WeWork Common Area Design

WeWork space near campus has a common area on the ground floor with long communal tables, power outlets embedded in the table surface every 3 feet, a coffee bar in the back corner that runs from 7 AM to 7 PM. The whole thing functions as a public library for people who need wifi and don't want to sit in silence. Lighting shifts from cool white in the morning to warm amber by evening. I did not notice until my 3rd visit but now I realize it changes how long I am willing to stay because the warm light signals to my body that it's okay to keep working into the night. Acoustics are managed with felt panels on the ceiling and a constant low hum from the HVAC that functions as white noise. What results is a room where you can hear the person across from you but not the conversation 2 tables over. I go there to work on group projects because the layout encourages the kind of informal collaboration where you can look up from your laptop and ask a question without scheduling a meeting. The seating is a mix of stools, task chairs, and couches arranged in zones so you can choose your posture for the task. That variety means I sometimes move 3 times in a single session as my work shifts from reading to writing to sketching.