Open Space Network: Building sustainable distributed working spaces for autonomous teams.

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Following the outbreak of Covid-19, working practices have undeniably changed. 46% of UK employees worked from home (WFH) in April (ONS) and the accelerated digital transformation of working it necessitated will continue (LSE and British Safety Council). Changes in work location impact on productivity, well-being, the wider economy and environment.For employers, the shift in office utilisation is a challenge and an opportunity. The cost of space is significant, with the UK the most expensive in the world. New standards for being "Covid-Secure" compound this, with de-densification of space limiting capacity and making facility management more complicated/expensive.Alongside this, a homeworker uses 80% more energy than an office based one (WSP and British Safety Council reports), versus the alternative impact of commuting: there is no single easy solution.Clearly, WFH versus the office need not be binary. Models blending centralised 'HQ' working, local offices and WFH are required. This offers sustainable recovery, addresses work/life balance, transport pollution and productivity. Alternative local office space is required to reduce density and this must be convenient and safe for workers to encourage utilisation.Open Space Network will develop an innovative technology and business model to facilitate this. Using the connected capability of internet of things (IoT) devices and machine learning alongside a digital platform that coordinates safe occupancy, facilitates collaboration and access, we will create a network of Covid Secure distribute 'co-working' office spaces, flexibly available via a subscription model, across previously unfeasible locations.Taking a network approach to offer a high number of locations at low-cost, our focus will be on the 'market towns' and brown-field properties ignored by developers as too small to be profitable. By minimising travel distances and utilising market town 'rural' hub locations we will enable people to commute by public transport or walking/cycling.We will include an expansion of Cardiff University's MyCompanion behavioural IoT system which will achieve 2 linked functions:i) environmental accommodation monitoring, (e.g. humidity, temperature, air quality/movement) for Covid-security and a pleasant workspace.ii) social accommodation assistance, both physical (cluster points and space utilisation) alongside communicable/social characteristics/requirements (DND, open to networking, sit with friends, disability etc.)Our existing collaboration platform will be expanded to link these systems' and its own data and through our AI capability will support underpinning functions (desk allocation, cleaning etc.) and identify environmental improvements for users and space optimisation to benefit productivity and wellbeing.We will establish a populated demonstrator office, furnished with IoT equipment to conduct assessment of social and commercial validation of our proposition as well as an initial sustainability assessment and framework going forward for organisations and at an individual level - this analysis will be delivered by subcontracted experts.We will explore the market potential of supporting organisations to develop distributed workforces by providing a network of highly suited space. By utilising a network approach with multiple sites augmented by modern, adaptable, booking systems that can integrate with for example an organisation's shift/rotation strategies, we will offer space-as-a-service on a subscription basis.