The main objective of the Business Center and Cowork, is to maximize the economic, material and human resources of its collaborators; improving the socio-commercial relations of companies and professionals, as they exchange information, experiences, and above all contacts. 

This trend continues to grow more and more globally since 2015, causing both new and old companies to choose to use this office model. In countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom this business model is growing at more than 25% annually. In Costa Rica, there has been a proliferation in recent years, both by foreign and local companies. Definitely, business centers and coworking are here to stay! 

However, the COVID19 has come to change many practices of companies, to which it has cost us to get used to, although we currently have the possibility of having collaborative digital platforms that allow us to work from home, there are activities that require a suitable place for meetings and training. As entrepreneurs it is very important to offer our employees spaces that respect the new biosafety standards. 

Will this type of workspace continue to be convenient for companies?

In effect, workspaces or offices will have to change, they will have to have a minimum area of 3m² per office, also comply correctly with spacing measures, such as placing acrylic screens as separators, the porches or receptions would have additions, such as shoe disinfection mats and antibacterial gel dispensers, also increase cleaning rotations, use ultraviolet light to clean surfaces, install air filters and invest in non-touch technology for doors and bathrooms. 

But a situation like COVID could be something positive, this new reality will help us to maintain that ideal balance between face-to-face and virtual work and at the same time continue to maximize our economic resources, thanks to these workspaces I also want to recommend another article I wrote a few months ago on how you can take advantage of this balance, here is the link: Work at home or office? How to get the best of both worlds.

Our employees are a fundamental part of our companies, therefore, we must take care to provide them with a good work environment, as Rodrigo Carazo says in his article New architectural challenges with biosecurity:

"If we were in an environment that allowed us to have our own spaces, areas to relax, contact with nature, cross ventilation and natural lighting, the efficiency and productivity of employees would be much higher."

Definitely, the business center and cowork will continue to be a trend, so it is essential that we look for the most ideal spaces for our work teams, making sure that they have all the amenities and that they feel at ease in their spaces.