High tech suburban offices, rentable by the hour

Clive Akerman

Anyone who commutes into or across London will have noticed that, as London becomes more prosperous, the journey takes longer and becomes more unpleasant (or perhaps I am just getting old and crotchety!). Yet, for many of us, 'work' consists in the main of chattering away at a computer or computer terminal - jobs which can be done practically anywhere, given a modest investment in equipment. However, while we, or our employers, might be able to afford small computers and cheap modems and access to electronic mail services and the like, we all also need occasional access to secretarial assistance, photocopiers, maybe laser printers or slide-making equipment, facsimile machines and the like.

In addition, not everyone has the space or the desire to clutter up their homes with computers and the detritus which surrounds us at work. We also 'go to work' for social reasons, including a dose of 'daily divorce', without which many relationships run into difficulties.

'Suppose that suites of small offices were set up in or near areas inhabited by commuters. They would act like the nursery units for small businesses, but, rather than being rented by the year, would also be available by the half-day or day'

The Neal's Yard DeskTop Publishing Studio in Covent Garden provides the germ of an idea which might enable us to avoid the worst of the commute, yet still get away from home during working hours. Suppose that suites of small offices were set up in or near areas inhabited by commuters. They would act like the 'nursery units' set up to encourage and assist small businesses, but, rather than being rented by the year, would also be available by the half-day or day. They would be equipped with computers and the usual office facilities, including shared secretarial and other staff. Some offices might be suitable for an individual and others for small informal meetings. These latter would not compete, except at the margin, with established conference centres such as are provided by many hotels, but would rather be intended to replace the in-office meeting room where a handful of colleagues discuss projects in hand or hold regular reviews of progress and plans.

Employers who made regular use of such dispersed offices would naturally be able to reduce the size of their central facilities - though would no doubt maintain some central space for meetings and for work not do-able at home. Individuals would commute or use their local studio-office as needed. Savings in central space, in fares and in time would be used to pay for studio rentals.

These payments could be brought to good social use. For suppose the studios were constructed in vacant schools or parts of schools, or in other public property. Then, not only would the urge to dispose of the property, and its other uses within the community, be reduced, but surpluses could be used to improve the facilities available to the community.

I have always argued that schools, being already owned by the community, should be upgraded to become total community resources, with education of children being one of a wide range of facilities offered. Here we have a means to finance some of them.

So far as I can judge, such studio offices, located near the homes of commuters, offer benefits to the commuters and to their employers; they will be a source of jobs (well suited to part-time workers); they would enable disabled and other workers unable or unwilling to commute every day a degree of equality of opportunity; they would reduce the strain on the transport system. The losers - since every change leads to losers as well as gainers - would be the petrol companies, the motor industry and public transport.

Another group who might wish to join in are what, for want of a better word, we might call 'anti-commuters' - those who live in the inner suburbs and would find a trip to the outer areas more comfortable than a trip inwards. (Some years ago I drove out along the M1 for 15 miles each morning in considerable comfort, at least compared with the poor sods in the London-bound carriageway. The distance was irrelevant since the journey rarely met anything approaching a hold-up apart from the last half-mile into the centre of St Albans and thence to the office.)

'Anti-commuters - those who live in the inner suburbs and would find a trip to the outer areas more comfortable than a trip inwards'

Clive Akerman, 92 Sandbrook Road, London N16 OSP (tel 071 241 0866).

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