How We Helped CommonGrounds Move Into 18 Spaces, Some a Whopping Two Months Early!
CommonGrounds, LA. Haley Hill Photography
At two, we pride ourselves on our flexibility, our collaborative values, and our dedication to meeting—and exceeding—client needs. So when coworking space innovators CommonGrounds approached us for support in designing new locations across the U.S., we knew we’d make a great team. CommonGrounds embodies the same principles: they boast workspaces that promote community and make ideal homes for businesses of all sizes, allowing endless reconfigurations depending on their clients' changing needs. Plus, their modern-yet-distinctive design ethos meshed perfectly with ours.
We also loved that CommonGrounds presented us with a new challenge to overcome; while working within budget requirements and coordinating with each location’s unique design vision, we’d also need to prioritize an ASAP opening day for each space. Read on to learn how we kept CommonGrounds’ furniture timelines tight and on budget while fully realizing our mutually high design standards.
Facilitating logistics and design vision at speed
As CommonGrounds’ support partner on multiple projects, our top priority was facilitating an early “first day of business” for each location. Since CommonGrounds rents to so many individual companies and entrepreneurs, it takes time for a new location to gather the full quota of members needed to move into the black. That means workplaces must be up and running as soon as possible after their acquisition, putting a lot of pressure on the design teams to keep timelines short.
two helped CommonGrounds open new locations as far ahead of schedule as one to two months early. We achieved this near-miracle with two thoughtful approaches. First, we used our deep knowledge of furniture suppliers and fabricators to spec pieces with fast delivery times—even including some custom elements. Second, we prioritized “Day One” items: the essential building blocks of each space, which would allow each location to open while secondary furniture was delivered.
CommonGrounds, Minneapolis
Another top-level focus on these projects was keeping the design within budget. two served as “value engineers” for CommonGrounds vision, ensuring that the materials, colors, types of pieces, and overall aesthetic of the furnishings meshed with both the original design specs and the project budget. This involved working with close-to-home U.S. manufacturers on custom pieces, sourcing other furniture both nationally and internationally, and mixing high-end and cost-effective pieces within each space.
We knew keeping lead times short for these distinctively furnished spaces was a top priority, so we worked to find furnishings with a 14-to-16-week design timeline, keeping to a 12-day lead time for essential items whenever possible. We also maintained two important lists that facilitated short timetables: an inventory stock list of desks and chairs in storage, and a list of ancillary pieces that could be quickly incorporated into a new project.
CommonGrounds, LA. Haley Hill Photography
CommonGrounds, Chicago. Tom Harris Photography
Interiors: Partners by Design.
Since CommonGrounds manages so many locations, we were able to achieve another huge value-add in the form of inventory supply. We assisted them in ordering bulk items, another money-saver, and developing a core inventory of essential elements like desks and chairs. These elements could then be quickly shipped to a newly opened location, cutting out those pesky, expensive lead times across any number of projects.
Our last—but not least—major goal was to achieve the unique vision of CommonGrounds’ internal design team for each new location. CommonGrounds’ workspaces run the full breadth of the country, and each one features its own distinctive design concept, palette of materials, and type of space. Building off of the essential “Day One” items, which were consistent across each location, we sourced different auxiliary furniture and decor elements for every project.
We worked closely with CommonGroundsevery step of the way. We toured site locations together, visited local vendors and markets for decor items in each project’s city, and even brought the CommonGrounds design team to Stockholm and Copenhagen to scope out Europe’s newest furniture offerings. This close collaboration with an internal design team gave a significant boost to each project.
Choosing the best of the best for Day One
Since the “Day One” key building blocks would be the common elements across every project, we knew they’d have to be the best of the best: stylish, well-designed, and unparalleled in quality. On top of that, each component would need to adhere to our budget and timeline constraints—a tall order, but one we were more than ready to fill. We drew from our technology and design expertise to come up with a set of three core elements: wall systems by Tecno, Belay workstations by Pair, and chairs by SitOnIt.
CommonGrounds, Minneapolis
We introduced CommonGrounds to Tecno’s tech-forward plug-and-play glass walls, which were a perfect fit for their specific needs. Attractively minimalist and industrial in aesthetic, the transparent walls work as noise-reducing space partitions that blow the tired, drab cubicle farm out of the water. The walls are pre-fabricated with standard parts, so they can be ordered off the shelf. They’re also highly configurable, which is essential for CommonGrounds’ projects. When CommonGrounds finds a big new client in need of a larger workspace, or a group of small business clients requiring individual spaces, they can easily make use of Tecno’s system to rearrange partitions and accommodate differing needs.
CommonGrounds, LA. Haley Hill Photography
If you’re familiar with two, you may be aware of our frequent collaborations with Pair, who make sleek and adjustable high-tech workstations. For CommonGrounds’ projects, we worked with the classic Pair Belay desks, opting for metal matte black bases and Messina tops. The Belay workstations can be ordered off the shelf, so they keep lead times short, and they’re more budget-friendly than custom pieces. They also show off quality design and a contemporary look far beyond other standard desk models, with considered details like rounded desk feet and edges and a matte finish. Pair Belay’s aesthetic fit effortlessly into the contemporary look of CommonGrounds’ spaces, and each workstation’s design for easy height adjustment, assembly, and storage also met their need for readily accessible reconfigurations.
CommonGrounds, Minneapolis.
For task chairs, we selected SitOnIt’s Novo chairs. These award-winning ergonomic chairs feature a multitude of adjustments, making them a great choice for a communal workspace whose different members may each have unique comfort preferences. Novo chairs are also sleekly designed and highly customizable, so we could choose colors and details that would work within CommonGrounds’ design vision.
All in all, the “Day One” elements kept budgets reasonable and timelines short, while also providing top-tier design and quality that harmonized beautifully with the individual style of each CommonGrounds location.
Designing continuity and individuality across projects
All CommonGrounds’ locations were designed by their internal team, and each one features its own unique design vision, drawing from the architecture of the building, locally available materials and decor, and more. . This differentiation is core to CommonGrounds’ commitment to transcending the cookie-cutter feel of most coworking spaces, and it results in a strong design viewpoint that moves beyond common conceptions of the modern office. two were integral partners in executing these one-of-a-kind looks on time and on budget.
CommonGrounds, Fort Worth. Wade Griffith Photography
Thoughtfully designed communal spaces are another constant between CommonGrounds locations. One of these is the coffee bar area, which is a must-have component in every CommonGrounds project (it’s their eponymous moniker!). By providing this home-like, familiar space where people can work and meet, CommonGrounds encourages collaboration and interaction, living its mission of community-building.
CommonGrounds, Chicago. Tom Harris Photography. Interiors: Partners by Design.
The reception space, a lounge area for renters and waiting visitors, is also featured in each location. As the most public-facing area, the reception space acts as a postcard for the project, and accordingly, CommonGrounds invests in a greater proportion of high-end pieces to furnish it. As is often the case for reception spaces, CommonGrounds opts to make theirs the showcase for the full expression of each project’s aesthetic, from colors and materials to the overall design.
CommonGrounds, Minneapolis.
The common spaces in different locations were all built with the individual design vision for each project in mind, while still considering budgets and deliverability timelines. Every space has a different feel that references and coheres with its building’s distinctive architecture.
CommonGrounds, LA. Haley Hill Photography
Over the years, we’ve collaborated with CommonGrounds on 18 spaces across the country. We remained flexible from conception to delivery, achieving the feat of minimizing costs and timelines without compromising on our joint design conception. Through two’s in-depth knowledge of contemporary tech and design, deep love of collaborative work, and impressive knack for pinpointing affordable, high-quality furnishings, we brought one-of-a-kind value to CommonGrounds on their uniquely challenging projects at every stage of the process.
CommonGrounds, Fort Worth. Wade Griffith Photography
If you're looking for a furniture partner for your next office project please get in touch - hello@twofurnish.com