In this exclusive Q&A, we get Caleb’s thoughts about the evolution of the work environment, space as a service, and what may be around the corner for office real estate.

Over the last few years, the world has experienced accelerated development in how space can be adapted to meet the requirements of organisations and their workforces. As the adoption of this
philosophy reaches the majority market, it’s interesting to listen to those who have long been advocates and innovators of this method.

Caleb Parker is the founder of Bold, the workplace community for entrepreneurs and creative people. Bold works with asset managers, landlords and enterprises to deliver flexible work environments, on-demand, in London and Manchester. Caleb also presents the long-running #WorkBold podcast, where he speaks with leaders in the office space industry about what we can expect to see next.

"Space as a service is like bringing that hospitality layer into the experience of using an office."

Caleb Parker, Bold Founder

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Anyone who has listened to the #WorkBold podcast will be familiar with your term space as a service. For those who aren’t, could you give us some insight?

The ‘as-a-service’ term started with software. When we hear it, we think of Spotify, Netflix or Uber – with on-demand access to exactly what we want.

I like to use a hotel analogy. When we stay in hotels, we receive a level of hospitality in proportion to the price we pay. And when we go to book a hotel, we usually know which brand offers the service and quality we desire.

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The hotel room has all the comforts we need for a good night’s sleep, and we don’t have to sign up to stay longer than the time we need.

To me, space as a service is like bringing that hospitality layer into the experience of using an office, providing transparent prices through consistent branded experiences. There should be flexibility to book the exact office experience we want, on demand, for the amount of time we need it.

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You also speak about the five pillars that drive space as a service. What are they?

They are the five areas of expertise that operators of space as a service must deploy to deliver the right customer experience: Hospitality, Community, Technology, Space Design and Management.

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You’ve interviewed many of the innovators in the commercial real estate and workplace sectors during a time of significant change. As we emerge from the grip of the pandemic, what do you think are the biggest challenges for workplace occupiers in 2022?

The office no longer has a monopoly on work. Many of us no longer have to be inside an office building five days each week to generate stellar results. That’s been proven over the last two years.

I believe most companies should go remote-first. We’ve seen a debate in the media play out, pitting working from home versus the office. But that’s often self-serving interest creating a false dichotomy. Why not have both, and in between?

The companies who get ahead will dive into their culture and truly understand how the office is a tool to help their team succeed. They’ll empower their teams to be hybrid and choose when to use the right tool on a given day.

And how about opportunities for the future?

To me, the future is about empowering people with the flexibility to choose how they work best and giving them the tools to do so.

The best offices going forward will cater to this reality. On the podcast, Esme Banks Marr, Strategy Director at BVN Architecture, referred to the Leesman data for employee satisfaction with a quote saying, “The average home supports the average employee better than the average office.” That’s a huge challenge for companies holding onto pre-pandemic ways of thinking. But it’s a big opportunity for companies leaning into the new ways of working as part of their recruitment strategy.

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