Worldwide: Flexible workspace provider Clockwise, which manages 15 physical flexible workspaces across the UK and Europe, has announced that it is launching its first virtual office space in the metaverse, known as the Clockwise Campus.
The coworking operator expects to launch Clockwise Campus this autumn and it will include dedicated meeting rooms, desk spaces, breakout spaces, call zones and a contemplation space for hybrid and remote workers. There will also be an amphitheatre events space that will play host to a schedule of large-scale events, from talks and presentations to more intimate panel discussions and fireside chats with industry pioneers and inspirational figures.
Clockwise Campus is based on designs by architecture and design studio, MoreySmith, which is a long-standing collaborator with Clockwise on projects such as the Generator Building in Bristol and Linley House in Manchester.
Clockwise COO Alexandra Livesey said: “We are very excited to unveil our plans to launch our Clockwise Campus, the first ever workspace in the metaverse. Available to our members as an additional space for them to utilise, the Clockwise Campus will also be accessible by the wider public. By design this will facilitate further business connections and entrepreneurial collaboration – in a whole new digital dimension.
“We will also use it to host an exciting programme of events; focused on leadership, innovation and wellness. Operationally, it will work much like our physical Clockwise offices, but on a larger scale.
“It will be a place where the usual restrictions around sqft and limitations of physical buildings don’t apply, where practical considerations such as weather and maintenance are unnecessary – a sort of Clockwise utopia,” she added.
Linda Morey-Burrows, principal director and founder of MoreySmith, said: “It is incredibly exciting to be continuing our longstanding collaborative relationship with Clockwise on such a unique and future-gazing project. We were particularly inspired by the opportunity to add human elements into the meta world, by incorporating designated spaces for social interactions.
“This blend of the MoreySmith design approach with nods to the gaming industry, brings life and dimension to Clockwise Campus, and we look forward to seeing Clockwise avatars from across the world coming together in this virtual space,” she added.
The metaverse is being seen as an increasingly viable office solution for both hybrid and remote workers wanting more authentic interaction and collaboration in a business sense. Facebook [Meta Horizon Workrooms] already has its own virtual office offering, while the likes of Gather and Teamflow are already exploring their own potential ventures into the metaverse.
The future of metaverse adoption is potentially exciting and could transform the coworking sector, as well as encourage other companies to look at virtual hybrid and remote working arrangements.
While there is scope for innovation, collaboration, networking and creativity, doubts surrounding data privacy, security concerns, and digital fatigue still need to be addressed to ensure wider adoption, while the future of skills-based training, and whether it can be carried out virtually, is also raising questions.
