10 Award-winning Coworking Space Designs: A Comprehensive Guide
Vibrant, contemporary workspaces create an undeniable ‘wow’ factor. Textured designs and ambient lighting make spaces feel warm and cosy, while natural elements and biophilic design features have literal mood-boosting properties. Design matters with coworking space features being a key influencer of productivity.
In this comprehensive guide, let’s look at the 10 award-winning coworking space designs.
Best Coworking Space Designs
- Locke Hotel at East Side Gallery, Berlin: A full-stack hospitality offering with a dynamic coworking space, Berlin-based Locke Hotels was awarded ‘hotel and short stay interior of the year’ in the 2024 Dezeen Awards. Its coworking space features “creates a convivial venue within the storied context… a place for exchange, a crossroads for ideas and experiences alike."
- Runway East Bloomsbury, London: Winning the recent Flexible Space Association 2024 Workspace Design Award, Runway East Bloomsbury was recognised for its 45,000 sq ft site transformation. The project involved upgrading the building’s sustainability rating and creating ample space for its growing community.
- The Malin, Nashville: A neighbourhood coworking space born out of “the power of design,” Nashville’s The Malin won the 2024 Interior Design Awards for its design aesthetic. The workspace is intent on offering “members a productive oasis.”
- Avila Spaces, Lisbon: Clinching the award for the ‘Hybrid Work Environments – Shared Coworking’ category at last year’s Work Design Magazine Awards, Avila Spaces was recognised for its “commitment to fostering a seamless experience for its users” through workspace design. Located in Portugal’s capital, the flexible workspace brand offers a range of bold, bright, and vibrant private offices, coworking spaces, and amenities.
- Workspace by ANSR, Bengaluru, India: A flexible workspace “blending functionality, luxury, and hospitality to inspire collaboration, creativity, and employee wellbeing,” Workspace by ANSR won last year’s Coworking Space Design of the Year award at the 16th Realty+Excellence Awards.
- X+Why 100 Embankment, Manchester, UK: Architizer A+Award 2024 winner, X+Why’s regional coworking space in Manchester – 100 Embankment – won the ‘Remote Work and Coworking Space’ category. The award is a “testament to the innovative design and collaborative effort that went into creating a dynamic and flexible workplace design” according to design firm, ADT Workplace, who collaborated on this project.
- The Living Room (TLR), Malaga: Awarded ‘Best Coworking Space for Nomads’ at the Nomad World Fest in September 2024, TLR was celebrated for its “dedication to building a welcoming space for remote workers in Malaga, where work and connection go hand in hand.”
- JAGA Workspace, Canberra, Australia: Winning the Flexible Workspace Australia Awards 2024 for ‘Design Excellence,’ Canberra’s locally-owned JAGA Workspaces was recognised for its “commitment to creating innovative, functional, and aesthetically pleasing work environments.”
- Lime Tree Work Shop, Sevenoaks, UK: Kent’s Lime Tree Work Shop coworking space was voted ‘People’s Choice’ in The Tally’s 2024 awards for its “beautifully designed, tranquil space with excellent facilities…that feels like a home away from home.”
- Colony, Kuala Lumpur: Famed for its hospitality-infused workspace design, Colony, located in Malaysia’s capital, achieved ‘Best Office Interior in the Asia Pacific’ a few years ago at the International Property Awards, which took place in Bangkok.
Award-winning workspace design features
When it comes to workspace design, the best coworking spaces boast certain aspects making them a cut above the rest. These include:
- Sustainability and eco-friendly design: An expectation for today’s workspaces, sustainability is a key factor of workspace design. Think of environmentally-friendly materials, such as cork, and recycled office furniture. The design process often considers the ethical nature of sourcing materials for fit-out.
- Innovative use of technology: Today’s workers expect frictionless user experiences in their workplace. Coworking software, such as workspace management platforms and access management systems, features in workspaces to manage bookable amenities, such as desks, meeting rooms, event spaces, and visitor management.
- ‘Hotelification of the office’: Considered a flexible workspace industry ‘buzzword’ for 2024, ‘hotelification’ incorporates design elements you’d expect to find in a hotel. This includes comfortable sofas, high-spec lighting, and curated artwork, giving the workspace a luxurious feel.
- Aesthetic appeal and branding: A standout coworking brand identity sets a workspace business apart, and is set to become a coworking space trend for 2025. For instance, Huckletree’s brightly coloured workspaces and iconic rainbow arches in its Oxford Street workspace are an iconic representation of the brand.
- Instagrammable: Whether it’s soft lighting or bold colours, coworking space design isn’t just a physical experience, it’s also designed for online experiences, specifically through the lens of Instagram.
- Focus spaces: Coworking spaces are typically open-plan, but the neurodivergent community particularly welcomes more private workstations, like phone booths and nooks, for distraction-free work.
- Wellness-infused spaces: Workspace design can evoke feelings of calm, aligning with current workplace wellness trends, influenced by design elements such as neutral and pastel colour schemes, soft and natural materials, and natural lighting.
- Community focus: Ultimately, coworking is all about community and collaboration, achieved through impactful workspace design elements, such as breakout spaces, communal tables for project collaboration, or coming together at lunchtime, ultimately encouraging a sense of togetherness.
Coworking Design Awards for 2025
Look out for upcoming coworking design awards championing this year’s most inspiring coworking space interiors. You might even consider nominating your own coworking space!
Keep the following awards on your radar:
- Dezeen Awards: Submissions for the 2025 Dezeen Awards have just opened, and are due to run until June. Like last year, Dezeen will host another epic party in London.
- Flexible Workspace Australia Award: Last April, Flexible Workspace Australia launched its inaugural awards programme, featuring the ‘Design Excellence’ category. This year’s Flexible Workspace Australia Conference takes place between 21-22nd August in Brisbane.
- Flexible Space Association: Last year, FlexSA’s ‘Workspace Design’ category recognised “best in design of new or refurbished flexible workspace.” The awards opened for submission in September, with an award ceremony at the end of November. Watch out for a 2025 version later this year.
- The Tally’s: Opening in the summer, keep an eye out for another award programme facilitated by The Tally’s, celebrating design, amongst other categories, in the UK’s best coworking spaces.
- Work Design Magazine Awards: Shaping the future of workspace design, Work Design Magazine recognises the work environments of the next generation.
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