Working closer in a collapsed economy

“Even antisocial people feel the need to be around other people at least part of the day while they work,” says researcher Laura Forlano. That’s why the soloists became a co-working space in Austin called Conjunctured.

Working side by side around a table or in separate offices often means they are more likely to help each other than those working alone, they found. Each space has its own personality and rules. Coworking space is now a booming trend in a bad economy.

In New York there is the NewWorkCity, a building with several digital businesses and space for soloists. Then there are several shared space locations called Sunshine Suites. They have the upscale style and security of a W hotel, reports Allen Stern.

Here on the Left Coast, Sasha Vasilyukvia, a writer, and her husband Roman Gelfer, a former stockbroker, modified three floors for their co-workers in San Francisco at Sandbox Suites. They also host seminars and other events on site and allow those who rent the space to do the same. I put Sasha through biznik.

Then there’s casual Citizen Space, also in SF And the Hat Factory, a hip space in San Francisco’s Dogpatch that has a loft for living and working. Three geeks live there and rent space to others during the day. In the 1970s in San Francisco, artists and urban planners worked together to revise building codes to support the creation of safe building codes for work and space in the many warehouses on South Market Street. Silicon Valley later incubated their version.

Elsewhere are Office Nomads and Whitespace in Seattle, Nutopia Workspace in Lower Manhattan, Hive Cooperative in Denver, and Indy Hall in Philadelphia.

There is also the Jelly approach to working together in people’s homes in more than 50 cities around the world.

Coworking is now a global movement. Some will turn green. Maybe there is a space near you. A wiki and directory show that most are in the United States.

Consider creating a co-working space as a business to defray the costs of owning or renting the building, or join one with your type of atmosphere, amenities, location, price, and roommates.

Also, if you want to share your workspace with others or are looking for a space for yourself or your team, visit SuiteMatch to find your office space.