Co-working spaces in Manchester and a Neglected Pub.

As you probably have guessed by now, I am a fan of educational visits. There's so much to learn from viewing spaces first hand and understanding how they function. Today, we toured three co-working offices in the city centre and went to see the site of our project. The first stop was WeWork at St Peter's Square. As soon as I entered, I noticed a reception desk and a communal kitchen. A woman at the reception conducted a tour of the space. My first impressions were that the office was very colourful and relaxed. The area had different types of seating and spaces for hot-desking, exhibiting an open-planned workplace. However, we were lead to an adjacent area that was compact with cellular, glazed rooms. The corridors between these rooms were narrow and made the environment feel claustrophobic. This layout felt isolating. Co-working offices are usually settings where people can collaborate. This area appeared to be a money-saving scheme rather than an environment to promote creativity. The design of the office was similar to a trendy hostel targeting generation z. The glazed rooms do not reflect the bright, carefree atmosphere found in other areas of the office suggesting that the scheme isn't cohesive. This visit has made me realise that layout can help distinguish an ordinary office from a co-working space. I aim to divide my building using methods, such as mixed flooring types, to prevent creating a confined environment. Instead, I will create an open, collaborative workspace to promote creativity. The second place we visited was WeWork at Spinningfields. I favoured this office as it was spacious and had a modern layout. Although this workplace had glazed rooms similar to the previous office, they didn't feel confined. The building was split into different zones, for instance, lounge zones, private spaces and work areas. There are also lockable, serene wellness rooms that allow users to pray and meditate. The abundance of diverse work-spaces accommodates all preferences. The office provides for the people; this maintains a healthy working environment. This building has a sophisticated design scheme that utilises earthy tones, materials and plantation. Offices adopt biophilic design principles to increase occupants connection to nature. Human exposure to natural elements can reduce stress and blood pressure levels as well as encourage well being and creativity. I will use similar strategies, by adding plants and natural materials, in my co-working space to ensure individuals have pleasant working conditions. The lighting feature over the main stairs is beautiful. I want to create something to make the staircase in my building stand out as its visible to the public. A lighting detail would make this area prominent without being chaotic. I will sketch some concepts and develop this idea further, using the WeWork example as inspiration. It was disheartening to see the Mark Addy in its neglected state. A building with so much potential wasted. Viewing the site was valuable as I can now visualise the space beyond two-dimensional plans. The building appeared to be smaller then what I expected. However, the terrace was huge; there were details, such as outdoor vaulted pods, that weren't visible on the plan. Before this visit, I hadn't thought about the design of the terrace. Though, once I understood the area, I began to generate some ideas. Thus, demonstrating that viewing a site is important and benefits a project. Spaces Peter House was the final co-working office we attended, found in a refurbished post-war building. There were exposed concrete beams that weren't polished, so maintained a rough texture. It was an unusual feature that tied the scheme together. The office had a lot more shared spaces compared to the previous workplaces. Today, I have had the realisation that I prefer this type of layout as it provides the opportunity for occupants to be creative and collaborative.