Environmental psychological considerations for people working in shared spaces; a study of co-working spaces: concerning Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract

While coworking has been a global trending topic since the new millennium, the Sri Lankan coworking industry starts with the economic boom at the war's end. As coworking is a new concept in the country, its adaptations and impacts need to study for future adjustments and growth. This study aims to provide a basis for space design fields to make sense of human behavior in co-working places by specializing in the context of "space." The layouts of two Colombo-based coworking environments were examined; Co-nnect and Likuid Spaces. The results showed that both the coworking environment layout arrangements and co-workers’ attitudes should improve in being true to core working core values. While it gives a standard framework for future research, it sheds light on the Sri Lankan interior designers, business researchers, and venture capitalists towards new opportunities in the coworking industry.