Enerspace Coworking in Palo Alto is a workspace community with a mission to give members “a place and the tools they need to blend work and wellness.”
Opened in 2013 by coworking superstar Jamie Russo, who hosts the Everything Coworking Podcast, is executive director of the Global Workspace Association (GWA) runs the Coworking Start-up School, and launched the first Enerspace location in Chicago in 2012, Enerspace was ahead of the curve in prioritizing workspace wellness.
Now six years in, Russo and the Enerspace Palo Alto team recently decided it was time for a refresh—both functional and aesthetic–in the space.
Here are eight ways they shook things up, brought more functionality into the workspace, upped the wellness factor, and freshened up the feel.
1. More Meeting Rooms
Demand for team space in Palo Alto is high, so Russo and her team added a six-person meeting room, a six-person team room and a four-person team room.
With the abundance of local and visiting tech startup teams to the Silicon Valley hotbed that’s home to Stanford University, it was important to modify the space to better meet the demand for collaborative work areas.
2. Emagispace Walls
To create the new meeting and team rooms, they used Emagispace modular building products and strategies that enable people to develop quality structure easily, quickly and cost effectively.
Using Emagispace, all the rooms were rebuilt in four days.
The Enerspace team was curious about how the system worked and wanted to try it to see how the rooms turned out. The result: “We loved it,” says Russio. “It was super-simple.”
She explains that the underlying structure looks like big, lightweight Lego blocks that are more sustainable than traditional wall-building materials. You can also take the blocks with you if–or when—you move, as they’re considered to be furniture.
3. Socializing the Cafe Space Area
The Enerspace team updated the seating in the cafe space where people eat lunch. The idea was to make it easier for people to hang out, spend time, interact and socialize.
4. Creating a Cohesive Vibe
Russo worked with Mara Hauser, founder and designer at Workplace Studio, to make sure the new offices would blend in with their existing structure. Hauser also updated the soft seating in the space.
“We had a lot of a-la-carte pieces and Mara made them more cohesive,” says Russo. “She created more places where people could convene—to get away from their daily spot and get a little break.”
5. Sit-Stand Desks
In keeping with the Enerspace focus on wellness, all of the new rooms have sit-stand desks. This gives members and visiting teams more flexibility and freedom to choose how they work.
6. Lighting and Plants
To make the space even more member-friendly, Russo updated the lighting and added custom shelving for plants.
7. Atrium Standing Work Table
There’s now a standing-height work table in the Enerspace atrium, a beautiful, open-air space with lots of flowers. The work table was an upgrade the landlord made and, as Russo explains, it “blends into the whole space and looks natural out there.”
8. The Human Element
For years, Enerspace has differentiated itself in the crowded Palo Alto workspace, startup and coworking scene—which includes WeWork and the “powered by Verizon” space Alley—by focusing on hospitality and the human element.
“Our team knows everyone very well,” says Russo. “You walk in the door, you get somebody’s eyeballs, you get conversation, you get people who know you.”
She adds that people commute into Palo Alto from around the Bay Area and beyond. They want to be part of a space and close to the local community.
They become members at Enerspace, in large part, because of the supportive, community vibe. Refreshing the space served to strengthen the focus on wellness and connection the Enerspace community is known for.
“It’s really high personal touch you just don’t get at a bigger spaces,” says Russo. “A lot of people are really looking to be part of a space that feels close.”
Looking for a workspace community? For more information about Enerspace Coworking Palo Alto or any of our locations across Northern California, visit pacificworkplaces.com.