{"id":4061,"date":"2017-12-12T17:37:48","date_gmt":"2017-12-12T12:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/?p=4061"},"modified":"2017-12-12T17:56:03","modified_gmt":"2017-12-12T12:26:03","slug":"origin-word-co-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/origin-word-co-working","title":{"rendered":"Origin Of The Word \u2018Co-Working\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oxford<\/a> defines the word \u2018co-working\u2019 as, \u201cThe use of an office or other working environments by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas and knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

To elaborate, co-working spaces<\/a> encourage dynamic organisation and freelancers from different fields to work under the same roof, enabling an exchange of exciting ideas. This creates a vibrant workplace that exposes the workforce to new experiences, widens their horizons and offers greater networking opportunities.<\/p>\n

History and Origin<\/strong><\/p>\n

How it all started with \u2018Hackerspaces\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1995, when 17 computer-enthusiasts started a group called \u2018C-Base\u2019 in Berlin, it marked the introduction of shared workspaces. The idea behind it was to provide a common meeting ground, called a \u2018hackerspace\u2019, that offered technical facilities to people passionate about computers. It gave them the opportunity to build a community of like-minded people. Though it was different from co-working, it laid the foundation stone for collaborative workspaces.<\/p>\n

DeKoven\u2019s interpretation of the word<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bernard DeKoven, an American fun theorist and game designer, is credited for having coined the word \u2018co-working\u2019 in 1999, though its meaning was different from what it is today. DeKoven interpreted the term as \u2018working together as equals.\u2019 He\u00a0channeled\u00a0his efforts towards breaking down the rigid hierarchal boundaries at workplaces to introduce a healthy work culture.<\/p>\n

In the same year, DeKoven established 42 West 24 – a spacious commercial loft with desks and offices for rent in the New York City, offering an array of flexible memberships for organisations and individuals. However, 42 West 24 missed out on two most identifiable elements of ‘co-working’ i.e.\u00a0 community events and networking.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rise of the \u2018entrepreneurial centre\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was when the idea of work from home became too boring for two Australian entrepreneurs that they decided to create a space for like-minded individuals to collaborate and brainstorm ideas. An ineffective factory was converted to a workspace for freelancers, start-ups, PR consultants, architects and the like and named \u2018Schraubenfabrik\u2019. Later, it was renamed as \u2018entrepreneurial centre\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Evolution of the modern concept of the word<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Brad Neuberg, officially considered as the father of the co-working movement, launched the ‘9 to 5 group\u2019 in San Francisco in the year 2005 to provide freelancers with the convenience of workplace facilities.<\/p>\n

The enthusiasm that this group garnered led to co-working spaces mushrooming not only in San Francisco but spreading rapidly to other continents like Europe and Asia within a short span of time. No wonder, co-working spaces have doubled<\/a> each year since its inception in 2005.
\nCurrent day scenario<\/strong><\/p>\n

Co-working featured as one of the leading search terms on Google, witnessing a six-fold<\/a> increase in search, as compared to other words and phrases. Being recognised by the search giant in 2007 spoke volumes about its popularity. An official page on Wikipedia confirmed the buzz around the word.<\/p>\n

Forbes<\/a>\u2019 prediction about the number of co-working spaces<\/a> reaching 1.2 million by 2017 indicates its significance among entrepreneurs and working community.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Witnessing the exponential growth worldwide since the last decade makes it evident that the trend will not slow down anytime soon. The work-life balance<\/a> that co-working spaces offer seamlessly translates to increased work productivity, making it score over traditional workplaces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Oxford defines the word ‘ co-working \u2019 as, \u201cThe use of an office or other working environments by people who are self-employed or working employers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[139,55,135,57,98],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4061"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4067,"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4061\/revisions\/4067"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.awfis.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}