Coworking isn’t a new concept, tech pioneers have been using collaborative work spaces in Silicon Valley for over a decade.

The original idea was simple – start-ups or SMEs are ready to move out of their homes and into an office. But office space is expensive, and how much benefit does a 3-person outfit gain from being in a cramped room together? The solution? A space that provides an office feel without the price tag or long-term leases.

From these humble beginnings coworking has developed into a distinct brand; with spaces marketed for their collaborative thinking, networking opportunities and social setting. In fact, the workspace is often less about keeping costs down and more about the opportunities of sharing space with other liked minded individuals – Barclays 30,000 sq ft fintech hub in Shoreditch is testament to this.

And coworking isn’t just for Silicon Valley anymore. Berlin was an early pioneer of the concept in Europe, and now London is leading the way with coworking giants like WeWork letting significant square footage in the capital. Outside of the capital, WeWork have set their sights on Manchester, with a 60,000 sq ft pre-let at No.1 Spinningfields. If their London expansion since 2014 is anything to go by, then Manchester is set to be the UK’s no.2 coworking hotspot in the very near future.

However, coworking isn’t going to be for everyone. It doesn’t cater for the privacy required by many industries, nor is the collective (noisy) environment going to fit into every company culture. It is also not yet clear what the geographic limitations of coworking will be – are some areas simply lacking in the start-ups and SMEs essential to a profitable coworking model?

Notwithstanding its limitations, if the UK experiences growth similar to San Francisco (where the number of coworking spaces doubled year-on-year from 2006 to 2012) then coworking is set to dramatically change the property industry. Established brands like WeWork will boost their UK share, traditional landowners such as the Howard de Walden estate will expand their new coworking offer and unconventional initiatives like those suggested by John Lewis will provide a fresh look at how we define office space.

Whether your sold on the idea of working alongside strangers (or could be collaborators) or not, if you’re working in the built environment it’s time to realise the potential of coworking.