Where It All Began - A Brief History Of Coworking

By: Eric Asare

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.” – Socrates

In businesses of old (we’re talking prehistoric times: 1950s-80s) stark, zero-atmosphere offices and cramped cubicles were the norms, and they didn’t exactly encourage creativity or boost morale. When workspaces began to change, the open plan was the first big step. It opened up interaction and ideas, and as technology became a bigger part of the environment these spaces adapted to accommodate computers, cables, and more.

Tech and innovation have always been at the heart of coworking. In 1995, one of the world’s first ‘hackerspaces’ was founded in Berlin. It was called C-base, and it’s considered one of the first early models of the coworking concept. In 2002, C-base was also one of the first of these hubs to offer Wi-Fi to its members! Revolutionary!