A reflection on the boom in the sector from Coworking Gràcia
After spending months at home, at Coworking Gràcia we resumed activity after the first wave of COVID-19 with enthusiasm but also knowing that something had changed forever. Since the gradual return of our colleagues throughout the summer of 2020 and all of 2021, until the present moment, the activity -always with security measures at the forefront- has been reactivated but with different rhythms. On the one hand, more and more, teams combine remote work -from their homes- with the fresh air of the shared office and, in addition, new professionals and companies arrive that a few years ago would not have considered working from a space like this . The trend appears to be generic. According to the Cushman & Wakefield real estate report, coworkings are no longer only aimed at workers in the technology sector or startups as in their beginnings, but at all kinds of companies. At Coworking Gràcia, although we have always worked with a very open group of professionals and companies, today we see that agencies, freelancers from purchases or internationalization and even cultural industries use our facilities and find their place in our corner of the Gràcia neighborhood in Barcelona.
In addition, the pandemic has accelerated the home office but, in the same way, it has also brought with it the need to have spaces to share that time with other people and that we are not always operating from the living room of our house. In recent months, many professionals who suddenly work 100% remotely find themselves needing to find places to share with others, and that is where we become important. Not in vain, during 2021, 20 more Coworking centers were opened in Spain and they already represent 1.26% of the catalog of offices in Madrid and 2.7% in Barcelona according to the EMEA Flex Report 2021 of CBRE.
Although at Coworking Gràcia we were already pioneers in this type of initiative with our offer of weekly yoga or alternative therapies, it seems that this new boom in shared spaces is also leading to greater specialization and competition for social activities. Coworking spaces in Barcelona sometimes offer vegetarian menus, lounge spaces and social programming. The coming months will undoubtedly delve into this type of offer and from our shared workspace we are sure that we will be able to apply our personal character – close, familiar, trustworthy – to this desire to socialize and do things that flourish behind the waves. pandemics and the heat of spring. We will keep reporting.
