Coworking Atmospheres: On the Interplay of Curated Spaces and the View of Coworkers as Space-acting Subjects

Summary
Contents
List of Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
Part I Subject, Theoretical Reference Concepts and State of Research
2 Background and Characterization of Coworking Spaces
2.1 Coworking Spaces as a Response to the Challenges of the World of Work
2.1.1 Change of the World of Work
2.1.2 Transformation of Office Workspaces
2.1.3 Today’s Office Work Spaces: Traditional or Flexible and Aestheticized
2.1.4 Dissolution and Subjectification of Work
2.2 Characterization of Coworking Spaces
2.2.1 Spaces of Work
2.2.2 Spaces of Communitization
2.2.3 Coworking Hosts and Curating
2.2.4 Definitional Classification and Sketching of the Field
2.2.5 Aestheticized Work Spaces
2.3 Characterization of the Coworkers
3 Theoretical Reference Concepts: Space, Atmosphere and Community
3.1 Space as a Social Construction
3.1.1 Absolute, Relative and Relational Space
3.1.2 Relational Spatial Concept According to Löw
3.2 Atmosphere as a Connection between Subject and Space
3.2.1 Philosophical-Aesthetic and Spatial-Sociological Approach to Atmosphere
3.2.2 Production of Atmospheres in the Context of Aesthetic Work
3.2.2.1 Böhme’s Critique of the Aesthetic Economy: The Staging Value of Goods
3.2.2.2 Curating as Atmosphere Management
3.2.3 Creating One’s Own Atmospheres
3.2.4 Implications for the Analytical Examination of Atmospheres
3.3 Two Perspectives on Space and Atmosphere
3.3.1 Object Perspective: The Spatial Arrangements and Their Effect
3.3.1.1 The Non-Human Space: Things, Artifacts and Architecture
3.3.1.2 Reference to Psychology: Affordances
3.3.2 Subject Perspective: The Exploration of Spaces by the Subjects
3.3.2.1 Spatial Experience and Experienced Space
3.3.2.2 Appropriating and Creating One’s Own Spaces
3.3.2.3 Relation to Psychology: Personal Space, Privacy, Closeness and Distance, Territoriality
3.4 Further Connections between Subject and Space
3.4.1 Spatial Practices
3.4.2 Spatial Settings
3.5 Community as Communitization
3.5.1 Communitization and Societization
3.5.2 Posttraditional Communitizations
4 Connection to the Object of Investigation and State of Research
4.1 Relational Spaces in the Context of Modern Office Work
4.2 The Spaces and Atmospheres of Coworking Spaces
4.2.1 The Relational Spaces of Coworking Spaces
4.2.2 The Creation of Atmospheres in the Context of Curating
4.2.3 The Curators of Coworking Spaces
4.3 Community in the Context of Modern Office Work
4.4 Coworking Space Communities
4.5 Summary of the State of Research and Research Gap
5 Intermediate Conclusion: Conceptual Framing and Research Questions
5.1 Conceptual Framing for the Exploration of the Spaces and Atmospheres of Coworking
5.2 Research Questions
Part II Structure of the Empirical Study
6 Methodological Approach
6.1 Data Collection
6.1.1 Photo Interviews with Users: Photo Elicitation
6.1.2 Interviews with Members of the Operating Team
6.1.3 Participating Observation or Observing Participation
6.1.4 Deep Involvement in the Field
6.2 Case Selection and Overview of the Samples
6.2.1 Sample Tabit
6.2.2 Sample Sargas
6.3 Data Preparation and Analysis
6.3.1 Exploring and Structuring: Qualitative Content Analysis
6.3.2 Detailed Analyses: Hermeneutic Interpretation
6.3.3 Typification
6.4 Critical Reflection on the Research Design
Part III Results of the Empirical Study
7 Case Portraits of the Examined Coworking Spaces
7.1 Case Portrait Tabit
7.1.1 Background
7.1.2 Spaces and Experiences
7.1.2.1 Classic Office
7.1.2.2 Creative Space
7.1.2.3 Overall Assessment of Tabit and its Spaces
7.2 Case Portrait Sargas
7.2.1 Background
7.2.2 Spaces and Experiences
7.2.2.1 Overall Design and Considerations for Spatial Design
7.2.2.2 Garden
7.2.2.3 Café
7.2.2.4 Vibrant Floor
7.2.2.5 Silent Floor
7.2.2.6 Overall Assessment of Sargas and its Spaces
7.3 Intermediate Conclusion: Typical Work Settings
8 Material Shape: Practices, Spaces and Atmospheres
8.1 Practices for Maintaining Distance and Creating Proximity
8.1.1 Doing Being Busy
8.1.2 Doing Being Open
8.2 The Production of Spatial Atmospheres of Work and Atmospheres of Communitization
8.2.1 Spaces for Concentrated Mental Work
8.2.2 Spaces for Interaction
8.3 The Production of Communal Atmospheres Through Events and Trust-Building Practices
8.3.1 Events
8.3.2 Trust-Building Practices and Rituals
8.4 Intermediate Conclusion: The Material Shape of Coworking Spaces and the Role of Curating
9 Subject Perspective I: The Entry into the Coworking Space
9.1 Motives and Advantages for Working in the Coworking Space
9.2 The Search for the Right Coworking Space
9.2.1 How the Coworkers Became Aware of the CWS
9.2.2 The Decision for the CWS and the Role of Atmospheres
9.3 Intermediate Conclusion: Entering the Coworking Space
10 Subject Perspective II: The Development of the Spaces of Work
10.1 Arriving and Settling in: The Own Placement in the Coworking Space
10.1.1 Action-Guiding Dimensions for One’s Own Placement
10.1.1.1 Type of Activity and Work Setting
10.1.1.2 Co-present Others
10.1.1.3 The Things and the Inanimate Space: Instrumentality, Aesthetics, Symbolism
10.1.1.4 Own State of Mind and (Well)-Being in the Space
10.1.2 Positioning of Flex-Desk Users
10.1.3 Retreat Spaces
10.1.4 Intermediate Conclusion: Arriving and Settling in
10.2 Setting Up: Positioning at the Place and Involved Artifacts
10.2.1 Workplaces and Associated Reconstructions
10.2.2 Technical Artifacts and Their Role in the Constitution of the Workplace: Laptop and Headphones
10.2.3 Excursus: The Importance of the Analog-Material Space in the Context of Team Work
10.2.4 Intermediate Conclusion: Setting Up
10.3 Dealing with the Search for Flexible Workplaces
10.3.1 Own Attitude Towards the Flex-Desk Concept
10.3.2 Practices of Territory Formation Opposed to the Flex-Desk Concept
10.4 User Types I: Situationally Changing Office Nomads, Conventional and Unconventional Office Workers
10.4.1 Situationally Changing Office Nomads
10.4.2 Conventional Office Workers
10.4.3 Unconventional Office Workers
10.5 Intermediate Conclusion: The Subjective Development of the Spaces of Work
11 Subject Perspective III: The Development of the Spaces of Communitization
11.1 Experienced Relationships and Social Interactions
11.1.1 Experienced Relationships with Other Coworkers
11.1.2 Experienced Social Interactions
11.1.3 Individual Differences in the Building of Social Relationships
11.2 Subjective Meaning of and Participation in Events and Activities
11.3 User Types II: Work-Focused and Community-Oriented
11.3.1 Work-Focused
11.3.2 Community-Oriented
11.4 Intermediate Conclusion: The Subjective Development of the Spaces of Communitization
12 Subject Perspective IV: Views On the Social Formations of the Coworking Space
12.1 The True Coworking: The Coworking Space As a Self-Organized Communitization
12.2 The Commodity Coworking: The Coworking Space As a Service Provider
12.3 Curated Coworking: The Coworking Space As Guided Communitization
12.4 Own Role in Relation to the Social Formations
12.5 Intermediate Conclusion: Perspectives On the Social Formations of the Coworking Space
13 Tensions in Everyday Coworking Space Life
13.1 Tensions in Relation to the Commodity Coworking
13.1.1 Service Work Space
13.1.2 Service of Community Space
13.2 Tensions in Relation to the True Coworking
13.2.1 Self-Organized Work Community
13.2.2 Lack of Active Participation of Users in Communal Activities
13.3 Dealing With Tensions
13.3.1 Coworkers Act as Community Members
13.3.2 Curating: Staging Authentic Communal Atmospheres
13.4 Intermediate Conclusion: Tensions in Everyday Coworking Space Life
14 Final Consideration
14.1 The Role of Atmospheres in Everyday Coworking Space Life
14.2 Coworking Spaces as Curated Post-Traditional Work Communities
14.3 Atmospheres as Emotional Commodities With High Staging Value
14.4 Coworkers as Working Customers
14.5 Practical Implications
14.6 Overall Reflection and Outlook
References