Collaborative Spaces at Work

2 Discovering workscapes

An investigation of collective workspaces

Fiza Brakel-Ahmed, Boukje Cnossen, and Julia Schlegelmilch

Introduction

Whether it is the lack of job opportunities or the strong desire for freedom, it cannot be denied that the number of self-employed workers is growing tremendously in many countries, such as the United States,¹ the Netherlands,² and the United Kingdom.³ The need for flexible coworking spaces and hot desks has created a booming business in many cosmopolitan cities in the world. In coworking spaces, self-employed workers rent a hot desk or an office for a daily or monthly fee, which incurs costs whether they use the workspace or not. Desks, Wi-Fi, and electric sockets are offered. Refreshments and food are ...