Community Buzz

The San Francisco Chronicle profiled a new Coworking facility in Menlo Park that offers both short term office space and professional childcare. Coworking, a cafe-like community/collaboration space for developers, writers and independents, has been a growing phenomenon but this may be the first place to offer such a kid friendly environment.

"For new moms getting their toes back into the workforce, this is an innovative solution," said Patty Siegel, executive director of the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, a statewide nonprofit group.

Today, Cubes and Crayons' front section holds five small offices, a conference room, a photocopier room and a kitchen with an espresso machine and snacks. The back area - separated by a small child-safety gate - is filled with a nap room, a lunch/art room and a large colorful play space filled with blocks, picture books, Duplo, a play kitchen and other toys.

Cubes & Crayons so far has about 25 members who sign up for a certain number of hours of work and child care each week, plus other users who drop in when space is available. Most are parents who use both the child care and the work space, but some are people who simply need quiet work space on an occasional basis.

I love the collaborative and cooperative nature of coworking and adding childcare seems like a natural fit. I can't wait to see a cohousing community or other urban community integrate coworking into their site and offer shared work and living arrangements side-by-side. Seems like adding a childcare co-op would maximize the synergy as both coworkers and cohousers could share in the service. Some day...

Read the article about kids and coworking in the SF Chronicle.

Cubes and Crayons website

More coworking on Community Buzz

Share this via del.icio.us    Email This Post

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Related Posts

• Community at the Office: Coworking in the New York Times
• Coworking Brings Community to the Workplace
• San Francisco to turn Treasure Island into an ecovillage

Tags: childcare, coworking, San Francisco
Posted in News Articles | No Comments »

Coworking has hit the mainstream with an article in the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

From the Chronicle:

In co-working, a group of freelancers or other solo entrepreneurs share one big office space with perks that they might not get at home, such as conference rooms, espresso machines and opportunities for socializing.

From the New York Times:

While coworking has evolved since 2005, dozens of places around the country and increasingly around the world now offer such arrangements, where someone sets up an office and rents out desks, creating a community of people who have different jobs but who want to share ideas.

Coworking comes in many flavors. The Hat Factory in San Francisco is a live-work loft that’s home to three technology workers who open up during the day to other people. Some companies, like Citizen Agency, a San Francisco Internet consulting firm that has done the most to evangelize coworking, have an open-door policy, in which people rent desks but others are free to drop in and use the Wi-Fi or the conference room.

We ran an article on Coworking a few weeks ago after article appeared n Mother Jones with a list of coworking resources.

We are excited to see this cooperative endeavor taking root around the country and around the world. Hopefully the spirit of sharing and community will thrive in these environments.

New York Times article on Coworking

SF Chronicle article on Coworking

Share this via del.icio.us    Email This Post

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Related Posts

• Cubes and Crayons Provides Coworking for Parents
• Coworking Brings Community to the Workplace
• Artists evicted from Brooklyn ‘Commune’

Tags: coworking, New York Times, SF Chronicle
Posted in News Articles | No Comments »

With more and more people working from home it isn't surprising that some of them would start missing the camaraderie one can feel in a vibrant office spaces. If they aren't lucky enough to live in community, or if they need a way to separate home and work life, coworking may be the answer.

The Coworking Community Blog defines coworking as: "a movement to create a community of cafe-like collaboration spaces for developers, writers and independents."

Mother Jones ran an article on Coworking describing its origins in San Francisco:

So what is the lonesome office-less worker to do? In 2005, Brad Neuberg, a software programmer in San Francisco, hit upon a simple solution: He got a few friends together to share a rental space, as well as printers, fax machines, and wireless Internet, and—like a good start-up founder—branded his creation "coworking." As the 31-year-old recalls, "I said, 'Why can't I have my cake and eat it too? Is there a way that I can have community and independence?' It's a false assumption that you can't have both."

Word of Neuberg's San Francisco Coworking Space spread, and techies, writers, and entrepreneurs began dropping in. "I urged people to steal the idea," he says. Today, there are 29 coworking sites across North America and a few more around the globe.

Coworking sounds like a great way to enhance social connections, share resources, and create a sense of community. Imagine the possibilities of creating mixed use spaces with both coworking and live-in intentional communities. A minimal commute with space for home and work and a sense of community all day long.

Coworking Resources:

• Coworking Wiki
• Coworking Community Blog
• Coworking on Wikipedia
• Mother Jones article on Coworking

Share this via del.icio.us    Email This Post

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Related Posts

• Cubes and Crayons Provides Coworking for Parents
• Community at the Office: Coworking in the New York Times

Tags: coworking, Mother Jones
Posted in News Articles | 1 Comment »