Co-Working 

Put simply, co-working (or Coworking) is cafe-like community/collaboration space for developers, writers and independents. It is a worldwide movement and you will find Chapel Studios listed on the Coworking wiki.

From Wikipedia:

 

Coworking is an emerging trend for a new pattern for working. Typically work-at-home professionals or independent contractors or people who travel frequently end up working in an isolated way. Coworking is the social gathering of a group of people, who are still working independently, but who share values and who are are interested in the synergy that can happen from working with talented people in the same space^{[1] [2]}.

Some coworking spaces were developed by nomadic internet entrepreneurs seeking an alternative to working in coffee shops and cafes, or to isolation in independent or home offices ^[3][4][5].

Business accelerators, business incubators and executive suites do not seem to fit into the coworking model, because they often miss the social, collaborative, and informal^[6] aspects of the process, with management practices closer to that of a Cooperative. Many of the coworking participants are also participants in BarCamp^[7] and other related open source technology activities^[8], ^[9].

Citizen Space in San Francisco was one of the pioneers of coworking and we share many aspects of their vision, albeit with a more British slant ;-) For example, we fully endorse the premise of taking the best elements of a coffee shop (social, energetic, creative) and the best elements of a workspace (productive, functional) and combine them to give indie workers the chance to have their own, affordable space. We also agree that our co-working endeavour be based upon a sound ethos and share the key elements (though not their full expression, reflecting different attitudes between the US and Brits) of Citizen Space's Philosophy:

• Collaboration: One of the great benefits of working in a coworking space is that you will meet all sorts of people with all sorts of knowledge. Our first year in business has seen all members of the community collaborating with one another to a greater or lesser extent, resulting in some newly established business partnerships. This was certainly as a result of Incidental Collaboration - providing the right atmosphere, attracting the right people and providing them with the facilities (and top of the range coffee machine) that they need to be productive, with a strong emphasis on community.

• Openness: We believe in transparency and openness. Therefore, we encourage open spaces and discussions. However, we respect client confidentiality, quiet time and NDAs.

• Community: We thrive on connections and mutual support here. It is important that everyone give into as well as benefit from the strong (international) community coworking has become.

• Accessibility: In order to be fully open, we must make the effort to be accessible to all. This means that we endeavor to create both a financially and a physically accessible space. We are committed to this principle and welcome feedback on how we can make it even more accessible.

• Sustainability: Shared spaces are also better for the planet, so we like to take that a little further and make certain our space is very environmentally responsible.