An ongoing PHD thesis at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg aims to find out what constitutes quality in a coworking space and what preconditions are needed to create better spaces for users. A Working Lab is happy to be included in this research, especially at a time where coworking, flexible work concepts and shared spaces are growing in popularity.
The PHD thesis, which take about 5 years to complete, is done by Daniel Magnusson at The Department of Technology Management and Economics. One of the research goals is to find out which factors affect the quality of coworking environments, but also to define what actually a ‘good quality coworking space’ is.
– I am convinced that coworking will play a big part of how we organise work in the future. We’ll all be winners if we get better at sharing resources and to work more efficiently together. Worth mentioning is that most of these studies don’t focus on the users of coworking spaces, but my research will. I want to understand how we can create sustainable coworking environments through increasing the overall quality, says Daniel Magnusson.
Taking part in the research are A Working Lab, which is Akademiska Hus concept for coworking and flexible meeting spaces, as well as Vasakronan’s concept Arena and Castellum’s United Spaces in Gothenburg. The research has only recently begun and in these early days the aim is to define concepts such as economical, social and environmental sustainability and how they relate to the users of coworking spaces.
– We’re currently investigating how users relate to sustainability, but also how they can increase efficiency and productivity, as well as getting the most out of their time in a coworking space. It’s of interest for us how the users can help each other, share knowledge and resources but also take responsibility for the common space they operate on. These are just a few examples of what we research at the moment, Daniel Magnusson adds.
The next step will be to find a way of measuring and analyse data which can be applied no matter what kind of work the users do and industry they operate in. Another goal is to try out behavioural science methods such as nudging to influence positive changes in behaviours and if that could result in long-term effects and perceived quality. The project is financed by Akademiska Hus and CMB, Center for Management of the Build Environment at Chalmers and will be finished in 2025.