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Global co-working concept, Spaces, is more than just a place to plug in your laptop.

Global co-working concept, Spaces, is more than just a place to plug in your laptop. Spaces以環球共享工作空間概念，

There's nothing new about shared offices these days but not so long ago, hot desking and co-working were entirely unknown concepts. Founded in Amsterdam in 2006 by Martijn Roordink and Frederique Keuning, Spaces was one of the first co-working companies to open its doors and basically redefine the way we work. International Workplace Group (IWG) acquired it in 2014 and if its numerous locations across the globe are anything to go by, Spaces' upward trajectory continues. It currently has 180 locations in around 40 countries worldwide, including five in Hong Kong, and is looking to open more by the end of this year.

Spaces was built on the idea of having an office that was more like home, with all the benefits of both worlds; think inviting sofas for informal meetings, designer desks, super-fast Wifi and barista-made coffee. These personal, comfortable and dynamic environments were not only designed to make work a more attractive prospect but also to encourage interaction between like-minded people who were passionate about what they did. Success would breed success.

Spaces Hong Kong has stayed true to this original ethos. The five mobile workspaces— in Sheung Wan, Causeway Bay, Wong Chuk Hang, Kwun Tong and Wan Chai— offer flexible office solutions for all sizes and have created a buzzing community of movers and shakers.

Potential Spaces users can have a free day's trial including access to a hot desk but otherwise you need to be a member to benefit from the facilities. There are hot desking packages for five or 10 days a month or a full monthly membership. From there, you can pick the work solution that best suits your needs whether you're a single freelancer or heading up a company of thirty. You can even drop in at any of Spaces' myriad of international offices for free if travelling abroad.

I was given a tour of the Hennessy Road venue, which opened in March and is the newest of the Hong Kong locations. On the site of the former Hang Seng bank, it has an über-cool ground and first floor Business Club, which is where the hot-desking happens.

There are diverse seating and working options: comfy sofas and armchairs; trendy booths with banquettes; long shared desks and even an irregularly shaped table, which was designed to invite conversation and collaboration anywhere you sit. A high table offers the chance to work standing up or sitting, while an outdoor terrace is a great spot for alfresco activity.

If you're a creature of habit, however, you can reserve your own dedicated desk to go to each day, which comes with an individual locker for personal belongings.

Hennessy Road has two well-equipped meeting rooms that can be booked on an ad hoc basis plus a co-working tower comprising of 10 floors of private offices, which can be rented by the day or month by month.

The vibe is apparently more casual here than at other locations. High ceilings make the Business Club feel extra spacious while the ground floor's glass frontage connects you with the Wan Chai street scene. (A purpose-built lift enables wheelchair users to access both floors easily.) With Dutchstyle furniture and décor, plants and glossy coffee table books, it is the office space of my dreams but one that I have never been able to replicate at home.

One of the cornerstones of Spaces' concept is that it actively wants its members to feel part of a community. There are notice boards inviting people to pin up their business cards and connect with fellow members, and free events such as beer tasting, networking lunches and guest speakers, to which all members are invited.

“Spaces is all about people and ideas. We hope to create a dynamic workspace that attracts an energetic community of positive and open-minded business thinkers, who love to meet new people,” says area director of IWG Hong Kong, Nancy Yip. “Spaces is a place where businesses can be productive and collaborative, but feel at home at the same time.”

A dynamic workspace that attracts an energetic community of positive and open-minded business thinkers, who love to meet new people.