way to then make their own pop-ups co-working event. We—PopUp connects the owner with the brand or company. You can find all types of spaces from restaurants to bars, pubs, hotels, cooking or dance schools, beauty shops, abandoned factories, photography studios, prime locations, etc; and turn it into a pop-up co-working space. Any space that can be rented out by the day can be found on our platform. The space verification service will be available soon. For the time being, it is a good idea for the images chosen for display on the space profiles to be of high quality and representative so you have a better chance of getting it rented temporarily. What is the idea behind? MS: As a full-time home-worker, I have always been interested in the various workspace options available for freelancers, small businesses and start-ups. My home office suits me well, but from time to time I think it is important to break out of the cocoon and work in alternative locations. This is why I founded We—PopUp, now the leading marketplace for renting temporary shops, malls and venues for popup co-working events in Berlin. How is the schedule of a entrepeneur like Michael Suárez? MS: My “day” beings at 9.00am and finishes around 3.00pm, although it is obviously very flexible. It is both stimulating and refreshing to be surrounded by so many other like-minded people
pg. 73
interview with michael suárez
founder of we —popup
We—PopUp is an online platform that connects any person or company searching for space to rent by the day that is right for their needs. Michael Poulsen has been running his own business for quite long time, and makes the perfect pop-up co-working event organiser — friendly, knowledgeable and always keen to get people connected. He describes We—PopUp as everything an independent worker needs, both physically and emotionally, under one roof each time.
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new concepts
treexoffice TREExOFFICE is a new concept in co-working spaces launched in Hoxton Square in in the heart of London’s Tech City. It is the first initiative to be realised by the Park Hack project, led by Groundwork London and Hackney Council, set up to test new innovative models that sustain and enhance public open spaces. Built around a tree, this pop-up office, London’s newest and most unique office space enables those who work here to both connect with and give back to nature. Those who hire the space will be directly supporting the local environment, with income generated being reinvested into Hackneyas parks and green spaces. TREExOFFICE is also featured in the London Festival of Architecture that is taking place this month. The eight workspaces in the TREExOFFICE are available for businesses, creative workers and community groups to hire any time. It is equipped with a power supply and WiFi and has the capability to also host small meetings or intimate events. Community groups can book the TREExOFFICE free of charge on weekends. TREExOFFICE has been created by Natalie Jeremijenko in collaboration with artists Shuster + Moseley, architects Tate Harmer and briefing architects Gensler
pg. 75
Have you ever wished you could work outside? Somewhere green, where you can feel the sun on your face?
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stories on design
door 19 bar & club
Door 19 Pop-up Bar & Club in Moscow Photo © ArtKvartal
It’s been a little while since we’ve spoken about Retail Pop-Ups, so it’s about time we followed up with another Story that focused on Event Pop-Ups, dontcha think? Much like their retail counterparts, gone are the days when Event Pop-Ups were simply clever PR stunts or an excuse for mediocre premises that have been knocked up by someone’s handy uncle who can cunningly transform Bunning’s chipboard into bench seats. Add a coupla milk-crates and boom – you got yourself a rustic café. Ummm… Negative, captain. I’m sure you’ll all agree that Temporary Installations and Event Pop-Ups have reached new heights and broken new ground, bringing about innovation, excitement and types of experiences the switched-on crowds are seeking out. It’s all simply part of the “hipsterfication” of the events and hospitality scene, and
the world in general. The increasingly switched on, demanding and design-savvy consumers are always on the hunt for something exciting they haven’t seen before, leading to the humble Pop-Up concept getting elevated to an art form. Today we explore a bunch of different kinds of Event Pop-Ups. Bars, Cafes and Restaurants – yes, but also corporate events on steroids, fashion events, and some interesting temporary museums thrown in for good measure. So, by now you know the drill. Let’s dive into some of the most notable examples of Event PopUps that have caught our attention. >
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Door19 Pop up Bar & Club in Moscow, Russia by PH. D // This pop-up restaurant, modern art gallery and a pre-party bar was situated on the top floor of ArtHouse, a new residential building on the 19 Serebryanicheskaya emb., in Moscow’s ArtKvartal on the Yauza river. The best street artists in Moscow and Europe, together with a team at the architectural studio P H. D turned the space into a temporary club which was visited by more than 12,000 people during its 6 weeks of existence. P H. D studio and its founder, Lana Grineva, approached the design of the 460 sqm penthouse with gigantic 9-meter ceilings as an undone and elusive interior, which – let’s face it – looks mostly kitsch and overdone, but also kinda fun at the same time
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FINDING YOUR SPACE
03
FIND YOUR sPAcE
FINDing your space
82-93 Co- Wanderlust, Maria Arredondo Beginning with the romantic’s passion for nature, moving through to the emergence of different communities, and ultimately creating your own wanderlust. Immerse yourself in the co-meditation world and embark a personal journey. Learn about the meaning of wanderlust as it was used in the 1960’s as well as today.
94-107 Co- Working turns to Co-Living, Holly Nairn Up until the five years ago, co-living communities and retirement homes were thought of by individuals as one in the same. However, that thought pattern is rapidly changing on a global scale. The beauty of co-living is that you have the ability to pick and choose the type of lifestyle you want in the house and location you reside in.
108-117 Collaborative Home Office, Sonja Fritz W. Turner, an Illustrator & Art Director describes how you can balancing work with the rest. // Following 10 tips how to work effectively from home. // Googleplex personalise offices to each employee individually to give them a homelike environment. // The article ends with how design revolutionise our office life and how innovations will influence the future of our working life.
118-129 Biophilia, Selina Papageorgio The term “biophilia” means “love of life or living systems“ and describes a psychological orientation of being attracted to all that is alive and vital. This chapter deals with all the psychological and physical benefits plants have on our lives and their impact on our working environments The Future is going green and we show you how.
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Wanderlust Wanderlust is an old german word and romantic tradition. The name wanderlust was born in the romantic movement, that inspired the hippies in the sixties, and it expresses still a strong longing.
Wanderlust is one of those German words with such a specific meaning, it’s been adopted into English: a joy “lust” or passion for hiking. The German term “wandern” specifically means “to hike,” and not “to wander” off course. That pleasure of hiking is captured in numerous paintings from the Romantic Era. The Romantics were passionately in love with nature. What they sought out in the beautiful landscapes they painted was a mirror of their own inner self; solitude was seen as a key to one’s own inner cosmos.
“Expressed in the sixties, inspiring ever
The most popular destinations of German Romantic painters were the Harz mountains, the island of Rügen and the Elbe Sandstone mountains of the “Saxon Switzerland.” These untrodden paths and watercourses inspired them to produce paintings, copper engravings and sketches. “We are considering the notion of wandering on two levels,” curator Birgit Verwiebe said. “In one way, we’re looking at the actual
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Romantics
A strong desire to travel
movement through nature, the courage to set off on an adventure and allow new experiences to come to you. But we are also looking at wandering as a metaphor for the search for life’s meaning.” Wandering, the German word for hiking, gives people a new rhythm. It acts as a means of relaxation, of winding down, which allows for a new understanding of self and the world. Many artists recognize this wandering as symbolic for the journey that people undertake through life. That is something that can be seen reflected in the motifs: the paths, the wide-open spaces, the gorges, the summits, the river-crossings, the stop for a rest. - Stefan Dege
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“... from wander,
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expand one’s
consciousness Wanderlust is now a company which involved a broader range of experiences from wander, into a community. Starting from hitchhiking up to meditation, yoga and more…
Merge
Wanderlust was created by three friends with a long and deep relationship. We dreamed of an event that could be at least a good time and – at best – personally transformative. Finding a clear purpose is a process both for a business and an individual. It’s very hard to distill, and it can change. For Wanderlust, our core purpose is to create community around shared values, and it has been incredibly gratifying to see such a large community grow around the pillars of mindful living – yoga, the arts, personal spirituality, environmentalism, organics and conscious consumerism – and to know that Wanderlust is becoming a central gathering point for this community. The cauldron of talent at Wanderlust never ceases to amaze us. There’s a lot to do, and many more locations to do it at. We hope you can come take advantage of all of it, but don’t plan too much. Always allow yourself wander, because life’s most beautiful moments come in the spaces. - Jeff, Sean & Schuyler
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PERSPECTIVE integrating the past
The development of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old old. Yoga’s long rich history can be divided into four main periods of innovation, practice and development. In our yoga practices, we are striving for the union, or yoking, of our minds and bodies. Whether our yoga practice is an asana practice, which is most common, a pranayama practice, a practice of nonviolence (ahimsa), sacred study (svadhyaya), or devotion (bhakti)—or any of the many ways we can practice yoga—the outer expression may look different, but the inner goal is the same: Union of the body and mind.
“Cenozoic era relives romantically ”
The goal of our meditation practice is the same: To yoke the mind and body, not to stop ourselves from having thoughts. Davidji, a senior meditation teacher and former dean at Chopra Center University, says, “If we’re having thoughts, it means we’re alive.” There are many different meditation techniques in which to achieve union with our thoughts, and it’s important to find the one that works best for you (Hint: It will be different for almost everyone). Davidji tried several methods before finding a few favorites: Today he practices a birth star meditation in the morning and afternoon, as well as a metta, or loving-kindness, meditation.
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We are currently reliving the romantic era in our own different way. Our perspective is changing allover again, helping some of us realize that maybe life has a different purpose than expected. Immersing in the past may help us live a happy future
One of the common obstacles to meditation is that we often find ourselves going at it alone, with only books or online guides to aid us in our search for steadiness. If we do find meditation in a group setting, it’s probably for an all-too-brief few minutes before or after an asana practice. What if meditation were practiced as a group, with guides, support, and satsang (community)—with all the benefits of an asana class, for example? Could the experience of union—of yoga—be felt even more strongly? Group meditation has many benefits for every level of practitioner. You may find the practice of meditating with a group is beneficial once in awhile, or it may be something you like to do more often. How often you choose to join a group is up to you, but the benefits are too great to miss out on. - Kristin Diversi
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psychedelic
Experience
“Turn to nature, confraternity and adventure�
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You will be able to experience the truth behind the psychedelic world. There is no better drug than our own mind itself. Our mind controls our body and the way we feel everything around us. Learn how to enhance your senses by training your unique mind... Breath, relax and listen to your body.
We all have that friend for whom the festival circuit isn’t just a season, it’s a lifestyle. There’s a certain magic to the different world one retreats to on a three-day escape from everyday life. There is something really powerful about being part of something large scale. We all have these hectic and intense lives with lots of distractions. I think the combination of sun and nature and yoga/meditation/running puts you in a more relaxed, mindful state. There is a lot more person to person interaction at our events. Yoga and meditation in general opens people up and makes them a lot less guarded. It’s the activities you’re pursuing but also who you’re pursuing it with. Something about it restores a little faith in humanity and maybe that’s something we all need right now. - Collen Dunn
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embark a personal
Journey
Yoga is a journey in many ways – a personal journey that challenges, supports and accompanies you throughout your life. A lifetime of learning and discovery, influenced by teachers who share their wisdom and experience, guiding you along the many paths that yoga offers. Wendy Jacob has been talking to some of today’s leading teachers about their own yoga journey, influences and commitment to yoga. Through photographing the retreat I learned the spiritual connection to yoga. I learned the way it can change a persons life and I connected with so many others during this time. I did yoga every now and then once I came home from the retreat (like literally once every two months) but never had a solid practice. I was asked to return again last year, but this time for two weeks! This time I made some seriously deep connections with other attendees at the retreat! I gained not only some really amazing friendships, but was again reminded of the amazing things that can happen through the practice of yoga. Irene allowed me to hop in on a few classes and we practiced and played on the beach almost every day of the two weeks. This is where my real love for the practice began to form. I remember after my first class at last years retreat I felt lighter. I felt like it was easier to walk, easier to breathe, everything just felt simpler. I was explaining this to Irene and she said something to me along the lines of “remember this feeling on days you need to show up.” Which is still so true! On days it is hard to even show up to class or on my mat I just remember the feeling of how I feel after every class and the comfort it gives me.
“Urge yourself to expand your horizon”
Once I found my love for yoga, for the practice and a reason to keep showing up… -Brooke Michelle
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Escape PRACTICE Yoga & Meditation Programs Whether you are a beginner or wellseasoned yogi, you’ll have an ideal day at Wanderlust. We offer classes for all levels and styles to keep your body and mind moving. Fill your days with invigorating vinyasa flow and relaxing yin classes, or branch out and try stand up paddle boarding or aerial yoga. Whichever way you flow, you’ll learn from the world’s best. LISTEN Headliners, new artists, and beyond Music is the heartbeat of Wanderlust festivals. Our experiences range from DJpowered yoga classes to acoustic musical mountaintop meditations to the electric main stage performances. Whatever your taste, you’ll enjoy artists you’ve loved for years and discover your next musical crush. EXPLORE Hikes, Runs, Biking & more Leap boldly into nature. Our liberating trail runs, breathtaking mountain meditations, peaceful sunset hikes, and electrifying bike excursions will get you off your mat and into full adventure mode. Bliss out on a stand up paddle board, or tear down the trails on a downhill mountain bike. Each festival offers unique opportunities to get in touch with your inner explorer.
… find yourself
LEARN Speakeasy Talks Immerse yourself in the inspiring ideas of thought-leaders at a Wanderlust Speakeasy. Our intimate and casual lecture series covers topics ranging from holistic health to progressive politics, from personal empowerment to community betterment— hosted voices leading the movement of mindful living. TASTE Local & Sustainable Foods After a long day of nourishing the soul, you’ll need some healthy sustenance for your body. Our hand-picked local food vendors offer a quick bite throughout the day, and our family style, Farm-to-Table dinner offers the pleasure of a delectable organic meal with friends.
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Festival
Contemplation of desire
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Library in a NYC co-living home Architecturaldigest.com
Co-working place Denmark Businessinsider.com
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Co-working space kitchen area in Devor Thecollective.com
Co-WORKING TURNs INTO CO-LIVING Written by Holly Nairn | Images by various artis
pg. 96 Flatmate Rule #5 - Furniture in public spaces is not up for grabs, period In 2017 only, Berlin saw 13,000 new residental buildings commence with construction
THE HISTORY of co-living? Over the last 10 years globally there has been a push towards the idea of community ‘sharing’. From the sharing car programs in most western city hubs to the office sharing programs offered within some business districts; we are slowly seeing this idea of sharing move into other areas of the 21st century lifestyle. Co-living by no means is anything new to the inhabitants of any established society, yet the way the refreshed way in which it is being delivered is something new. Up until the five years ago, co-living communities and retirement homes were thought of by individuals as one in the same. However, that thought pattern is rapidly changing on a global scale. Co-living was coined as “joint living” or living with someone. Historically, co-living was reserved for that of retirement homes in which common living areas were used for shared group activities with private living space. Today, the only element that has changed around this definition is that these shared areas are updated version of the modern share workspace. This system values openness, sharing and most of all collaboration, in the bounds of a home where people relax, recover and continue producing work. It means that there are continued blurred lines between the workspaces and living spaces. Although these changes are prompting a fusion of flexible work and lifestyle more so than the past generational views and what you may think.
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pg. 98 In 1990 residents in Berlin had a average of 73,1sqm of living space per apartment Now in 2017 new apartments have 3.1 room apartment and a combined living space of less than 100sqm
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HOW DOES CO-LIVING REALLY work? Due to the very nature of mass current global movement; the housing market is changing and overinflated. People who move frequently or those not interested in a traditional lifestyle rarely find deep connections within their communities due to desire to be more social. New styles of living are driving a bigger focus on community and connection than ever before and as such the ideas behind collaboration and sharing are being tested. The beauty of co-living is that you have the ability to pick and choose the type of lifestyle you want in the house and location you reside in. To date, our thought pattern behind co-living has been the trusted co-living communities of the 80+ generation, however, today’s society is redefining what co-living really means. Co-living is offering aspiring entrepreneurs a place to rest their heads — sometimes a bunk bed — for cheap rent. The earliest example of today’s co-living was in 2004 when Mark Zuckerberg rented a five-bedroom house in Palo Alto, where early Facebook employees built the social network. Today, bitcoin entrepreneurs party and plot the future of money in a three-story home they share in San Francisco. There are dozens more mansions like it on a global scale. This idea continues to evolve as a mainstream norm as millennials continue to migrate to high-priced urban areas in droves for education and employment. The startup world in Berlin particularly has taken to rebranding the homes as “co-living” spaces. Companies like Open Door and WeLive, subsidiaries of coworking giant WeWork, that have taken this co-working idea into the next stage and created this idea of an all-inclusive experience that comes with lots of perks. Residents, or “members,” as they are more
correctly called, can join these communities and instantly tap into amenities like free internet, maid service, and new friends. The co-living communities are used as a platform for the millennials to go about working and interacting with others in a similar stage in life on a 24 hours clock. While some critics see co-living as a fringe “dorms for grown-ups” trend, the entrepreneurs behind these startups want to make co-living a major category. With only 5 year of history, co-living startup “Commons”, received almost 10,000 applications to fill its nine residences in 2016. Open Door, founded in 2013, has established three co-living spaces in the Bay Area. The startup plans to expand from 40 bedrooms (with 140 more in the pipeline) to 1,000 rooms by the end of 2018. This trend is only in its infancy in northern Europe currently but the numbers are set to peck higher than that of the US and Asia Pacific.
pg. 101 Flatmate Rule #30 - Whoever saw the mouse is responsible for buying the trap According to data from 2015, 70% of Berlin’s apartment housing market is owner occupied
Co-living bedroom in NYC Forbes.com Co-living bedroom in Amsterdam Dwell.com
Co-living bedrrom in Berlin Dezeen.com
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pg. 103 The housing market in Berlin, as of 2016, amounted to 2 million apartments Flatmate Rule #10 - Do not converse with someone who woke up to use the bathroom
WHY WOULD I CHOOSE TO co-live? In addition to bunking at a co-living residence, there are built-in bookcases and velvety couches that look torn from the pages of “Sherlock Holmes,” novel. All applicants are led on tours around the estate prior to membership status confirmation. It is not uncommon to pass other resident taking a call on the deck or working on their laptop in the den. In the dining room, a banquet table stretched the length of the room, where residents are encouraged to take family-style dinners and meetings together. The idea of co-living is not about ignoring your fellow members but about creating a community where and with whom you share your spaces with. There is a high level of engagement within the residents themselves that is actually honouring to humanity. These buildings are not building the next facebook but rather forming authentic communities that evolve naturally. Which is why the whole concept has taken on this idea of co-living; it is a way to rethink that this word ‘living’ really means.
Co-living communal kitchen area in London Thebusinessoffashion.com
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Co-livingcommunal kitchen area in Sydney WTOP.com
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WHO ELSE is co-living? The first co-living project, called the Farmhouse, opened in Berkeley in 2014. It holds 16 people, has a vegetable garden and a chicken coop, and is known for its jam sessions around the fire pit. Another project, the Canopy, sits on the edge of a gentrifying neighbourhood in Oakland and has a workshop where its 12 residents can be found building art projects for Burning Man.
those looking for more than a room out of the market. A number of studies have been done showing that this “varied age group” had no preconceived ideas about those they lived with, their background or current status; it did show however those individuals were not interested in co-living with young children or couples with young families.
Co-living communal kitchen area in Los Angeles WGNTV.com
Co-living communities offer more diverse opportunities to live with individuals you would not normally interact with and this is the essences of the concept. Having a platform to enrich your life outside of the shifting change of ‘work’ and social life. This approach also looks at the way we are currently using spaces and how we can better engage with other & the environment and societies overall footprint on the environment we have created. The revamped version of co-living we know of today is encouraging everyone to change the way we think about living spaces. Single, married, retired, everyone has a place within the co-living community. The great thing about co-living it that there are common interests with individuals already and not all your friend base have to be with people you work with. There’s a rich array of co-living spaces for those who can embrace the lifestyle it brings. In some cases, residents pay a premium for the privilege of having so many roommates. Currently, the co-living models in the market are offered to a varied age group. Most rooms are single or double opponent ready, which puts families or
A 2006 research study has shown that Berlin’s average person per household is 1.77 Flatmate Rule #1 - The sounds of, adult intimacy, are only truely enjoyable for those directly involved
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pg. 107 Academic researchers in the US have spent over $10K on understanding how people hang toilet rolls Flatemate Rule #17 - It is not the responsibility of the only person who cleans to pay for all the cleaning products
Do I GET MY OWN BATHROOM? In many ways, co-living with a house full of strangers isn’t all that different from normal roommate living. Some members share bathrooms and bathrooms, although some pay a premium to have more private space. Many members still use the same patterns seen currently for share chores and communal eating practices, there are many that are taking this opportunity to rethink common practices within this settings. Millennials have been reported to have a have a greater tolerance for the various quirks of co-living because their lives play out on social media. Each major life experience is a moment to be shared across their network so sharing private moment does not seem so foreign as it does to older generations. The rise of co-living does not necessarily mean the death of traditional home rental and ownership. In 2016, homeownership rates among Northern Europe fell to its lowest level in more than five decades. Home ownership in general as a life goal has shifted societally making it a fantasy or the past. Today, people of every age just want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
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Work AND/ Balancing work with the rest of your life can be tricky. It’s often difficult to leave work at work and to avoid becoming a workaholic; it’s especially tough for those of us who work at home.
Working at home has its advantages. It’s nice to limit the commute to a stumble down the hallway. And you can be flexible about the hours, which allows it to take care of personal things when it makes sense to do, such as taking the car in first thing on a Monday morning or shopping on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowds. You can easily make up that lost work time on evenings or weekends because your office is in your house. It’s a double-edged sword, though. When you have more work on the plate than you can easily finish. But it always seems that the more you get done, the more there is to do. It’s easy to start thinking of every hour in the day (and night) as potential revenue; this can become a recipe for quick-frying your personal life. Interruptions are another problem. The spider inside the tube, the discussions between your family and the lovely wife’s “honey do” list.
//LIfE
Having all these personal to-dos available also provides fuel for the procrastination engine. When you’re dreading getting started on a project, it’s far too easy to say you’ll get right to it after you clip your nails or feed the dogs or make those copies for the mortgage company. At its worst, all of these combined problems can make you feel like you never leave work and like you never get anything done. You hit the bed at the end of the day still thinking about that algorithm you were thinking about last night but never got around to writing today.
Working hard for something we don’t care about is called STRESS; Working hard for something we love is called passion.
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William Turner is an Illustrator & Art Director and works since 5 years from home on his office/kitchen table. He found out how to balance work with the rest.
What’s the answer?
The answer is to set artificial constraints. Set standard start and stop times for your work, and make exceptions to that schedule truly exceptional. Make a big deal out of the fact that you’re taking time off work, so it doesn’t become the norm. And when you’re at work, don’t allow personal interruptions that aren’t emergencies. Your family should pretend you’re onsite while you’re on the clock. Conversely, make sure you leave the office at your standard check-out time — and leave your work there, too. Being able to enjoy your personal life is presumably the reason why you work so hard anyway. If you do have to work some extra hours here and there, make a big deal out of that too. This doesn’t mean that your standard work hours have to be Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It’s nice to be able to take advantage of our independence to do things when they’re easiest to do. So schedule some work time every Saturday, and keep part of a weekday open instead. Or you can even slide that opening around to make it to your kids’ school play, but make sure you account for it. You don’t ever want to feel guilty about working too little or too much. By maintaining a clear separation between work time and home time, you can enjoy both while looking forward to each transition. Blurring the lines between the two can make you feel overwhelmed by both. by William Turner, Illustrator & Art Director
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10 ways from effectively/
a possibility of how you could set up your homeoffice to your individual needs.
#1 Keep a separate office For the same reason your dress should be different for work, so should your office. You probably could work from the kitchen counter or in the family room. However, the chances of distractions and of lowered productivity increase significantly compared to wor-king in your own separately defined home office. The separate area might also be necessary to satisfy IRS home office requirements.
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to work more
home #2 Keep in touch with the boss
You’ve heard the saying, “out of sight, out of mind”? Don’t let that happen to you. Make sure your boss knows about your accomplishments. If your schedule calls for you to be physically at your “real” location once or twice a week, consider meeting with your boss about what you’ve been doing. Otherwise, make sure your boss knows about your projects and successes, either via phone or e-mail. You don’t want your lowered visibility to hurt your chances of promotion and salary increases.
#3
Clarify ownership and policies Whose computer equipment will you be using? Will the company supply you with a computer or will you be using your own? If the latter, how will any acceptable use policies affect your computer? Does your company use of your own computer preclude you from using it for personal matters? What antivirus or patch update policy will you need to follow? Clarify these questions before you begin your computer work, because they touch on important privacy and security issues.
#4
Check zoning if necessary Check with your local government about your work arrangement. If you’re receiving visitors or receiving regular deliveries, the government might be concerned about traffic and parking. However, if all you’re doing is plain work, you likely will have less, if any, problem. In any event, it’s always good to make sure.
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#5 Dress the part No, you don’t have to don the three piece suit or the wing tip shoes — or the female equivalent. But neither should you simply roll out of bed and move to your desk, clad in your pyjamas. Yes, it’s unlikely your co-workers or clients will see you dressed this way. Nonetheless, the way you dress can affect your attitude and your productivity. In addition, the act of changing can help you distinguish, psychologically, between work and home — an important distinction, discussed more below.
#6 Establish start and stop times Many people think that working from home helps achieve work/ life balance. Yes, it can, as long as you keep clear the distinction. If you don’t, your work/life balance actually could become even worse because you won’t know when to stop “working” and start “homing.” As with dress and with your office, set clear times when you start working and when you stop. When the latter time comes, really DO stop. Avoid going back to your home office “just to send one more e-mail.” That one e-mail will become a second, and a third. Once the time comes, just stop until the next day.
#7 Use a separate phone line Regardless of whether you’re an employee or on your own, get a separate line for your business. Having your five-year-old answer the phone for relatives or friends might be cute, but it could mark you as unprofessional to others who might call. If you use an answering machine or service, call your own line and check the quality of your greeting. You don’t want to sound like you’re speaking from the wreckage of the Titanic.
Discipline IS the bridge between goals &
accomplishment//
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#8 Check insurance Make sure your homeowner’s insurance covers your work-athome activity. This issue is particularly important if you anticipate having visitors, such as co-workers or clients. You might even check to see whether your company will subsidize part of that insurance.
an example of an individual designed home office where you can make your own analouge “settings”.
#9 regardingto snacking In the same way, watch what you eat. It’s easy to wander to the kitchen for a snack. Too much snacking will ruin your productivity and your waistline. Exercise discretion and discipline here as well.
#10 regarding to break times Yes, you can knock off work every 10 minutes to watch television or pop in a DVD. If you do, though, you might go through the day without accomplishing anything. The need for time management and discipline becomes even greater when you’re on your own. Establish those periods of time when you work and those times when you take a break and stick to them.
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life at work/ THE GOOGLE Unstructured //by Design
This university-themed design makes its way into the actual plan by offering employees a variety of experiences throughout the workplace. Rather than giving employees only the basics of an office like a desk, a lunchroom, and a conference space. The Googleplex was created with 13 different possible settings. “In a university environment, you typically have the option of self-directed work, a selection of work styles or work environments, independent study subject choices, either private or within a group.”
University Life //At Work One of the most important features of the Googleplex is that its overall plan was designed to mimic the loosely structured nature of a university campus. Clive Wilkinson Architects found that the nature of the company as well as the existing building complex was perfectly suited to merge the idea of workplace with the experiences found within an educational environment.
A Plan for Reducing //Distraction Though it might seem that distraction in such an office might be inevitable, Google and Clive Wilkinson Architects worked to create a work environment that best suited employees. Clive Wilkinson notes that the Google team believed strongly in enclosed work areas for coding engineers, housing 3-4 employees where they can be productive both individually and collaboratively. Though this workstyle works great for productivity, Google’s cofounders insisted on these rooms being located on exterior of the building to bring in natural light. For the design team, this meant the walls must be made of glass to allow for light to travel to the rest of the building effectively. These rooms also used soft-padded roofs to alleviate the harsh acoustics glass walls produce.
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PLEX “This ‘Glass Tent’ office system not only satisfied privacy needs for concentrated work and retained access to light and views, it also provided a solution for rapid construction, accommodating Google’s immense expansion curve.”
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The Future
//of THE Wor
A workspace where the boundaries between functionality and design overlap.
Cities and buildings are changing in tandem with work styles.
Demographic, economic & Cultural shifts are taking hold worldwide.
Significant changes, including a younger workforce and the disruptive, innovationdriven nature of business, mean that real estate products are being rethought both in form and provision. The revolution that started changinWWg the workplace in the early 1990s has spread now to the buildings and arguably to the districts—mostly urban, but not entirely—where work locates.
The workforce is in global transition and the old economic order is breaking down. New players are on the scene and established ones are departing or taking on new roles. Working (and designing) across geographic and demographic markets is crucial. It means staying connected and agile while respecting the nuances of different cultures and cohorts.
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kplace
In the digital age, where the lines between work and life blur further, workplaces are becoming more than just offices. Both employers and employees are wanting more from these physical spaces. And, with good reason. Even in the midst of more people working remotely, companies are realizing that modern workplaces have to change - and have to offer their people much more than a desk and a phone. There is a reason Apple, Facebook, and the likes are spending billions of dollars on their “campuses.” And, with increasing pressure to both attract and retain top talent, companies are scrambling to figure out which additions and strategies will help them offer the “extras” their employees are wanting. Even if you don’t have the budget of an Apple or Facebook, your employees expect more. The good news is that there are best practices you can follow when designing for the workplace of the future. Based on these best practices and the work with our clients at MADE.design, we’ve created a model to illustrate the key components of a modern workplace so that organizations like yours understand how to implement these principles. We call it FETCH, short for Fluid, Engaging, Technology-Driven, Convenient, and Heuristic.
The revolution //is about design written and designed by Sonja Fritz
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BIO / PHILIA
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HOW FUTURE WORK IS GOING GREEN
The Berliner Magazine / Neukรถlln Issue #2
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BIO / PHILIA
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“To experience Biophilia is to love a diversity that, as limitless as it is fragile, both haunts us and fills uns with hope.” Adam Leith The term “biophilia” means “love of life or living systems.” It was first used by Erich Fromm to describe a psychological orientation of being attracted to all that is alive and vital.[4] Wilson uses the term in the same sense when he suggests that biophilia describes “the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.” He proposed the possibility that the deep affiliations humans have with other life forms and nature as a whole are rooted in our biology. Unlike phobias, which are the aversions and fears that people have of things in their environment, philias are the attractions and positive feelings that people have toward organisms, species, habitats, processes and objects in their natural surroundings. Although named by Fromm, the concept of biophilia has been proposed and defined many times over. Aristotle was one of many to put forward a concept that could be summarized as “love of life”. Diving into the term philia, or friendship, Aristotle evokes the idea of reciprocity and how friendships are beneficial to both parties in more than just one way, but especially in the way of happiness
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7 BENeFITS OF PLANTS In
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PRODUCTIVITY
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STRESS reduction significant reductions in stress among workers when plants were introduced to their workspace. Results included a 37% fall in reported tension and anxiety; a 58% drop in depression or dejection; a 44% decrease in anger and hostility; and a 38% reduction in fatigue.
Employees’ productivity jumps 15% when previously ‘lean’ work environments are filled with just a handful of houseplants, according to 2014 research by the University of Exeter. Adding just one plant per square metre improved memory retention and helped employees score higher on other basic tests, said researcher Dr Chris Knight.
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sickness A small study by the Agricultural University of Norway in the 1990s found that the introduction of plants to one office was linked to a 25% decrease in symptoms of ill health, including fatigue, concentration problems, dry skin and irritation of the nose and eyes.
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WORKING ENVIRONMENTs
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creativity boost
job applicants
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Up to one in five people have no natural elements within their workspace, and alarmingly nearly 50% of workers have no natural light. Yet a third of us say that workplace design would affect our decision to join a company.
Clean air Indoor plants can help reduce carbon dioxide levels by about 10% in air-conditioned offices, and by about 25% in buildings without air conditioning.
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The 2015 Human Spaces report also found that employees whose offices included natural elements scored 15% higher for creativity than those whose offices didn’t include such elements.
absorb noice Plants help to reduce the distracting effects of background office chatter. Positioning larger plant pots, in multiple locations in the edges and corners of a room has the great positive benefit.
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PSYCOLOGICAL / Do plants matter? The cumulative body of evidence from over a decade of research on the people-nature relationship provides an unequivocal answer: contact with vegetation, in a variety of circumstances, is highly beneficial to human health and well being. Emerging evidence also suggests that in office settings, exposure to plants and views of vegetation reduces stress, restores attentional capacity, and improves performance on a variety of cognitive tasks. Reduced stress = reduced absence Research also shows that indoor plant presence reduces sick leave by 20-60%. They found significant reductions in the following illness symptoms too:
Tension/Anxiety – 37% reduction Depression/Dejection – 58% reduction Anger/Hostility – 44% reduction Fatigue – 38% reduction Confusion – 30% reduction Overall negativity – 64% reduction
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PHYSICAL Effects Contact with vegetation, in a variety of circumstances, is highly beneficial to human health and well being. Emerging evidence also suggests that in office settings, exposure to plants and views of vegetation reduces stress, restores attentional capacity, and improves performance on a variety of cognitive tasks. The researchers suggest that health improvements were likely due to two mechanisms: improved air quality and the psychological value of being in a more pleasing environment. The presence of plants may have created a microclimate effect that resulted in increased moisture (which could influence mucous membrane systems) as well as a cleansing of the chemicals in the air.
Dry eyes, nose and throat – 20% reduction Perceptions of pain – 25% reduction Coughing and wheezing – 35% reduction
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It isn't too hard to believe that spending time around nature and sunlight and fragrant greenery is good for the soul. But now, there's scientific research to back that claim. Researchers have found that adding plants and greenery in an office can help increase employee productivity by 15%. “A green office communicates to employees that their employer cares about them and their welfare,” said Psychology Professor Alex Haslam, who co-authored the study. "Office landscaping helps the workplace become a more enjoyable, comfortable and profitable place to be.” Some companies have even started investing in installing plants and greenery around the office help make their employees happier and healthier (and boosting productivity at the same time). For example, Google's office in Tel Aviv, Israel has an indoor orange grove that turns an otherwise normal, collaborative space into a relaxing area that makes you feel like you're sitting outside on a park bench.
Plants &
“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.� - E.O. Wilson
Plus, all those live plants in the office need natural light -and natural light does a great job to diminish monitor glare and reduce eye strain, says Teri Ianni Driscoll, director of marketing for a company called KA Inc. That the same study, employee productivity went up even in offices where there was landscape imagery or large windows with views of the outdoors. We've seen this first-hand at HubSpot -- we have a few rooms with wallpaper mimicking the outdoors: ealth benefits of decorating with plants and greenery? NASA reported that live plants can have a significant impact on reducing toxic chemicals in the air emitted from furniture, rugs, and so on. For those interested in decorating air-cleaning plants, the best ones include Boston ferns, Kimberley Queens, and palm trees. Why are offices turning into botanical spaces? Amazon has built treehouses in its offices and Microsoft employees work in the woods. Companies reveal why they are using plants to boost productivity
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Greenery
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Urban planners continually find more creative ways to weave nature into the city, particularly with space at a premium. Pockets of nature functioning like “acupuncture” for residents. “Small, strategic interventions offer relief to people who live in cities,” says Walker. “We must be careful not to erase nature out of cities, and work on putting nature back in.” Walker points to projects such as Paley Park and PARK(ing) Day, a movement to convert metered parking spots into temporary public spaces that began in San Francisco and spread to other cities. a seasonal program allowing benches and chairs, surrounded by landscaping, to be installed on streets. “It’s taking back part of the street for cars and giving it to people,” says Walker. Project uses dumpsters planted with trees and vegetation to divert stormwater that might ordinarily overflow with sewage into Gowanus Canal. The display “integrates nature into a very industrial place—and it’s moveable,” he says. Planting trees is a more permanent solution.
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GOINg GREEN
“To experience Biophilia is to love a diversity that, as limitless as it is fragile, both haunts us and fills us with hope.� Adam Leith Gollner
04
COWORKING AND THE SELF
132-143 The Importance of Autonomy in the Workplace . Kelly Diepenbrock Coworking has revolutionized the way that many people view their working schedules. People increasingly feel more free to work when they want to, rejecting outdated ideas of working eight hour days. This new autonomy that coworking affords often leads to greater productivity as well as a significant increase in job satisfaction. According to the research included here, it has been proven that humans are more inclined to be happy when they feel they have control over their own lives.
144-155 Co-Working and anatomy , Ece Çakmak Most important thing about co-working spaces is if they are comfortable. We sit there for approximately 14 hours in a day, 5 or maybe even 7 days in a week. So there are lots of consequences of it. In this article you are going to see stats about how sitting is harming us, which sitting posture and chair is right for us when we are working. What is our generations illness “working disease” and how to avoid from it? How to be healthy and efficient at the same time? It’s all inside this article.
156-167 Impact of coworking on employee motivation, Julia Jung The following individual, yet consecutive articles deal with the main topic motivation. In particular, employees' motivation is discussed, and the factors that provide an increase of this tangible asset is highlighted within the context of coworking spaces. Finally, there is an interview with coworking guru George Papa.
168-179 The importance of Self-Promotion . Anna Giulia Bevilacqua
Some people say that in future co-working will be a synonymous of working and such a deep change in the way of working needs a change also in the hiring dynamics. Co-working spaces have the power to be unconventional human resource offices, where people can improve their skills, team-up, develop ideas, find job opportunities, creating a net of contacts. But the most important thing is that through the interaction with other workers they will be able to really define professional profile, understanding their weaknesses and strengths.
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your time,
your rules. the importance of autonomy in the workplace
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Everybody knows that sitting at a desk for eight hours does the mind and the body more harm than good. Beyond the obvious dangers of both sitting and overworking, there is also the idea that being forced to report for duty every day does very little by way of motivation. This means that often, companies pay their employees to work eight hour days, but can realistically expect individuals to complete four solid hours of productive work. This is a fact that many who have worked in these office environments know all too well, as it feels virtually impossible - not to mention totally unhealthy - to focus on work for so many hours at a time. Additionally, it can be incredibly frustrating to miss out on time with children when you know that you could get work done in between doctors visits and ballet recitals without sacrificing work productivity.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham, Business School examined changes in reported well-being relative to levels of autonomy using two separate years of data for 20,000 employees from the Understanding Society survey. The research, published in the journal . Work and Occupations, found that levels of autonomy differed considerably between occupations and by gender. Those working in management reported the highest levels of autonomy in their work, with 90% reporting ‘some’ or ‘a lot’ of autonomy in the workplace.
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the key to happiness isn’t money, it’s autonomy
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Professionals report much less autonomy, particularly over the pace of work and over their working hours. For other employees, 40to-50% of those surveyed experienced much lower autonomy while around half of lower skilled employees experience no autonomy over working hours at all. Dr Daniel Wheatley, University of Birmingham Business School said: ‘Greater levels of control over work tasks and schedule have the potential to generate significant benefits for the employee, which was found to be evident in the levels of reported well-being. ‘The positive effects associated with informal flexibility and working at home, offer further support to the suggestion that schedule control is highly valued and important to employees “enjoying” work.’ The study found compelling evidence to suggest that men and women were affected in different ways by the type of autonomy they experienced. For women, flexibility over the timing and location of their work appeared to be more beneficial allowing them to balance other tasks such as family commitments.
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There seems to be something special about coworking spaces. As researchers who have, for years, studied how employees thrive, we were surprised to discover that people who belong to them report levels of thriving that approach an average of 6 on a 7-point scale. This is at least a point higher than the average for employees who do their jobs in regular offices, and something so unheard of that we had to look at the data again.
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It checked out. So we were curious: What makes coworking spaces – defined as membership-based workspaces where diverse groups of freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals work together in a shared, communal setting – so effective? And are there lessons for more traditional offices? To find out, we interviewed several coworking space founders and community managers, and surveyed several hundred workers from dozens of coworking spaces around the U.S. A regression analysis following our survey revealed three substantial predictors of thriving: People who use coworking spaces see their work as meaningful. Aside from the type of work they’re doing – freelancers choosing projects they care about, for example — the people we surveyed reported finding meaning in the fact that they could bring their whole selves to work. They’re able to do this in a few ways. First, unlike a traditional office, coworking spaces consist of members who work for a range of different companies, ventures, and projects. Because there is little direct competition or internal politics, they don’t feel they have to put on
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a work persona to fit in. Working amidst people doing different kinds of work can also make one’s own work identity stronger. Our respondents were given the opportunity to frequently describe what they do, which can make what they do seem more interesting and distinctive. Second, meaning may also come from working in a culture where it is the norm to help each other out, and there are many opportunities to do so; the variety of workers in the space means that coworkers have unique skill sets that they can provide to other community members. Lastly, meaning may also be derived from a more concrete source: The social mission inherent in the Coworking Manifesto, an online document signed by members of more than 1,700 working spaces. It clearly articulates the values that the coworking movement aspires to, including community, collaboration, learning, and sustainability. These values get reinforced at the annual Global Coworking UnConference. So in many cases, it’s not simply the case that a person is going to work; they’re also part of a social movement.
work when you want
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“autonomy and structure should go hand-in-hand”
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They have more job control. Coworking spaces are normally accessible 24/7. People can decide whether to put in a long day when they have a deadline or want to show progress, or can decide to take a long break in the middle of the day to go to the gym. They can choose whether they want to work in a quiet space so they can focus, or in a more collaborative space with shared tables where interaction is encouraged. They can even decide to work from home, without repercussion, if they need to meet a repairperson or deal with a family member need. And while coworkers value this autonomy, we also learned that they equally value some form of structure in their professional lives. Too much autonomy can actually cripple productivity because people lack routines. Coworkers reported that having a community to work in helps them create structures and discipline that motivates them. Thus, paradoxically, some limited form of structure enables an optimal degree of control for independent workers.
They feel part of a community. Connections with others are a big reason why people pay to work in a communal space, as opposed to working from home for free or renting a nondescript office. Each coworking space has its own vibe, and the managers of each space go to great lengths to cultivate a unique experience that meets the needs of their respective members. Grind, for example, is a growing network of coworking spaces in New York and Chicago. Anthony Marinos, who oversees Grind’s marketing, community management, and member services, shared with us, “When it comes to cultivating our community at Grind, we’re all about the human element. We consider ourselves as much a hospitality company as we do a workspace provider. Our staff knows all of our members by name and profession, and we’re constantly facilitating introductions between Grindists.”
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Importantly, however, socializing isn’t compulsory or forced. Members can choose when and how to interact with others. They are more likely to enjoy discussions over coffee in the café because they went to the café for that purpose – and when they want to be left alone elsewhere in the building, they are. And while our research found that some people interact with fellow coworkers much less than others, they still felt a strong sense of identity with the community. We believe this comes from coworkers knowing there is the potential for interactions when they desire or need them.
So what are the implications for traditional companies? Even though the coworking movement has its origins among freelancers, entrepreneurs, and the tech industry, it’s increasingly relevant for a broader range of people and organizations. In fact, coworking can become part of your company’s strategy, and it can help your people and your business thrive. An increasing number of companies are incorporating coworking into their business strategies in two ways.
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CO-Working What ıs comfortable?
New generations disease Sitting is worse than smoking. Sitting is a disease. Sitting kills. The accusations against a sedentary lifestyle are piling up. Modern society encourages inactivity, and sitting for extended periods is linked to chronic disease and wreaks havoc on your spine. At the heart of the problem are work environments that encourage employees to sit for hours on end.
As many as 70% of people spend six or more hours each day sitting down, according to a 2012 study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Whether it’s from sending countless emails at work, vegging out in front of the TV, or during the daily commute, people spend a huge amount of their waking hours sitting—and the impact of this level of inactivity is grim.
While being tied to your computer all day may be inevitable, you can infuse more activity into your day—whether by keeping proper posture front of mind or investing in a sit-stand desk.
A 2015 report in Annals of Internal Medicine found an association between prolonged sitting and a greater risk of dying from all causes—even for those who exercised regularly. A sedentary lifestyle was also shown to boost risk for cardiovascular disease, certain cancers (breast, colon, colorectal, endometrial, and epithelial ovarian), and type 2 diabetes in adults.
But, to truly understand why you should avoid long stretches in the seated position, you need to know the research behind what some in the medical community are calling “sitting disease.”
The results came from a review of 47 studies on the health effects of a sedentary lifestyle. The authors accounted for the types of activity people engaged in, from leisure activities to intense physical activity.
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& ANATOMY
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Unsurprisingly, the researchers found that those who did not exercise had the greatest risk of health problems associated with being sedentary. What’s more fascinating is the discovery that people who exercised regularly were also at risk for the same medical issues. But, those who exercised had a lesser risk than their non-exercising counterparts. The take away is that exercise—even if you do it regularly—doesn’t give you a free pass to spend the rest of the day being inactive. But, don’t give up on exercising: Adding just two minutes of light activity to every hour spent sitting can lower your risk of dying by one-third, according to a 2015 Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology study.
The longer you stay seated, the more likely you are to let your posture slide. Slouching can cause the spinal ligaments to stretch beyond their healthy limit, and poor posture can strain your spinal discs. This often results in increased strain of the outer annulus of the disc and can increase disc bulging and disc pressures. In addition, while sitting, we are often working on a computer or writing at desks that results in a forward head position, rounded shoulder posture aka “poor posture syndrome.”
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What ıs bad posture? It’s just any habitual positioning that causes unnecessary strain on the body. Poor posture is “awkward” posture. More precisely stated now: poor posture is an unnecessary and problematic pattern of physical responses to postural challenges. Sitting for hours with your knees tucked sharply under your chair is a classic example, and it’s a real hazard to kneecaps avoidable and entirely caused by a lack of awareness of how knees work. If anyone ever tells you there’s no such thing as poor posture a popular skeptical perspective actually that example is an excellent rebuttal and there are certainly others. How much posture matters in general is another question: but for sure there is such a thing as a problem posture. What about postural laziness? That’s what most people picture when they think of poor posture. The avoidance of postural challenges leads over time to poor postural fitness. If you avoid postural challenges enough eventually you’ll have trouble coping with them when you have to … and so we’re back to the first definition. Other than just letting themselves go to pot, why would anyone respond in an ineffective way to life’s postural
challenges? Weakness, mood, pain hang-ups, fatigue, fear, stress, and more! You’re really off the poor posture hook if your problematic responses to postural challenges just can’t be helped.10 For instance, an old man may walk stooped over because he has spinal stenosis and it really hurts to stand up straight. That’s not “poor posture.” All that stooping is certainly tiresome, but it’s the lesser of two evils, and it’s the same postural compromise that everyone with painful stenosis chooses. But for a young man presumably without stenotic back pain the same posture would be an unnecessary strain and certainly “poor” and worth fixing, if possible.
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What ARE the rısks? More Than A Backpain Dr. James Levine, co-director of the Mayo Clinic and the Arizona State University Obesity Initiative, and author of the book Get Up! Why Your Chair Is Killing You and What You Can Do About It, has dedicated a good part of his career to investigating the health effects of sitting.
• Heart: When you sit, blood flows slower and muscles burn less fat, which makes it easier for fatty acids to clog your heart. Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, for instance, showed that women who sit for 10 or more hours a day may have a sigHis investigations show that when you‘ve been sitting nificantly greater risk of developing heart for a long period of time and then get up, a number disease than those who sit for five hours of molecular cascades occur. For example, within 90 or less. seconds of standing up, the muscular and cellular systems that process blood sugar, triglycerides, and • Pancreas: Your body‘s ability to respond cholesterol—which are mediated by insulin—are to insulin is affected by just one day of activated. excess sitting, which leads your pancreas to produce increased amounts of insulin, All of these molecular effects are activated simply by and this may lead to diabetes. carrying your own bodyweight. These cellular mechanisms are also responsible for pushing fuel into your • Colon Cancer: Excess sitting may incells and, if done regularly, will radically decrease crease your risk of colon, breast, and your risk of diabetes and obesity. endometrial cancers. The mechanism isn‘t known for certain, but it could be In short, at the molecular level, your body was due to excess insulin production, which designed to be active and on the move all day long. encourages cell growth, or the fact that When you stop moving for extended periods of time, regular movement boosts antioxidants in it‘s like telling your body it‘s time to shut down and your body that may eliminate potentially prepare for death. The Mind Unleashed featured a cancer-causing free radicals. particularly noteworthy description of what happens in various areas of your body after prolonged sitting.
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• Muscle Degeneration: Standing requires • Digestion: Sitting down after you‘ve eaten causyou to tense your abdominal muscles, es your abdominal contents to compress, slowing which go unused when you sit, ultimately down digestion. Sluggish digestion, in turn, can lead tocramping, bloating, heartburn, and constipation, as leading to weak abdominals. well as dysbiosis in your gastrointestinal tract, a con• Hip Problems: Your hips also suffer from dition caused by microbial imbalances in your body. According to Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease. prolonged sitting, becoming tight and limited in range of motion because they are rarely extended. In the elderly, decreased • Brain Damage: Your brain function slows when your body is sedentary for too long. Your brain will get less hip mobility is a leading cause of falls. fresh blood and oxygen, which are needed to trigger the release of brain- and mood-enhancing chemicals. • Leg Disorders: Varicose Veins: Sitting leads to poor circulation in your legs, which can cause swelling in your ankles, Posture Problems: Strained Neck and Shoulders: It‘s varicose veins, and blood clots known as common to hold your neck and head forward while deep vein thrombosis (DVT). working at a computer or cradling a phone to your ear. This can lead to strains to your cervical vertebrae • Weak Bones: Walking, running, and enalong with permanent imbalances, which can lead to gaging in other weight-bearing activities neck strain, sore shoulders and back. lead to stronger, denser bones. Lack of activity may cause weak bones and even • Back Problems: Sitting puts more pressure on your osteoporosis. spine than standing, and the toll on your back health is even worse if you‘re sitting hunched in front of a computer. It‘s estimated that 40 percent of people with back pain have spent long hours at their computer each day. The disks in your back are meant to expand and contract as you move, which allows them to absorb blood and nutrients. When you sit, the disks are compressed and can lose flexibility over time. Sitting excessively can also increase your risk of herniated disks.
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What CAUSES backpaın? We live in a gravity field that never quits: day in, day out, it pulls us unwaveringly towards the center of the earth. If we are chronically crooked, some muscle somewhere is going to have to work more than its fair share to keep us upright. Try this yourself: see how long you can stand leaning a few degrees to one side. Exaggerated imbalance gets uncomfortable fast. And subtle imbalance presumably gets uncomfortable slowly, for at least some people. And the discomfort often outlasts the strain. Why?
Trigger points seem to be closely associated with a wide variety of other common pain problems. This surprisingly ordinary condition may even be the source many of the (non-arthritic) aches and pains suffered by the human race, especially low back pain. If so, it could be costing civilization many millions of dollars in reduced economic productivity, and an even greater but unmeasurable cost to quality of life.
Muscle functions painlessly and well under most conditions — it’s a high-performance tissue. It can get surprisingly sensitive, though, usually in fairly well-defined patches, which are popularly called muscle “knots” or trigger points. I have written a lot about this mysterious phenomenon. It’s not clear exactly what biological conditions cause this sensitivity, and it’s notoriously unpredictable. But there is one consistent method of inducing trigger point pain: awkward postures. You can provoke trigger points with a postural strain more reliably than with any other method I know of.
If poor posture contributes to the formation of knots in tired muscles — which is far from proven, but it’s a reasonable theory — then this might be the chief risk of poor posture, and it might be a good idea to try to improve it.
“Trigger points seem to be closely associated with a wide variety of other common pain problems.„
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sıttıng dısease Sitting disease is a term commonly used when Any extended sitting — such as at a desk, referring to the ill effects of a sedentary lifestyle behind a wheel or in front of a screen — on overall health. As technology advances, we are can be harmful. An analysis of 13 studies spending more and more time sitting on a daily basis. of sitting time and activity levels found We sit at work, in the car, watching TV, playing video that those who sat for more than eight games etc. Especially if you have a sedentary job, it’s hours a day with no physical activity had not uncommon to sit down most, if not all, of the a risk of dying similar to the risks of dying day. Unfortunately, according to the Harvard School posed by obesity and smoking. However, of Public Health, sitting for prolonged periods during unlike some other studies, this analysis your day may change your metabolism, which can of data from more than 1 million people increase your risk of obesity, heart disease found that 60 to 75 minutes of moderately diabetes, and other chronic conditions.In recent years, intense physical activity a day countered researchers of physical activity and sedentary behavthe effects of too much sitting. Another iour, have started distinguishing between too little study found that sitting time contributed exercise and too much sitting. That’s because getting little to mortality for people who were exercise doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not still most active. sitting for an extended period of time the rest of the day. How many times have you gone to the gym after More study is needed on the effects of sitwork only to hang out on the couch for the rest of the ting and physical activity on health. Hownight? This is referred to as the active couch potato. ever, it seems clear that less sitting and more moving overall contribute to better When you sit, you use less energy than you do when health. You might start by simply standyou stand or move. Research has linked sitting for ing rather than sitting when you have the long periods of time with a number of health conchance or finding ways to walk while you cerns. They include obesity and a cluster of condiwork. tions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome. Too much sitting overall and prolonged periods of sitting also seem to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
“We’ve become so sedentary that 30 minutes a day at the gym may not counteract the detrimental effects of 8, 9 or 10 hours of sitting.” - Genevieve Healy, PhD
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Problems from Head to Toe. Don´t Just Sit There!
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motivatioN The impact of co-working spaces on employee motivation by Julia Jung
#employermotivation #workculturedevelopment #coworking #thefutureofwork #berlinthebplacetobe
Motivation is a general desire, need or want that generates the energy required for someone to behave in a particular way. This means that there’s actually a motive behind the action, which is really an impulse that will trigger the motivational cognitive process which will lead an individual, or an animal for that matter, to act on that impulse. There are some motivational theories, for example, the drive reduction theory, which will stipulate that there are primary and secondary drives and we are going to be motivated to maintain a state of homeostasis, which refers to psychological stability. There are multitudes of motivational theories, as well as different types of motivation. But two main types englobe them all: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. My personal favorite is the importance of motivation. The subject is often referred to as its
simplistic form, personal motivation mostly being there without spending much time really understanding the importance of motivation in itself. From a personal perspective, I would say that the most important fact about motivation is that it allows you to build your self-confidence. When you have an idea or a challenge in front of you, you will be motivated to act and the result of this action will be the successful outcome of the goal you set for yourself and/ or the successful implementation of the solution that the challenge posed in front of you. True, it can also play in your disadvantage, where you would be unsuccessful and that would bring, for most of us, a sentiment of being demoralized, but that is normal. The duration of that sentiment is what is important to get under control, learn from your previous action and attempt to solve the problem differently next time, eventually, you will be successful and it will bring your self-confidence up.
© Justin Lim
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employee / motivation Employee motivation is the level of energy, commitment, and creativity that a company’s workers bring to their jobs. Whether the economy is growing or shrinking, finding ways to motivate employees is always a management concern. Competing theories stress either incentives or employee involvement (empowerment). Employee motivation can sometimes be particularly problematic for small businesses. The owner has often spent years building a company hands-on and therefore finds it difficult to delegate meaningful responsibilities to others. But entrepreneurs should be mindful of such pitfalls: the effects of low employee motivation on small businesses can be harmful. Such problems include complacency, disinterest, even widespread discouragement. Such attitudes can cumulate into crises. But the small business can also provide an ideal atmosphere for employee motivation: employees see the results of their contributions directly; feedback is swift and visible. A smoothly working and motivated workforce also frees the owner from day-to-day chores for thinking of long-term development. Furthermore, the tangible and emotional reward can mean retention of desirable employees. People thrive in creative work environments and want to make a difference. Ideally, the work result itself will give them a feeling of accomplishment—but well-structured reward and recognition programs can underline this consequence.
What motivates people? One approach to employee motivation has been to
view “add-ins” to an individual’s job as the primary factors in improving performance. Endless mixes of employee benefits—such as healthcare, life insurance, profit sharing, employee stock ownership plans, exercise facilities, subsidized meal plans, child care availability, company cars, and more—have been used by companies in their efforts to maintain happy employees in the belief that happy employees are motivated employees. Many modern theorists, however, propose that the motivation an employee feels toward his or her job has less to do with material rewards than with the design of the job itself. Studies as far back as 1950 have shown that highly segmented and simplified jobs resulted in lower employee morale and output. Other consequences of low employee motivation include absenteeism and high turnover, both of which are very costly for any company. As a result, “job enlargement” initiatives began to crop up in major companies in the 1950s. While terminology changes, the tenets of employee motivation remain relatively unchanged from findings over half a century ago. Today’s buzzwords include “empowerment,” “quality circles,” and “teamwork.” Empowerment gives autonomy and allows an employee to have ownership of ideas and accomplishments, whether acting alone or in teams. Quality circles and the increasing occurrence of teams in today’s work environments give employees opportunities to reinforce the importance of the work accomplished by members as well as receive feedback on the efficacy of that work. In small businesses, which may lack the resources
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to enact formal employee motivation programs, managers can nonetheless accomplish the same basic principles. In order to help employees feel that their jobs are meaningful and that their contributions are valuable to the company, the small business owner needs to communicate the company’s purpose to employees. This communication should take the form of words as well as actions. In addition, the small business owner should set high standards for employees but also remain supportive of their efforts when goals cannot be reached. It may also be helpful to allow employees as much autonomy and flexibility as possible in how their jobs are performed. Creativity will be encouraged if honest mistakes are corrected but not punished. Finally, the small business owner should take steps to incorporate the vision of employees for the company with his or her own vision. This will motivate employees to contribute to the small business’s goals, as well as help prevent stagnation in its direction and purpose.
Motivation Methods There are as many different methods of motivating employees today as there are companies operating in the global business environment. Still, some strategies are prevalent across all organizations striving to improve employee motivation. The best employee motivation efforts will focus on what the employees deem to be important. It may be that employees within the same department of the same organization will have different motivators. Many organizations today find that flexibility in job design and reward systems has resulted in employees’ increased longevity with the company, improved productivity, and better morale. Empowerment Giving employees more responsibility and decisionmaking authority increases their realm of control over the tasks for which they are held responsible and better equips them to carry out those tasks. As a result, feelings of frustration arising from being held accountable for something one does not have the resources to carry out are diminished. Energy is diverted from self-preservation to improved task accomplishment. Creativity and Innovation At many companies, employees with creative ideas
do not express them to management for fear that their input will be ignored or ridiculed. Company approval and toeing the company line have become so ingrained in some working environments that both the employee and the organization suffer. When the power to create in the organization is pushed down from the top to line personnel, employees who know a job, product, or service best are given the opportunity to use their ideas to improve it. The power to create motivates employees and benefits the organization in having a more flexible workforce, using more wisely the experience of its employees, and increasing the exchange of ideas and information among employees and departments. These improvements also create an openness to change that can give a company the ability to respond quickly to market changes and sustain a first mover advantage in the marketplace. Learning If employees are given the tools and the opportunities to accomplish more, most will take on the challenge. Companies can motivate employees to achieve more by committing to a perpetual enhancement of employee skills. Accreditation and licensing programs for employees are an increasingly popular and effective way to bring about growth in employee knowledge and motivation. Often, these programs improve employees’ attitudes toward the client and the company, while bolstering selfconfidence. Supporting this assertion, an analysis of factors which influence motivation-to-learn found that it is directly related to the extent to which training participants believe that such participation will affect their job or career utility. In other words, if the body of knowledge gained can be applied to the work to be accomplished, then the acquisition of that knowledge will be a worthwhile event for the employee and employer. Quality of Life The number of hours worked each week by American workers is on the rise, and many families have two adults working those increased hours. Under these circumstances, many workers are left wondering how to meet the demands of their lives beyond the workplace. Often, this concern occurs while at work and may reduce an employee’s productivity and morale. Companies that have instituted flexible employee arrangements have gained motivated employees whose productivity has increased.
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Programs incorporating flex-time, condensed workweeks, or job sharing, for example, have been successful in focusing overwhelmed employees toward the work to be done and away from the demands of their private lives. Monetary Incentive For all the championing of alternative motivators, money still occupies a major place in the mix of motivators. The sharing of a company’s profits gives incentive to employees to produce a quality product, perform a quality service, or improve the quality of a process within the company. What benefits the company directly benefits the employee. Monetary and other rewards are being given to employees for generating cost-savings or process-improving ideas, to boost productivity and reduce absenteeism. Money is effective when it is directly tied to an employee’s ideas or accomplishments. Nevertheless, if not coupled with other, non-monetary motivators, its motivating effects are short-lived. Further, monetary incentives can prove counterproductive if not made available to all members of the organization. Other Incentives Study after study has found that the most effective motivators of workers are non-monetary. Monetary systems are insufficient motivators, in part because expectations often exceed results and because the disparity between salaried individuals may divide rather than unite employees. Proven non-monetary positive motivators foster team spirit and include recognition, responsibility, and advancement. Managers who recognize the “small wins” of employees, promote participatory environments, and treat employees with fairness and respect will find their employees to be more highly motivated. One company’s managers brainstormed to come up with 30 powerful rewards that cost little or nothing to implement. The most effective rewards, such as letters of commendation and time off from work, enhanced personal fulfillment and self-respect. Over the longer term, sincere praise and personal gestures are far more effective and more economical than awards of money alone. In the end, a program that combines monetary reward systems and satisfies intrinsic, self-actualizing needs may be the most potent employee motivator.
The number of coworking spaces and the number of people who choose to work in them has exploded over the past few years, with numbers expected to double every year. What is fuelling this growth and where is the demand for coworking coming from? By looking at the specific needs of the rising creative class, identifying their urgent need for uninhibited sharing of information, knowledge, ideas and also material resources, arguably coworking spaces are favored by the creative class, because they offer a community of work, which facilitates the culture of sharing. The focus should be on building coworking spaces in order to combat youth unemployment but should rather support existing initiatives that have been built or are in the process of building up vibrant communities of work. After all, it is a multi-step process that needs careful management and plenty of time, factors to be considered by policymakers. Coworking spaces are great for productivity and work-life balance. The movement outside of the office and into shared workspaces is one towards collaboration over competition, bringing like-minded people together to work in one environment, to learn from each other, network, stimulate creativity, reduce stress and get their productive juices flowing. By moving away from traditional office spaces to a more open and collaborative environment, employees have experienced multi-faceted benefits, a rise in motivation being amongst them.
Motivation-driving forces Motivation has been studied for decades and leaders in the workplace have used assessments like DISC and Myers-Briggs to determine their employee’s personality types to better anticipate behaviors and tendencies. Additionally, motivational books are used as tools to get employees to increase their performance and/or get them back on track. While assessments, books and other tools can help project and inspire short and long performance, the factors that motivate employees to achieve, evolve as they mature and begin to truly understand what matters most to them. Therefore, leaders must hold themselves accountable to build meaningful and purposeful relationships that matter with their employees. This allows to better understand those we
© Andrew Neel
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© Bench Accounting
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Health
Efficiency
Social interactions
70% of people working in co-working spaces reported they felt healthier than they did working in a traditional office.
64% of coworkers are better able complete tasks on time and 68% to focus better while coworking.
91% have better, more qualitative interactions with others after a day ‘s work spent in a coworking space.
It is to be assumed that coworker’s efficiency rises due to the energy and vibe of coworking spaces in general. Everyone is there to work, and is there for a serious purpose, whereas at home there are various distractions as well as at coffee shops. Further, it may be compared with working out at home or going to a gym, you’ll always push yourself harder at the gym because of the other people around you. If you look up and see someone in front of you working hard, you’re likely to get right back to work as well.
In coworking spaces, people who might have never met each other otherwise are given the opportunity to interact with one another and learn from each other.
Maybe this has something to do with all of the stress that comes from a traditional office setting, or maybe it’s because coworking spaces have more initiatives to promote wellness, but according to a survey, people reported feeling healthier when working in a coworking space. When you’re healthy, you’re naturally going to be more productive, so it’s a win-win.
This leads to feeling happier and makes it easier to connect and start conversations with other people outside of the coworking space.
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Interview with / George Papa The best thing about coworking is our community of absolutely marvelous people. Today, it’s our great pleasure to welcome George Papa, a guru for creativity, passion, and motivation.
From Albania to Germany and then to the US via Australia, Kosovo, Haiti, Ethiopia, and South Sudan—George Papa has moved around a lot. That’s a huge achievement when you consider that he’s a father of four. He’s got an incredibly creative mind, and we blame his parents for that: they’re both actors. After graduating with a degree in architecture, George started working for some of the world’s biggest companies, but now he is lending his talent and expertise to MSF, a non-profit foundation. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also the founder of MadeOfX, a service he calls the next Wikipedia! If you’d like to learn some more tidbits about him, check out his web profiles. For the overly busy, here’s the rub: He used to work as an interpreter for the German criminal police; he’s the author of three books, and he is frequently invited as a guest speaker at universities all around the world.
These days, George is successful enough to rent a regular office for himself, so we had to ask him: why choose coworking? “I’ve been working as a freelancer for six years now. As an architect, I was designing hospitals and other architecture projects for MSF. I used to work in a regular office, but as you already know, it’s not very convenient. When you move to a new location, you have to carry all of your stuff with you—like tables, printers, chairs, all that. From time to time I go on missions to other countries, where I work for two or three months. Coworking lets me save costs and hassle by not having to deal with rental contracts while I’m away.” Do you believe coworking spaces can be more productive than regular offices? “Yes. For me, definitely. Of
course, it depends on the person, but I think that we should all be open to trying something new every once in a while. And compared to your typical in-home office, it’s clearly the future of work and mobility. It just makes sense. When you come home, you should be able to check your work at the door!” What about payments? “I’m on a monthly plan because I mostly work fulltime, sometimes even seven days a week. And I love it that the coworking method allows me to work on weekends without issues. Deadlines are assholes! But seriously, I find the coworking system to be very flexible. I don’t have to buy any equipment, and I’m not paying for rent when I leave the office.” Specifically, what’s the added value of coworking for you?
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“The great thing in coworking spaces is the community aspect. Almost every week we enjoy free presentations, consulting, coaching and even parties. You won’t find that kind of engagement in a private office or some public cafe. The other thing is that whenever you want to learn something new or ask about something beyond your own scope, it’s extremely easy to find people who can help
you out. More importantly, it’s really easy to outsource certain tasks to people in your coworking space. And I love the diversity there: my desk mates are musicians, journalists, PR guys, web developers… and they always have interesting stories to tell.” Do you prefer to work in the same coworking or do you like to switch places? “When I’m in Berlin I usually
work in the same space – Ahoy coworking. Design is very important for me as an architect, and I always look for a place that meets my standards to the fullest. I have to feel comfortable when I’m at work. The ideal situation is when my workspace is comfortable and inspiring at the same time.” How do you like the idea of a DESK.WORKS app for booking coworking spaces online? “Are you kidding? I was thrilled when I found out that someone has launched such an app. Finally! It’s a huge help, especially for those of us who travel a lot. I always look for a space with a design that stands out and also some facilities such as a kitchen, common area, and chill-out room. This app makes it supereasy to navigate through the offerings and find what’re you looking for.” Why do you think big companies are not joining the coworking revolution? “For small to medium-sized businesses, it’s much cheaper to book a coworking space on a full-time basis. But for large corporations, it’s actually more expensive than simply renting an office. That’s probably the main reason.” Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, George!
George Papa | 31 Guru for creativity, passion and motivation
Š Stefan Stefancik
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Obviously, it’s the future of work and mobility.
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360° of 360°chaNges of
changes The growing phenomenon of coworking spaces is indicative of the revolution that the concept of work is going to face in the next years. Some people say that if in future nobody will be speaking about co-working it will be only because it would have become a real synonymous of working. According to the American business magazine Forbes, 40% of the workforce will be freelancers, temps, independent contractors and soloperneurs by 2020. And it’s not difficult to trust this supposition if we give a look at the dates of the few last years: in 2015 there were 8900 co-working spaces with approximately 545000 members, while in 2017 have been counted 15500 co-working spaces and 1270000 members. But such a deep change in the way of working must lead to a mutation of hiring dynamics. Unfortunately, most of the people still ignore this aspect and focus their attention only on the improvement of the job. This can generate feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration that workers don’t even know what have to be attribute to. Freelancers and independent
workers daily face the difficulty of finding work and reaching companies and some of them are now starting to look at co-working spaces as precious innovative human resources offices. A query about the major trends between co-working workers in 2018 so far, highlighted that one of the most common requests is more corporate co-working, together with bigger and more sustainable spaces, niche and specialized labs. Age of co-workers: -50%
Over 30
+50%
Under 30
6%
Over 60 What do the freelancers want to imrpove the most?
68%
Amount of money made
52%
34%
Clients Methods for finding worldwide clients and work
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become Become confident
confident
The co-working spaces offer you the opportunity to meet a lot of new people. From the moment that you are not in a pub, but in a professional environment these people after saying their name, will introduce themselves telling you what they do as a job and asking you the same thing. Facing this question so many time will make you feel the urge to seriously define your job. In fact, many freelancers, especially if active in the artistic and creative fields, often end up doing a little bit of everything, only because they are in desperate need to work. But this is definitely not a good solution. Although having a wide knowledge and a various pack of skills is important, the best way to enter the freelance work is to specialize yourself in something. Selling yourself as a passionate Graphic Designer or a 3D Animator with a background also in illustrations or copywriting is without any doubt more effective than listing ten things you’re able to do. Developing this fundamental professional self-confidence is easier in a coworking space because you are
surrounded by other professionals who are probably active in your same field or anyway have a certain knowledge about it. This means that first of all you can not elude the question answering in a very generic way. Also you will discover that unfortunately what we like the most is not always also what we are better in. Facing this truth will save you from wasting time focusing on something that won’t bring you to any success. This kind of awareness will come after observing the works of your fellow co-workers or noticing for which kind of job yu receive more appreciations from them. Caartonist
Videomaker
Graphic Designer 2D Animator Game Designer Content Creator Image Director 3D Animator Carpenter Journalist Illustrator Coder Scriptwriter Creative Director Stylist Web Designer Fashion Editor Copywriter Art Director
Photographer
Creative Counsellor
PR Counsellor Social Media CM
Sound Designer
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a co-working spa platform full of ing in different not about an of working with a ity consisting of Idea-preneurs, freelancers.
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ce gives you a individuals work areas, it’s just fice space, it is vibrant commun Entrepreneurs, mentors and Akshat - Community Manager of the 91springboard in Delhi
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Build build your team
yOuR TEam
Being a freelancer, working independently doesn’t mean that you have to work alone. In fact, many project require the collaboration of different professionals. The co-working spaces are very helpful when you have to build your team, because you can meet workers specialized in different thing and look exactly for what you need. Also you will have the possibility to see how that person work, what is his method, what is his attitude and understand if he can fit in the atmosphere of your team. Drinking a coffee together, smoking a cigarette outside and speaking about personal issues or work projects are all things that help you understanding if there can be the right feeling to work in a productive way. As you can look for someone to build you team, also other members of the community can do the same and you can be exactly the person they are looking for. So if you are noticed for some of your works, for your skills, for your attitude, you can be easily asked to join a team and work on an interesting project. Co-working
community consists of startups, freelancers, designers and makers of all kinds, who get in the co-working areas to find the atmosphere and the machines to make their ideas became reality. This feverish and dynamic environment is extremely stimulating, especially for creative people! This means that you can start interesting friendship that may become productive under the work aspect. Because sometimes speaking about ideas, opinions, dreams may lead to something more practical, to the development of effective projects that you would have never ended up thinking and realizing on your own! It is all about getting involved, being curious, questioning yourself, keeping your mind open and waiting for the magic creative spark to happens. But if the idea of teaming up is something you do not really fancy it does not mean that you have to renounce to interact with the other workers. In fact, the idea behind co-working spaces is to develop a community of people always ready to share skills and knowledge, to give constructive suggestions and opinions.
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the va v lue the value for companies
for companies
Even though the co-working movement has its origins among freelancers it’s becoming more and more relevant for a broader range of companies and organizations. In fact, many companies are incorporating co-working systems into their business strategies after many studies showed that that kind of environment increases employees’ productivity. But the important aspect is another one: the already existent and independent co-working spaces may become the ultimate help for the human resources offices! This must be seen from two different perspectives. First of all, the companies have the opportunity to watch the possible future employees while they’re working and this is for sure better (and faster) than planning hundreds of individual interview. Plus, people who are part of a co-working community are expected to be able to collaborate with colleagues, to create a relaxed working environment, to easily adapt to different working spaces and situations, to well manage time and have a good personal organization, to do love their job.
The second interesting prospective is the one of the private entrepreneurs and small companies who, specially for creative works, usually don’t have clear ideas who to look for. In the co- working spaces they have the possibility to meet many specialized professional freelancer, see them at work, have a relaxed talk and understand what they need. In the future the coworking places themselves may offer an even more concrete help. The members who officially joined the the community and have the card of the lab, may be insert in an online schedule that can be provided to the companies and privates who require it. This will without any doubt become an interesting service for everyone! In fact, the freelancers who just started working will have more possibility to find their first commitments, while the companies and the privates that are looking for workers will have an easy, quick and secure resource to consult. Also the co-working spaces will probably benefit from the introduction of this service because it will probably attract more and more workers.
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CrEatE create Your net your net Being aware of the objective and effective inadequacy of the old hiring system, that can not be applied to the modern way of working such as co-working, it’s a big thing. In fact, many workers who struggle facing the difficulty of finding a job, are tempted by the idea of changing their mind and giving up on the idea of being freelancers or working independently. But if you realize that the problem is only a momentary phase displacement of the whole system, you understand that it is not worth to give up on your dreams and sacrifice your personal inclinations and preferences about working. So while all of these mechanisms start to activate themselves in a concrete way, you don’t have to get anxious and worry too much if you don’t see immediate positive results. You have to keep focusing on your projects, to improve your knowledge and refine your skills. Of course it is not going to be easy, but with commitment, tenacity and a lot of resourcefulness you will succeed. Being a member of a co-working community is important also because of both the
support you can have from the other workers who probably are living the same situation and the suggestions you can receive from the ones who have more experience. But the most important thing is that you have the precious possibility to meet people and built ties that one day can result really important for your career. Also being a part of a community means to be included in a system of word of mouth that can always be a good resource. So be open, stay focused, work hard and try to enjoy the experience as much as possible.
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05
RISE OF THE SUPER-INTELLIGENCE
182-191 Co-Working Through Virtual Reality, Gabrielle Gingrasdumas Virtual reality, being the latest trend of our generation, has more advantages than video games or pornographic simulations. This technology may seem like a temporary movement which will fade away in a few years since its use is mainly for entertainment ends. On the contrary, VR will be used, in the near future, in the workplace.
192-203 The future of Cyborgs, Luka Liegeois Some people like to say that we are living in a cyborg-like society, where humans are extending their human capabilities through all sorts of technological means. The next step will be the merge of machines and humans. Sooner than later, the boundaries between the human species and human made machines won’t exist anymore. Our knowledge and deep understanding about the human body will allow us to replicate and improve all the different features of the body. Only our own imagination and creativity will decide how far humanity will be able to push its bodily limits, while only time will be able to tell how successful we will be throughout this journey of becoming cyborgs.
204-213 Smarter Than You, Dennis Josek Smarter Than You examines the state of artificial intelligence in co-working spaces and how smart design can help individuals and business be more creative. Additionally, this chapter studies the behavior of several AI companies, trying to find out how certain decisions can be crucial for more advanced workflows and high prosperity.
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CO-WORKING THROUGH VIRTUAL REALITY GABRIELLE GINGRAS DUMAS
In the last five years, the number of companies in the virtual reality industry has increased by 250%, which it immense number for a trend we thought was only temporary. This means an astounding amount of money was invested in those projects due to the amount of interest from individual customers or businesses. To prove this, let’s just think about Mark Zuckerberg’s investment in Oculus, the VR pioneer, for an astonishing amount of money and for the outrage it created afterwards. The Facebook genius evidently realizes the potential in VR. Virtual reality, being the latest trend of our generation, has more advantages than video games or pornographic simulations. This technology may seem like a temporary movement which will fade away in a few years since its use is mainly for entertainment ends. On the contrary, VR will be used, in the near future, in the workplace. The tech giants, as Facebook or Google are already playing with this latest tool. Surprisingly, small offices also benefit from this interactive computer-generated experience.
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Small business will turn towards virtual reality. To name a few, here is some reasons why offices will use this latest trends to the proliferation and advancement of their businesses: to strengthen strategic tactics, to have stronger connection with current customers and reach out to new possible clients, to increase collaborations, to unify workplaces, to create new testing and training environments, to rework the “second screen experience� or to employ talented assets for the best results.
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Picture THIS: “You get to the office, grab a keyboard off the shelf (because air typing still sucks), and find an open space. You log into your glasses, and your entire workspace appears in front of you. To your right is a shelf stocked with all the apps and bookmarks you use every day. You reach over and grab one, place it on the floor, and the full-scale CAD model of the car you were designing pops into place. Pinned to the wall are all your digital notes, arranged in exactly the way you left them last night. To your left hover six virtual screens displaying browser windows, stock tickers, and Twitter. You ask Siri to pull up your email, and your inbox appears. You can see everything, but all anyone else sees is you, wearing glasses that look like standard Warby Parkers, typing on a keyboard and reaching around in the air. (This is considered socially acceptable-ish, somehow.) When you really need to focus, you flip on Occluded Mode to turn off the world around you, diving into a black hole of virtual productivity.� - David Pierce Step Into Your New Virtual Office WIRED
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A second screen refers to the fact that someone is working or being entertained on two different technological screens. For example, we all watched a movie but half of our attention was given to our Instagram feed. The use of double monitor is also current in the workplace. Employees have the opportunity of getting more done in a typical day. This can increase your enjoyment for the specific activity or laid out all your tasks comprehensively in front of you in order to never forget one. By using VR, the space could be structurally placed and take a lot less space in home offices or workplace. It allows easy referral and retrieval of documents or resources. VR also had the benefit of presenting real-time changes to the data being used.
HIRING MADE EASY On another completely different subject, virtual reality could lead to a harder employment and possibility of firing. In fact, talent acquisition is another feature of VR. The technology allows the possible employee to inhabit the company’s workplace and environment. This gives them the possibility of experiencing the job in the most realistic manner. This gives the chance to the possible employee to realize if the job is actually for him or her. If the experience isn’t for them, they will know it before the whole employment process. Also, VR allow to identify the employees’ skill sets, from where they strive to where they might need some help. In conclusion, VR can easily identify the possible employee who could or couldn’t properly execute the job.
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SECOND SCREEN 2.0
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EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION To begin, a more basic advantage of virtual reality in the workplace would be the means of communication. Instead of using Skype during conferences or important meeting, employees would have the opportunity of using VR for an immersive experience with colleagues or clients outside the office. VR would also give the possibility of visualizing data in a comprehensive manner. This advantage will not revolutionize the workplace, however, it allows a more realistic human contact. The participants of the meeting feel like they are in the same room as their peers on the other side of the world. VR takes to the next level something that wouldn’t be physically possible. It reaches out to the people on the other side of the line and allows for a comfortable and genuine environment. It graphically unifies workplaces from around the world. A huge amount of many and resources have been invested in telepresence and technologically advanced conferences projects.
TESTING AND TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS Virtual reality is a method of creating controlled testing and training environments. One of the reasons technologies has been created and is taking such a big part of our lifestyle is that it avoids humans of any possible danger and harm manual labour could bring. Time and resources are usually in short supply when it comes to testing and training employees for the manual field. If the training isn’t complete enough, untrained employees could suffer of inexperience which can easily be dangerous and harmful. With the help of virtual reality, risks of training and testing will easily be avoided by creating predictable and well-equipped environment. This new setting will allow a better climate to the education of advances skills. When it comes to VR used in training situation, the technology has recently been established in the medical field. Physicians in training don’t have all the resources possible. In this situation, VR answer all requirements for cadavers or specialized operations. VR has the ability to improve the training resources and techniques in many fields, from surgeons, astronauts to aviation pilots. This technology removes any unnecessary risks and assure the testing of new methods, creates new prototypes and test the industry’s knowledge.
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Advertising Options
The advertising scene has drastically changed in the last few years. Traditional advertising is losing marketers’ spending. As brand dollars naturally follow consumers, we’re now starting to see a mobile first, and nowadays a mobile-only mindset among marketers. In the last year, more money was spent on digital advertising than on the production of television advertising spots. In the near future, advertising will shift from two-dimensional digital ads to the next big thing: virtual reality. Currently, companies like Spectiv is developing programs in order to facilitate companies in the advertisement of their content to virtual reality. For example, Youtube will soon offer the option of viewing the advertising thought a VR option. In fact, Youtube is an early adopter for the technology. In early 2017, the platform announced that all of their videos could now be viewed through virtual reality with an iOS or the Android application.
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The arrival of technology has created a bridge between consumers and businesses. Social media, such as Facebook or Instagram, and tools like chatbots is strongly helping businesses to connect with consumers. This results in an increase in sales and growth of the company. Virtual reality can take this strategy to another level. For example, some companies invite target customers into their space through the help of VR headsets. It gives them the chance to experience the environment of the company. Creating strong connections with consumers is the ultimate method to build a solid and loyal consumer base. Many think that the arrival of virtual reality or augmented intelligence could possibly replace certain positions in the office and eliminate human labour. It can be seen as a possible damage to the creation and continuation of jobs. However, by working along new technologies like VR or AI, large and small business learn the understand the benefits and advantages those trends can potentially bring to the company. Businesses will soon realize how those technologies can automate chores and increase the communication efficiency. Through this, the integration of VR in the workplace is a means of creation of important position in the office that targets the development of deeper businesses. In the near future, VR will be even integrated in our smartphones for entertainment or useful means. We just need to remember that it is not only for “fun and games�. It actually portrays a future of productivity.
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CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS
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CYBORGS The future of health-care and the birth of the super-human
“
“
the cyborg was designed to provide an organization system in which robot-like problems are taken care of automatically and unconsciously
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WHAT IS A CYBORG AND WHERE DOES THE WORD COME FROM? As conceived by Clynes and Kline, the cyborg—a portmanteau of “cybernetics” and “organism”—was not merely an amalgam of synthetic and organic parts. Instead, it represented an approach to the technical challenges of space travel—physically adapting man to survive a hostile environment, rather than modifying and upgrading the environment. The proposal would prove influential. Soon after the publication of Clynes and Kline’s paper, NASA commissioned “The Cyborg Study.” Released in 1963,
the study was designed to assess “the theoretical possibility of incorporating artificial organs, drugs, and/or hypothermia as integral parts of the life support systems in space craft design of the future, and of reducing metabolic demands and the attendant life support requirements.” This sort of cyborg can be understood as a commitment to a larger project. As a “self-regulating man-machine,” the cyborg was designed “to provide an organization system in which robot-like problems are taken care of automatically and unconsciously, leaving man free to explore, to create, to think, and to feel.”
Bioenginering and nano(bio)technology
WITH AN AGING POPULATION, THE DEMAND FOR MORE SOPHISTICATED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IS RAPIDLY INCREASING
Fields such as bioengineering and nano(bio) technology are some of the fastest growing and most exciting fields in our current age. With an aging population and a growing focus on health-care issues, the demand for more sophisticated medical equipment and procedures along with a need for more cost-effective care delivery is rapidly increasing. The demand for experts in these fields is not only rising in the health care industry but in almost any major industries, such as the financial industry, body and brain enhancement industry as well as the social media and game industry. We have yet to see what the future of these new disciplines will have to offer, but it seems as if the rise of cyborgs is one of the most plausible ones.
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The success of bioengineering and nano(bio)technology Experts working in the fields of bioengineering and nano(bio)technology are involved in designing instruments, devices, and software to develop new procedures or solve clinical problems. In fact, bioengineering is behind many of the most modern, ground-breaking health-care techniques such as ultrasound, MRI, and other imaging techniques, and the development of artificial hips, knees, and other prosthetic implants. But what are the implications of bioengineering and nano(bio) technology and how will it affect our future lives and working conditions? Has the Cyborg age already begun? Speaking at the Brookings Institution in 2011 at an event on the future of the Constitution in the face of technological change, Columbia Law Professor Tim Wu gave the example of our cell phones and stressed that these ubiquitous machines mediate so much of our lives that one could assume they have become an integral part of our bodies. We are, in fact, he argued, reaching “the very beginnings of [a] sort of understanding [of] cyborg law, that is to say the law of augmented humans.” As Wu explained. If we consciously start thinking about this, Wu’s assumptions give us a clear picture of what humanity’s future may look like. Currently, our phones are tracking where we are, we use them to store all sort of personal information, memories, communications etc. We use our phones to translate different languages and research a
diverse range of topics by accessing online libraries through the internet. Thanks to our phones, we are technologically enhanced creatures, and those technological enhancements, which are basically attached to our bodies –even if not permanently—, also make us vulnerable to more government supervision, privacy invasions, etc. Nowadays, humans have rights under which they retain some measure of dominion over their bodies. Machines, meanwhile, remain slaves with uncertain masters. Our laws may, directly and indirectly, protect people’s right to use certain machines— freedom of the press, the right to keep and bear arms. But our laws do not recognize the rights of machines themselves. Nor do the laws recognize cyborgs—hybrids that add machine functionalities and capabilities to human bodies and consciousness.
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humans have rights under which they retain some measure of domintion over their bodies. Machines, meanwhile, remain slaves with uncertain masters
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In 2012, STEVE Mann was physically assaulted by McDonald’s employees in what the press described as the world’s first anti-cyborg hate crime
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CYBORGS AMONG: US CONTROVERSIES AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS For starters, human enhancement is often associated with cheating and unfair advantage. Everything from professional athletes’ use of performance-enhancement drugs and government investment in military super warriors has been criticized on these grounds. Vaccines, on the other hand, go largely unchallenged, no doubt because, though, they might be said to enhance the immune system, their function is to serve as prophylactic treatment against disease and are ideally administered to all. This is not to dismiss the difference between what is embedded and what is external. After all, a technology can be considered medically superficial in function but once we incorporate it into the body such that it is no longer easily removed, it becomes an integral to the person in fact. A number of bars, strip clubs and casinos have banned the use of Google Glass based on privacy protection concerns, and movie theaters have banned it for reasons related to copyright protection. But such bans could pose problems when the equivalent of Google Glass is physically screwed into an individual’s head.
the Internet. In 2012, Mann was physically assaulted by McDonald’s employees in what the press described as the world’s first anti-cyborg hate crime; Mann was able to prove the attack happened by releasing images taken with the EyeTap. The episode naturally raised questions about Mann’s rights as a cyborg, but the fact that Mann’s eyepiece affords him the ability to record everything he sees also raises questions about the privacy rights of noncyborgs when faced with individuals embedded with technologies with potentially invasive capabilities.
number of bars, “Astrip clubs and
casinos have banned the use of Google Glass based on privacy protection concerns
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Take Steve Mann. Unlike Harbisson, Mann suffers no visual impairment. But Mann wears an EyeTap, a small camera that can be connected to his skull to mediate what he sees—for instance, he can filter out annoying billboards—and stream what he sees onto
[I]t is completely unremarkable for property rights to exist in electronic gadgets. But we might be concerned if owners of patents on products such as pacemakers and robotic arms were permitted to enforce “end user license agreements” (“EULAs”) against patients. These EULAs could in effect restrict what patients can do with products that have become merged with their own bodies. And we should rightly, I argue, be similarly concerned with the effects of property rights in wheelchairs, cochlear implants, tools used in labor, and other such devices on the bodies of those who need or desire to use them.
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FDA Approves World’s First Bionic Eye Transplant Full cyborg transformation has been given a green light by the FDA, and now researchers have successfully transplanted the world’s first bionic eye. Surgeons at the University of Michigan Health System have made the first officially FDA-approved “bionic eye” transplants, allowing patients with a degenerative eye disease to make out light and shapes. The Michigan Daily reports that on January 16th and 22nd, two surgeons successfully implanted the Argus II artificial retina, which is composed of a sheet of electrodes fixed to the eye. The implant is paired with a pair of
camera-equipped glasses and a processor that captures video from the glasses. That video is then sent as a series of pulses to the electrodes, stimulating the patient’s remaining nerve fibers. This announcement is certainly among the benign applications of this technology, but it is nonetheless an important reminder that we should consider if any limits need to be put on future applications like some of those discussed below. As professor and developer of this bionic system, Thiran Jayasundera, states:
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This is already the Argus II . . . In time there will be more development of these types of devices. Enter Google, which is already dealing with the privacy and legal issues of Google Glass. As we have seen with their investments in robotics and Smart Home technology, they are adept at making science fiction a palatable next-gen essential item by validating formerly radical concepts. By combining the personal safety of health monitoring with the coolness of bionic zoom vision, can it really be resisted? Most people embrace new developments that can assist with longevity and quality of life, and even the reversal of genetic conditions. But it is the human brain that poses the greatest ethical challenge; in this case, the brain-machine-interface (BMI)*.
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*BMI are often considered data suppliers. However, they can also be used to feed signals into the brain, which is a highly controversial issue from the ethical point of view. “Implanted BMI that feed signals into nerves, muscles or directly into the brain are already used on a routine basis, e.g. in cardiac pacemakers or implants for deep brain stimulation,” Professor Christof M. Niemeyer, KIT, explains. “But these signals are neither planned to be used nor suited to control the entire organism – brains of most living organisms are far too complex.” (emphasis added) Moreover, as highlighted in the quote above, the two-way information transfer is troubling beyond the stated helpful applications. This is exactly what led a DARPA project researcher to blow the whistle on an Arizona State University project involving Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and the efforts to reproduce it through narrative. This can be done from a distance and is anything but elective.
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In The 2030s, Nanobots In Our Brains Will Make Us ‘Godlike’
Futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil predicts humans are going to develop emotions and characteristics of higher complexity as a result of connecting their brains to computers. Similarly, Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the MIT Media Lab, thinks that nanobots in our brains could be the future of learning, allowing us, for example, to load the French language into the bloodstream of our brains. James Friend, a professor of mechanical engineering at UC San Diego focused on medical nanotechnology, thinks that we’re only two to five years away from being able to effectively use brain nanobots, for example to prevent epileptic seizures.
a few dozen people who were given brain implants that delivered targeted shocks to their brain scored better on memory tests. We’re already implanting thousands of humans with brain chips, such as Parkinson’s patients who have a brain chip that enables better motor control and deaf people who have a cochlear implant, which enables hearing. But when it comes to enhancing brains without disabilities and for nonmedical purposes, ethical and safety concerns arise. And according to a survey last year, 72 percent of Americans are not interested in a brain implant that could improve memory or mental capacity.
Other scientists are sceptical that brain nanobots will be safe and effective anytime soon or at all, largely due to how little we currently understand about how the brain works. One such scientist is David Linden, professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who thinks the timing of Kurzweil’s estimation that nanobots will be in our brains in the 2030s is premature. Linden says there are huge obstacles, such as adding a nanobot power source, evading cells that attack foreign bodies and avoiding harming the proteins and sugars in the tiny spaces between brain cells.
Yet, some believe enhancement of healthy brains is inevitable, including Christof Koch, chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and Gary Marcus, professor of psychology at New York University. They use the analogy of breast implants — breast surgery was developed for post-mastectomy reconstruction and correcting congenital defects but has since become popular for breast augmentation. Brain implants could follow the same path, they say.
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Nicholas Negroponte thinks that nanobots could load the French language into the bloodstream of our brains
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Although the science is far from application in brains, nanotechnology has long been heralded as a potential game changer in medicine, and the research is advancing. Last year, researchers injected into living cockroaches DNA nanobots that were able to follow specific instructions, including dispensing drugs, and this year, nanobots were injected into the stomach lining of mice. And we are learning how to enhance our brains, albeit not with nanobots. Researchers have already successfully sent a message from one human brain to another, by stimulating the brains from the outside using electromagnetic induction. In another study, similar brain stimulation made people learn math faster. And in a recent U.S. government study,
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Here are Kurzweil’s answers to a couple of the questions he took at the Singularity University discussion:
You have predicted that in 2029, we will reach the singularity — the point at which artificial intelligence outpaces human intelligence. Your opening remarks suggest that you’re fundamentally positive about AI in the post-2029 world. Other speakers have been a little more ambivalent, certainly regarding the future of employment. Would you elaborate on your overall sentiment on the post-2029 world? I’ve actually written about the dangers of AI more than most. But I’m also optimistic, having looked at the positive impact that technology has had on human life. When it comes to the existential threat of AI, the primary strategy comes from governance and social systems. We will have conflict between different groups of humans, each enhanced by AI. We have that today with humans using intelligent weapons. The best tool we have to combat that is to continue to work on our democracy, liberty and respect for each other.
In the documentary about yourself, you are preparing yourself to transcend your death. How do you explain your theory of immortality? In theW film “Transcendent Man,” I talk about bringing back my father, Frederick Kurzweil. I’m writing a book now called The Singularity Is Nearer, and I’m talking about this concept of a replicant, where we bring back someone who has passed away. It’ll go through several different stages. First, we’ll create an avatar based on emails, text messages, letters, video, audio and memories of the person. Let’s say in 2025, it’ll be somewhat realistic but not really the same. But some people do actually have an interest in bringing back an unrealistic replicant of someone they loved. By the 2030s, the AIs will be able to create avatars that will seem very close to a human who actually lived. We can take into consideration their DNA. In the 2030s, we will be able to send nanobots into living people’s brains and extract memories of people who have passed away. Then you can really make them very realistic. I have collected and keep many boxes of information about my father. I have his letters, music, 8mm movies and my fading memories of him. It will be possible to create a very realistic avatar in a virtual environment or augmented reality. When you actually interact with an avatar physically, it will ultimately pass a Frederick Kurzweil Turing test meaning he’ll be indistinguishable from our memories of the actual Frederick Kurzweil.
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Cyborg Cummunities: The rise of the Transhuman No matter whether you are a fan of cyborgs or not, nothing will stop people from exploring the possibilities of extending the powers and abilities of the human body. These abilities might include improved intelligence, awareness, strength or durability and we have yet to discover how far we will be able to push or bodylimitations. In response to the rising interest in cyborgs and transhumanism, two artists, Neil Harbisson and Moon Ribas have taken it one step further and founded the Cyborg Foundation which was founded in 2010 in order to help humans become cyborgs and explore new possibilities of extending the human body beyond its own limitations. In addition, the Cyborg Foundation also focuses on defending the rights of cyborgs and promote cyborg art as a direct response to the lack of representatives in this area. Throughout the years, Cyborg Foundation has collaborated with various institutions such as Braille Without Borders in Tibet or the Blind Society of Pichicha in Ecuador, by offering sonochromatic antennae so that blind people could experience colour. Cyborg Foundation’s latest project is an association called Transpecies Society, based in Barcelona and founded by artists Neil Harbisson, Moon Ribas and Manel Munoz. The association was created in 2017 in order to give voice to people with non-human identities, defend the right to self-design and offer the creation of new senses and organs in community.
We are the first generation ABLE TO decide what organs and senses WE WANT to have But this is only one ut of hundreds of foundations out there. All around the globe, small DIY labs are emerging, encouraging ike-minded people to explore our current technological advancements in areas such as biology or bioengineering and pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a scientist. These labs primary mission is to blur the line between artists and scientists, between students and teachers, and instead, explore innovative methods on how to make science more accessible to the average person. In DIY labs, everything is possible! Beyond the exploration of extending a human’s body functions, people can edit DNA strains and explore new ways on how to breed new species or new human organs. As some people like to say, The Sky is the limit, but in DIY labs, people like to push the limits far beyond the sky. Here, creative thinking is what fuels innovation, and everyone is welcome to contribute to the advancements and evolution of this growing community.
pg. 203 In this image, you can see Neil Harbisson holding a flowe bouquet in front of his Cyborg Antenna which allows him to extend his human limitations of colour perception. The Cyborg Antenna is implanted and osseointegrated in Harbisson’s head and it sprouts from within his occipital bone. It has been permanently attached to Harbisson’s head since 2004 and it allows him to feel and hear colours as audible vibrations inside his head, including colours invisible to the human eye such as infrareds and ultraviolets. The antenna also allows internet connection and therefore the reception of colour from other sensors or from satellites. Harbison began developing the antenna at collage in 2003 with Adam Montandon and it was upgraded by Peter Kese and Matias Lizana. The antenna implant surgery was repeatedly rejected by bioethical committees but went underway regardless by anonymous doctors.
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SMARTER THAN YOU
Intelligent space design enhances productivity and spirit
Collaboration is the new wave within the shared workspace. As long as community, ground-breaking ideas, and creativity remains at the forefront of technological Coworking, Artificial Intelligence will serve to enhance this experience.
Currently, artificial intelligence cannot simulate those expressive reactions to life. While artificial intelligence cannot replace the person, we need to see how it can enhance our skills, quicken a process or remove tasks that need to be done.
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Pal, an assistant that learns and grows with you.
AI can assist in various different tasks.. but do we really need it?
“In order for AI to be beneficial — truly beneficial — to humans, to mankind, it has to be citizen-centric.” When we hear the term “smart city,” many of us think of infrastructure: sensor-enabled traffic lights, “smart” parking areas, energy-efficient buildings. But the folks at Denver-based Life.ai have a different vision for the smart cities of tomorrow, a vision of cities fueled by artificial intelligence, driven by hyperlocalization and dedicated — above all else — to serving the citizens who inhabit them. The latter provision is, perhaps, the most surprising.
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Future Of work
How Artificial Intelligence Is Impacting Coworking And Shared Spaces
Open and shared spaces heighten senses and boost creativity
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“One of the biggest assets of Coworking is that it attracts new cutting-edge ideas for transforming a workspace. These beautiful, high tech locations are at today’s forefront for innovation, entrepreneurship, and new passions being put into solutions. Coworking spaces have helped tread along new advancements in the technological age. It’s undeniable that the future of Coworking is tied with that of artificial intelligence. The advantages are clear, with improved processing of manual tasks, more access toward building community, and enhancing collaboration within the workspace. The reality is that artificial intelligence cannot fully replace people. This is especially true in the world of Coworking, which features countless innovation-driven projects. If there is an increasing demand for creativity within the workspace, a human will need to fill the position. However, what Artificial Intelligence can do is enhance skill-related labor and quicken the manual processing of tasks critical to the management of the space. AI can automate certain office functions like lighting, heating/cooling, among others. Of course, this enhances the overall member experience. Automation is beneficial in reducing the number of tasks associated with workspace management. This helps to reduce labor costs as well as overhead. In doing so, this helps the workspace funnel its resources toward creating more progressive job roles and processes. Whats more, artificial intelligence provides avenues for team collaboration and bringing people together. Management software is in high demand for the way in which it brings people together, helps in performing critical tasks and drives the future of work. Already in 2016, a Gartner survey showed that 43% of enterprises and organizations had adopted the Internet of Things. We can only assume that number has grown steadily since then. According to an interview by AllWork about automation within one of the leading communities in Artificial Intelligence, RobotX Space, “At the very centre of its ethos is not a cold, mechanical heart – but a vibrant and global community that keeps the cogs turning on the world’s AI and robotics startups. The space depends on the very human connections and expertise in this sector. And RobotX Space works tirelessly to foster and grow this community.”
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One of the biggest trends in millennials in the workforce is that they are simply steering away from jobs that do not provide enough technology-based interaction daily. According to a Dell and Intel study, 42% said they would be willing to actually leave their current position, and 80% said technology was a deciding factor to even consider a job. The new trend in artificial intelligence is learning algorithms that streamline workflows and processes. The idea is to create easier avenues for collaboration while making technologies more conversational. These conversational advancements have transformed the way we process data, content, and applications. The focus is now on making it easier for end users to manage multiple applications, processes, and departments through the most seamless bridge possible. It’s becoming more and more critical for a workspace management platform to continue advancing itself with the times. Coworking Management Software like KUBE makes it easier for Coworking and shared spaces to function. Whether with humans or through digital assistants, such as Siri, Google, and Cortana, finding better ways to work together is the new digital mantra. And sometimes those ‘assistants’ can nearly be as human as some of us! Enhanced collaboration is a huge benefit of a shared workspace. As long as community, ground-breaking ideas, and creativity remain at the forefront of technological Coworking, Artificial Intelligence will serve to enhance this experience.
The new trend in artificial intelligence is learning algorithms that streamline workflows and processes.
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HIGH-TECH COWORKING SPACES
Automated working spaces open up possibilites for a completely autonomous creatiive environment
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For big businesses, moving their AI department into coworking can allow them to innovate just as fast as startups, help stimulate ideas and think more creatively than in an HQ or traditional environment.
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PATTERN RECOGNITION In the last few months, European coworking provider Mindspace has reported a number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) businesses moving into its spaces. This influx includes SMEs, startups and some of the world’s leading e-commerce companies and conglomerates. For example, Booking.com and Siemens have recently moved their AI departments into Mindspace locations around the world, alongside startups such as Artificial Labs and StatusToday. According to Mindspace, 70 workstations have been assigned in the last three months alone to the AI functions of these businesses, and Mindspace expects this trend to grow exponentially. Oded Israeli, VP marketing at Mindspace, said: “Large enterprises are increasingly obtaining private offices, alongside startups, at Mindspace for their innovation ventures.
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Patterns and repetition are creating a unified working experience
“For successful enterprises like Booking.com and Siemens, coworking spaces such as Mindspace are the future-ready alternative to the traditional office,” he added. Booking.com recently set up its AI Development Centre in Tel Aviv. Speaking in a statement, Steven Morrison, senior product owner at Booking.com, said: “At this new dedicated research and learning space, we plan to tap into the region’s deep pool of talent to explore how machine learning and artificial intelligence, as well as other new and emerging technologies can fuel future innovations in travel. So, having the right set-up that inspires imagination and experimentation is key.” Siemens has also placed two AI innovation teams at Mindspace in Munich to foster faster innovation and attract the best talent to these teams. “There are additional big brands engaging in AI at Mindspace but we are not at liberty to disclose their names at the moment,” Israeli added. Siemens has also placed two AI innovation teams at Mindspace in Munich to foster faster innovation and attract the best talent
to these teams. “There are additional big brands engaging in AI at Mindspace but we are not at liberty to disclose their names at the moment,” Israeli added. While large corporations can open their doors to true innovation, new businesses benefit from the industry knowledge and experience of established business partners. Israeli said: “For big businesses, moving their AI department into coworking can allow them to innovate just as fast as startups, help stimulate ideas and think more creatively than in an HQ or traditional environment. It can also give big businesses their ‘cool’ factor, helping to attract highly-skilled millennials to join them. “Concurrently, startups are inspired to work with greater speed, thrill and creativity. They can also leverage enterprises as a go-to market channel to validate their solutions and test it at large scale.” “Their joint goal is to meet one another — and Mindspace houses a fine mix of companies of all sizes to explore the many opportunities available. It’s this network of big and small companies under the same roof that creates the magic,” Israeli added. CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
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The development of AI-based businesses holds certain similarities with the development of the Fintech demographic. Just as innovative Fintech startups are disrupting traditional banks before, inevitably, being bought by said big banks eager to foster innovation, AI-based businesses could be following a similar path — and coworking spaces are providing the right environment for such partnerships between the old and the new to form. Embracing and using social media has become the norm. It is a form of advertising, keeping up to date with the happenings of the world and also a source of information. Things like Workspace by Facebook has found a way of making social media ‘safe for work’ by integrating one’s Newsfeed and trending posts with job-related analytics and other specialised features. All of this happens through artificial intelligence that reads what we are doing on the tools we use.
By improving workflows, processing of tasks, and keep people together instead of replacing them, it’s exciting to see what new advances in collaboration we will see next for the future of work.
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