A meme is circulating around social media right now: “Do I work at home, or do I live at work?” For those feeling like their life these days is the latter, consider a coworking space. Birmingham has many, a few of which are profiled here.
Owners of coworking spaces say traffic lately has included people whose offices are closed and who need a break from the confines of their homes – both for productivity’s sake and for their sanity.
There’s no better time than now to check spaces out: Many of the coworking spaces across the city are banding together to launch a coworking collective to match people looking to cowork with the right space for them.
City Club Coworking Space, 1901 Sixth Avenue North, Suite 3100, Birmingham 35203
People might know the City Club for its remarkable views perched amidst downtown Birmingham’s robust skyline. But now the space is offering coworking, too, with all of the benefits of club membership included.
“We are adapting with the changing world,” said Joe Spellman, general manager of the City Club. “I’ve talked to so many people and they’re all waiting to go back to ‘normal,’ but I don’t think we will. Normal has changed, how we do things. Working from home doesn’t have to be in an office. I see a lot of businesses trying to save money by not paying overhead of $1,000 a month and utilize space better.”
Amenities offered: Members are able to reserve any space available beyond just their desk, like the board room or a conference room. Members also get to take advantage of all the club benefits, like social networking, complimentary coffee and complimentary breakfast each day, cooked to order. Mailing addresses are also available.
COVID-19 precautions taken: Workspaces are at least six feet apart, masks are required in the Club until members are at their respective table or desk and sanitizers and specialized chemicals are used to wipe down every surface after every use.
What sets this space apart: Many Birmingham executives already meet at the City Club for lunch to do business. Now, after lunch, the office is just steps away. Plus, members get to attend City Club events, like happy hours.
Forge, 120 Nineteenth Street North, #200, Birmingham 35203
On March 15, before anyone knew how common working from home would become thanks to COVID-19, Forge expanded from 9,000 to 13,000 square feet, adding two more private offices, another conference room, three team offices and plenty of open space. Now, said Kim Lee, Forge’s founder and CEO, visitors can be really spaced out and feel safe, yet be surrounded by people.
“I used to always tell people there are perks to being able to work from home, but having to work from home is difficult,” Lee said. “Here, you’re surrounded by people pushing themselves and working hard, and you’re able to collaborate, there’s more people to talk to about your business, you’re able to get feedback from the community and relationships are very big.”
Amenities offered: Members-only events and education, coffee and tea, mailing address, storage, phone booth for private phone calls, gym, pool and sauna, conference rooms, and meeting and event space.
COVID-19 precautions taken: Masks are required in open spaces, coffee is served to patrons rather than serving themselves and constant cleaning after each person leaves and before the next patron arrives.
What sets this space apart: Forge specifically caters to the business community. “We are in the business of growing businesses,” Lee said. “We are successful when our members and their businesses grow and are successful.” Forge has a unique, tight-knit sense of community and Lee said she wants to make sure it’s a good fit before interested parties become members – she suggests coming to work for a day or two before committing.
Hardware Park, 811 Fifth Avenue North, Birmingham 35203
There’s no better place for a hardware-focused company in Birmingham to cowork than at Hardware Park, which is 140,000 square feet of opportunity.
“Here you have access to resources and people, and we all help each other out as much as we can,” said Daniel Bolus, director of community outreach. “We are bridging the gap for hardware companies to really succeed using community resources.”
COVID-19 precautions taken: Hardware Park is a spacious environment, allowing all of its tenants to spread out – much greater than six feet apart, Bolus said. “There’s no problem spreading out,” he said. Plus, there’s sanitization materials available in all common areas and cleaning happens regularly.
What sets this space apart: There’s nowhere else in Birmingham that comes close to matching its hardware resources, with machines like 3D printers and access to engineering talent that can work on CNC machines. The access to talent is unmatched, Bolus said.
MAKEbhm, 4000 Third Avenue South, Birmingham 35222
While many coworking spaces are geared towards the business community, MAKEbhm exists for the makers of Birmingham –most of whom work alone.
“Solopreneurs work on their business by themselves and it can be isolating, especially if they’re working by themselves in a location by themselves, too,” said Hannah Mills, managing director at MAKEbhm. “Having other people who are going through the same trenches as you is, even in normal times, the best thing about getting to work here.”
Amenities offered: Shared kitchen with coffee always stocked, meeting spaces, high-speed fiber WiFi, onsite printing services and access to equipment and tools makers might not have at home.
COVID-19 precautions taken: Currently the space is closed to the public and the only people who go in and out are those that have dedicated workspaces there. The building is spaced out anyway, and, like everyone, cleaning has been ramped up. Masks are required in public spaces and sanitization stations are present throughout the space, made specially with soap crafted from one of MAKEbhm’s makers.
What sets this space apart: Designed specifically for makers, MAKEbhm gives its members access to specialized equipment and tools that other spaces don’t. But, with dedicated offices and drop-in coworking, you don’t have to be a maker to become a member – sometimes even lawyers or data scientists need to be surrounded by creatives, too.
Orchard House, 3613 Sixth Avenue South, Birmingham 35222 (within the Practice Works space – see below for more information)
Orchard House is Birmingham’s first women-focused coworking space, so it’s fitting that it derives its name from the childhood home of Louisa May Alcott, whose best-known work is a classic called Little Women.
“Our soft seating makes you feel like you’re in a living room, but not your living room and like you’re in a cozy home but not your home,” said cofounder Alex Wolf. “It’s a safe, welcoming spot where women can be fruitful in their relationships, but also in their work.”
Amenities offered: Private meeting room available, private phone booth for calls, lounge and kitchen access, coffee and surface parking.
COVID-19 precautions taken: Everything is six feet apart, and there are acrylic partitions between each workspace with instructions on cleaning. Masks are required in public spaces and the space is sanitized and disinfected.
What sets this space apart: “As a single female in my 20s, I couldn’t go to a coworking space without getting asked for my phone number,” Wolf said. “I thought it would be really cool to have one place where that didn’t have to be on my mind – not having to dodge that. Sometimes it’s a little bit easier to focus on friendships and work and not have to worry about dodging requests, plus, there’s a special camaraderie working with women. We want to create a space where networking can happen organically.”
Practice Works, 3613 Sixth Avenue South, Birmingham 35222
If you ask Meredith Calhoun, cofounder of Practice Works, your home should be your sanctuary – not where you work.
That’s why she advocates heavily for coworking spaces, not just for the work/life balance benefits, but because they provide flexibility, community and infrastructure to support workers’ professional needs.
“The truth is, not everyone has the infrastructure to support working from home,” Calhoun said. “Many have kids who need to use the bandwidth or the WiFi, and many just don’t have the physical space.”
Amenities offered: Surface parking, coffee and tea, receptionist, waiting area and natural light.
COVID-19 precautions taken: Masks are required inside the building, cleaning supplies and disinfectants are dotted around the space and spaces are completely sanitized before new patrons arrive and after they depart.
What sets this space apart: “It is nice and serene here, and the environment is decidedly more calming than you’ll find in a typical coworking space,” Calhoun said.
WORX BHM, 324 Commons Drive, Birmingham 35209 and 2081 Columbiana Road, Birmingham 35216
The biggest benefit of a coworking space?
“To me, it’s the opportunity to meet other people in business in Birmingham,” said Lauren Cushman, community manager at WORX BHM. “People are always networking here and walking by and saying hello, asking what somebody else does. Other than increasing productivity, networking and meeting other people in similar or totally different industries than you are in is the biggest benefit.”
Amenities offered: 250 black and white and color prints per month, mailing address, coffee, tea and sparkling water, snacks and outdoor seating.
COVID-19 precautions taken: The entire building is medically grade cleaned three times a week. Private offices have no one entering them but the renter. In the kitchen, conference room and shared coworking tables, masks are required.
What sets this space apart: Unlike niche coworking spaces, the variety of workers diversify the networking pool.