[RTC List] office co-op idea: inspired by CubeSpace in PDX

[Aaron Antrim]

Hi all:

I wanted to share a concept I've talked about with a few people — a  
Humboldt shared office facility that would allow entrepreneurs and  
workers in the creative, technology and information fields work  
alongside their colleagues from different firms.  While I don't think  
this shared workspace would necessarily lead to lower costs, it would  
offer benefits in the way of more skills and business networking.

The example that inspired me is in SE Portland.  It's called CubeSpace  
(http://www.cubespacepdx.com/).  I visited in March.  You can rent  
cubicles by the hour, day, or month.  Conference rooms of various  
sizes are located around the periphery and can also be rented on an as- 
needed basis.  Phone and internet is included.  Printers, copiers, fax  
is available on a pay as you go basis.  There's also a big lunch room  
with soda fountain, coffee, and snacks.  There are regular and special  
events — for professional networking, yoga, and technical and business  
seminars.  The biggest benefit from my perspective is getting to be  
immersed in an environment where collaboration and conversation is  
more available, and, indeed, I am told that lots of CubeSpace tenants  
end up sub-contracting jobs or working together on projects with folks  
"across the hall."

While I don't think something like CubeSpace could happen on the scale  
that it does in Portland in HumCo, I think something like it could  
happen on a much smaller scale (there are probably plenty of you  
already sharing offices out there, which is basically CubeSpace on the  
smallest scale).  I've realized that a diversity of different types of  
offices might be interested in renting (startup non-profits like Green  
Wheels, for example), which would help.

One issue that would make it harder is that a cube space in HumCo  
would likely draw mainly from the town it is located in, rather than  
Humboldt's total population base.  Long commutes by car, in my mind,  
would violate some of the common goals of telework — which is to  
increase convenience and reduce environmental impact and cost.

Just an idea I wanted to float out there.

Aaron
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