Whether you utilize a PBSA (purpose-built student accommodation), HaaS (housing as a service), or a coworking or coliving space, it’s nearly impossible to ignore the rise of the shared space.
More and more buildings are slowly turning into real-estate hybrids – residential houses and corporate offices are being designed for collaborating, working, eating, and enjoying experiences in a communal setting. These hybrid spaces and facilities are rapidly becoming a big part of the new “sharing economy,” where we share more and possess less.
As a society, we are doing more things together, including essential daily activities like living and working. Let’s discover some of the ways technology is enabling coworking and coliving to be successful and how you can incorporate the Internet of Things (IoT) into your shared space.
Health
You can create the healthiest space possible by gathering data from the air, furniture, lighting, and plants in your shared space. All of these things contribute to the health of your members and tenants. Embracing companies that help you collect hard and soft data from your space – like happiness, health, and other details – can assist in turning your space into the best possible version of itself.
Monitor your member’s behavior and habits. With these workplace analytics, you can adjust your shared space accordingly. Some members might feel the need to take a stroll in the shared garden every hour or require noise-cancelling headphones to be productive. Enable an environment where people feel encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle and increase their productivity by working amidst a positive atmosphere.
Collaboration
Coworking and coliving enable professional collaboration. Embracing flexible space is a big trend that keeps evolving. Spaces where collaboration is encouraged but room for deep focus is also available are in demand. Creating a setting with breakout spaces for collaboration is popular and ultimately increases teamwork.
Depending on your preferred kind of appearance, the design of your space can be adjusted to inspire a collaborative dynamic. A trendy, open space that’s designed to embrace tech gadgets will be more attractive to millennials. Always be aware of the need for flexibility among your members.
Intelligence
Let technology help you monetize your space. You can, for instance, use smart data that will tell you exactly when a room is being used to avoid unnecessary cleaning costs. Applications that increase productivity are becoming more popular by the minute. With technology like video calls, synchronized calendar planning, and even integrating with a cloud-based access control product like SALTO KS to book meeting rooms in advance are all great options. Using this type of service allows for meetings to be organized in a more efficient way, reducing a lot of frustration for members.
Another upcoming trend is using sensors that measure capacity and productivity. This will allow owners to personalize their spaces in response to the needs of members. Using technology to automate your space means more flexibility and personalization, which will be highly appreciated among remote professionals.
Environmental
Running an environmentally-friendly space is not only on-trend, but goes a long way with members and local businesses in general. Focusing on eco-friendly initiatives will not only reduce operational costs, but it will also attract and retain members that want to be associated with a green space and, of course, give back to Mother Earth.
Final Thoughts
Nowadays, we possess less and share more, which hopefully balances some things out in the world and makes a good selling point for your PBSA. A small space doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. Adopt technology that helps you run a fully environmentally-friendly space and makes your space as comfortable as possible. Use sensors to turn off lights or heating when spaces are not being used, and collect data to learn about the air quality in your space.
To take it up a notch, you may even want to incorporate animals and a vegetable garden in your space so you can offer your members the best what nature has to give. Use apps like TooGoodToGo—a Dutch initiative that provides a food pick up service for food that would otherwise be thrown away by restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets.
Let’s embrace more technology in our shared spaces so we can create a more joyful and efficient world as we live and work together.
This article was brought to you by SALTO KS: The cloud-based access control solution for any space that wants to use data to track efficiency, monetize their space, and provide seamless member experience. It’s even possible to integrate with your favorite coworking or coliving space management tool. Join the key-free revolution here and #workoutsidethebox.
